Manchester Craft and Design Centre Arts & Crafts in Ardwick, Manchester
About
Manchester Craft and Design Centre is a home for independent makers in the Northern Quarter, set inside a restored Victorian building on Oak Street that opened in 1873 as part of the Smithfield retail fish market. After the markets closed, the hall was converted into a craft village and reopened in 1982, and it has been a venue for craft ever since, now run as a registered charity.
Around twenty studios are spread over its two floors, where designers make and sell their own textiles, jewellery, ceramics, glass, prints, accessories and homeware, so visitors can buy directly from the people who made the work and often watch them at it. A free exhibitions programme shows regional, national and international craft, and hands-on workshops such as fused glass and botanical dyeing run in its ground-floor space.
Fred's, the cafe inside, serves breakfast, lunch and cakes from Tuesday to Saturday. The centre is open Monday to Saturday and also on the second Sunday of each month, closed on bank holidays, and is a short walk from Shudehill and Market Street tram stops.
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Location
17 Oak Street, Ardwick M4 5JD
Get directionsCompany history
Registered charity 1173366
The centre is run by Manchester Craft & Design, a registered charity (number 1173366) rather than a private landlord, which is part of why it can keep studio rents low enough for independent makers and run a free exhibitions programme alongside the shops.
From Charity Commission register. Checked 13 Oct 2026 by our moderator. Is this your business? to update or remove this.