The Gauging Route - Immersive Audio Fiction in Manchester Pubs
Ref: NQ-1734 / Northern Quarter / Status: accepting registrations
An audio-led investigation across three historic pubs in Manchester's Northern Quarter. You will receive sealed documents at each venue. You will listen to recorded testimony. You will follow the route as instructed.
Three venues. One evening. Something old is listening.
- Duration
- Approximately 2 hours
- Participants
- 1–4 persons
- Location
- Northern Quarter, Manchester
- Required
- Personal headphones
- Materials
- Sealed documents, audio recordings, physical clues
Procedure
- Register below with your name, email, preferred evening, and group size.
- 48 hours before your assigned date, you will receive a summons containing an address and a single instruction.
- Present yourself at the designated venue at the stated time. Identify yourself to the publican. A sealed envelope will be provided.
- Open the envelope. Follow the instructions. Listen to everything you are given. Do not skip ahead.
- At the conclusion of each recording, you will be directed to the next venue. Continue until the final testimony is delivered.
- One further communication will be issued the following morning. After that, you are on your own.
Register
Common questions
- What is this, exactly?
- A location-based weird fiction experience set in real Manchester pubs. You follow audio recordings and sealed physical clues between historic venues to uncover a story woven into each building's actual history. It is not a pub crawl, a ghost tour, or a murder mystery night.
- Is it frightening?
- Unsettling, not frightening. The tone is closer to a strange documentary than a horror film. You will not be startled or chased. You may, however, start listening to the silence in old buildings. That tends to persist.
- Where in Manchester?
- Three pubs in and around the Northern Quarter. The total walking distance between venues is approximately 7 minutes. All three are real, operating pubs with histories dating to the 18th century. Specific addresses are disclosed in your summons.
- Can I come alone?
- Yes. The experience accommodates 1–4 persons. Some participants report that doing it alone is more affecting. We make no recommendation either way.
- What do I need to bring?
- Headphones. Everything else - documents, recordings, clues - is provided at each venue. You may wish to bring a charged phone to scan QR codes.
- How long does it last?
- Approximately 2 hours, including time at each pub and walking between them. You are encouraged to order a drink at each stop. There is no timer. Take as long as you need.
- What happens the next morning?
- You will receive one final communication. A brief recorded message. Consider it aftercare. After that, your involvement in this particular route is concluded. Whether further routes become available is not something we are able to confirm at this time.