Alan Turing Memorial

Overview

The Alan Turing Memorial is a sculpture of the well-known mathematician and scientist who is famous for helping to break the Enigma code, which is believed to have saved millions of lives during World War II. Comprising a bronze statue of Turing sitting on a bench holding an apple, this memorial is a powerful tribute to this hero.

The memorial is situated in Sackville Gardens, near Canal Street in the Gay Village of Manchester, and is free to visit. It’s a poignant spot to stop off on a self-guided walking tour of the city, and you can see it all year round.

Alan Turing was gay and, because of this, was a convicted criminal. Homosexuality was illegal in England until 1967. The memorial offers an opportunity for reflection and the chance to consider the progress we have made since then.

Who was Alan Turing?

Alan Turing was a mathematician and a pioneer of computer science. He played a crucial role at Bletchley Park during the Second World War and was instrumental in breaking the Enigma code, deciphering over 84,000 intercepted messages per month by 1942.

Having access to this intelligence is thought to have shortened the length of the war by two years and saved the lives of 14 million people. Alan Turing was awarded an OBE for these efforts.

In 1952, Turing was convicted of gross indecency due to his homosexuality, which was still illegal in the UK during this time. He was given the choice between going to prison or undergoing a chemical castration that involved hormonal injections, and he chose the latter.

Alan Turing was granted a posthumous pardon in 2013, many years after his death. This followed years of campaigning by thousands of people, including leading scientific figures and politicians.

His life, conviction, and subsequent pardon are a key part of LGBTQ+ history in the UK.

Why is Alan Turing’s memorial in Manchester?

Turing was based at the University of Manchester following his work at Bletchley Park. Here, he started research into artificial intelligence.

He died in 1954 at the age of just 41 from cyanide poisoning. An inquest into his death determined it was a suicide.

Visitors often leave small tributes when they visit, including flowers and Pride flags.

Where in Manchester did Alan Turing live?

When Turing first came to Manchester, he lived on Nursery Avenue in Hale. Later, he lived in Copper Folly in Wilmslow, and this is where he died.

About the memorial

The Alan Turing Memorial was created by sculptor Glyn Hughes in 2001. Richard Humphry, a barrister from Stockport, had the idea for the sculpture and raised the money for it through the Alan Turing Memorial Fund, which he set up.

Turing is cast in bronze and seated on a park bench, holding an apple. There’s an inscription on the bench that reads “Alan Mathison Turing 1912 – 1954,” and then there is a motto which is encoded by Enigma. The bench allows people to sit next to Alan Turing for moments of contemplation and reflection.

A plaque at the bottom of the statue says, “Father of Computer Science, Mathematician, Logician, Wartime Codebreaker, Victim of Prejudice” and then a quote by Bertrand Russell.

As a further tribute to Alan Turing, Hughes buried his own old Amstrad computer underneath the sculpture.

The sculpture is in the heart of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community, just a stone’s throw from Canal Street, to highlight the importance of his story in the community’s history.

Why is Alan Turing holding an apple?

There are a few different ways that the apple in the sculpture could be interpreted. When Alan Turing died, there was a half-eaten apple laced with cyanide lying beside him, which caused his death.

The apple is also a symbol used to represent forbidden love and is the object that inspired Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity, another major scientific advancement.

LGBTQ+ Manchester Walking Tour

The Alan Turing Memorial is a stop on the free LGBTQ+ Manchester Walking Tour. The tour explores Manchester’s Gay Village and its history and culture, and takes place on most Saturdays at 3pm.

Other stops include:

Rainbow Trail
Northern Quarter
Street art
Canal Street

Things to do nearby

There are plenty of other things to see and do nearby, including:

Beacon of Hope: Also in Sackville Gardens, this is a memorial to those affected by HIV and AIDS.
Canal Street: Manchester’s Gay Village, full of vibrant bars.
Science and Industry Museum: Find out more about Alan Turing’s pioneering work on computing.

How to get to the Alan Turing Memorial from YHA Manchester

The Alan Turing Memorial is just over a mile away from YHA Manchester.

On foot: It takes around 26 minutes to walk to the Alan Turing Memorial from YHA Manchester.

Cycling: Cycling from the Youth Hostel to the Alan Turing Memorial should take about nine minutes.

By public transport: Walk about seven minutes to the Science Museum bus stop and catch the 1 Free Bus to Spinningfields. Alight at Sheena Simon Campus, and then it’s around a one-minute walk to the Alan Turing Memorial. The whole journey should take just over 20 minutes.

Driving: It takes approximately seven minutes to drive from YHA Manchester to the Alan Turing Memorial. There is an NCP car park on Sackville Street, as well as on-street parking bays.