Get ready to unleash your inner lumberjack - axe throwing has landed in Manchester.

Whistle Punks Urban Axe Throwing is now open inside the Great Northern Warehouse, where players can have a go at hurling real metal hatchets at wooden targets, because why not?

An ear-splitting thudding gives away the location of the club, hidden away just opposite B.Eat Street . Inside, a group of players are limbering up with a few practice rounds before the tournament gets going.

The action takes place in four lanes caged off with chain-link fencing, with two targets at the end of each. A bullseye bags you five points, while the inner and outer circles are worth three and one - and for the super skilled (or plain fluky) throwers, there are two corner points worth seven apiece.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

The club has been brought to Manchester by Jools Whitehorn and John Nimmons, who founded it in London last year.

“It’s a growing trend in Canada, which obviously has a big lumberjack heritage, but it’s only in the last couple of years that it’s taken off as an urban sport,” said Jools.

“People are looking for something to do on a night out, not just eat and drink, a social activity with a bit of competition.

“I think another big part of the appeal is that it feels like something you shouldn’t be allowed to do. It’s a visceral experience which is physical without being too demanding, and people say it’s a good stress reliever.”

But, er, is it safe?

“At its essence it’s not a lot different to something like archery,” said Jools.

“We’ve spent a lot of time making sure it’s as safe as possible. All the lanes are caged off from each other, we have instructors on each lane and it’s all very closely monitored.

“We want it to feel dangerous but we want it to be as safe as we can possibly make it.”

(Image: Andy Lambert / Manchester Evening News)

Players are given a full safety briefing and throwing lesson before being unleashed on the lanes in pairs. It’s mostly men when we visit, but Jools says it attracts a mixed bunch.

“People expect it to be quite a macho experience but what’s nice is we have a really wide range of customers, everyone from big corporate groups to first dates,” he said.

“There’s no ice-breaker as good as this. It’s definitely a good conversation point and you’re not going to struggle for small talk.

“We recently had a group of 80-year-olds enquire, wanting to do ‘something completely unsuitable for 80-year-olds’, as they put it.

“You need to be strong enough to throw an axe but they’re not particularly heavy, and it’s more about skill and strength than brute power.”

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Whistle Punks Manchester is open from 5.45pm to 9pm, Tuesday to Friday, and 11am to 6.30pm on Saturdays.

Sessions last an hour and a half and are priced from £20 to £25 per person. Visit whistlepunks.com to book.