EAW050213 ENGLAND (1953). Piccadilly Gardens and environs, Manchester, 1953

St Anns Church Grade 1 English Heritage Building ID: 457202 1709-12 (traditionally said to have been designed by Sir Chistopher Wren or one of his pupils); restored 1886-91 by Alfred Waterhouse. History: second oldest church in Manchester, built as part of early C18 development of St Ann's Square; formerly had strong Whig and Anti-Jacobite connections; John Wesley preached here 1733 and 1738, Thomas De Quincey was baptised here 1785.

Part of former Kendal Milnes shop. The shop was connected by under road tunnel to the nearer building which later became a separate bookstore. Grade 2 listed - English Heritage Building ID: 388087 Department store. 1939, by J.S.Beaumont. Steel frame with cladding of Portland stone and glass. Large rectangular plan on island site. International functionalist style.

City Art Gallery Grade 1 listed - English Heritage Building ID: 388331 Royal Manchester Institution, now City Art Gallery. 1824-35, by Sir Charles Barry. Rusticated ashlar (roofs not visible). Rectangular plan parallel to street and set back from it, with projecting central portico. Greek Ionic style. Two storeys with the appearance of one,

Princess Street

Town Hall Extension Grade 2* listed - English Heritage Building ID: 388286 1938, by Vincent Harris. Steel frame with cladding of sandstone ashlar and steeply-pitched slate roof. Large irregular plan with long concave south side. Eclectic style with Gothic accent. Eight storeys and attic, the 7th and 8th storeys set back behind a parapet,

Manchester Town Hall Grade 1 listed - English Heritage Building ID: 387871 1868-77, by Alfred Waterhouse. Sandstone ashlar facing to brick carcass, slate roofs. Triangular island site, with 3 main ranges enclosing a triangular courtyard mostly filled by a rectangular Great Hall. Gothic style. Three storeys and attics. Building of major importance. Contains mural paintings by Ford Madox Brown

Albert Square

Dale Street

Oldham Street

Lewis's Department Store Now Primark Beneath the large dome is hidden a large ballroom which had a fine spring floor. A smaller dowm towards the street provided a light well for the full height of the building. Interior now much modified, the ballroom remained, without the floorboards, in 2014 but was walled off.

Joshua Hoyle Building now a hotel Grade 2 listed English Heritage Building ID: 455655 Textile warehouse. 1904-6, by Charles Heathcote and Sons. Steel frame with brick cladding, dressings of green and cream glazed terracotta, slate roof. Irregular plan on corner site. Eclectic style with Elizabethan accent. Of considerable historical interest as early example of steel-frame construction.

City Police Courts Currently "Manchester Crown Court at Minshull Street" Much extended and modified since this image. The tower remains. Grade 2* listed - English Heritage Building ID: 388318 City police courts. 1868-71, by Thomas Worthington. Red brick with sandstone dressings, steeply-pitched slate roofs. Rectangular plan on corner site. Italian Gothic style. Two-and-a-half storeys over basement, plus tower at north-west corner,

Chatham Street

Former bank (most recently Barclays), currently empty. Grade 2 listed building - English Heritage Building ID: 455652 Dated 1911 on frieze; by Thomas Worthington and Son, for Union Bank of Manchester. Portland stone, slate roof. Rectangular plan on corner site, with chamfered corner. Classical style. Four storeys and attic, 4 bays to Piccadilly and 8-bay return to Chatham Street;

Telephone Buildings Grade 2 - English Heritage Building ID: 458643 Former telephone exchange. 1909, by L.Stokes and Beaumont. Red brick; cream faience dressings and banding; blue brick bands to quoins; granite basement; leaded roof. Rectangular plan. Three storeys with basement and attic, 5 bays to York Street; central segmental-headed entrance with paired wooden doors;

Although this road now has a very large building over it, there remains a pedestrian route through to remind us of this road. It now has doors and can be locked.

Back George Street

George Street

Former Manchester Central Station officially opened on 1 July 1880. The station's roof is a single span wrought iron truss structure 550 feet (168 m) long with a span of 210 feet (64 m), and was 90 feet (27 m) high at its apex above the railtracks. Glass covered the middle section, timber (inside) and slate (outside) covered the outer quarters. The end screens were glazed with timber boarding surrounding the outer edges. It was constructed by Andrew Handyside and Co Rail services ran to Derby and London but the line at Millers Dale (Derbyshire) closed in 1968 and local Manchester services ceased the following year. Now a convention centre and exhibition hall. Grade 2* listed building-English Heritage Building ID: 458616 1876-9, by Sir John Fowler, for Midland Railway Company; altered. Iron and glass on brick undercroft, with brick side walls. Rectangular plan. Single segmental-vaulted vessel of 15 bays with 210-foot span, built on extensive undercrofts; 1981 image copyright by Ian Capper, licenced under Creative Commons attribution share alike licence. Source [[File:Manchester Central Station 2.jpg]]

Midland Hotel Grade 2* building English Heritage Building ID: 455649 1898-1903, by Charles Trubshaw, for the Midland Railway Company; altered. Steel frame, with cladding of brown polished granite, red brick and much buff and brown glazed terracotta (roof not visible). Very large tapeziform plan on island site. Elaborate eclectic Baroque style.

War Memorial Grade 2* English Heritage Building ID: 457622 1924, by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Portland stone. Central cenotaph advanced on a low plinth which runs out to each side at the rear with rearward returns bearing obelisks. The cenotaph is rectangular, with 3 unequal slightly battered stages, the topmost with an elaborate wreath in each side, a sword pendent from the front, and surmounted by a recumbant casualty on a catafalque. Between the obelisks to the rear, a stone sarcphagus To make room for additional tram lines the War Memorial was taken down and reerected 2014 at the left hand side of the Town Hall Extension.

Central Public Libary. Unfinished in this image- the dome has yet to be placed on top. Grade 2* listed building - English Heritage Building ID: 457312 1930-4, by Vincent Harris. Portland stone, slate roof with concealed glazed lantern light. Circular plan with rectangular portico on east side. Classical style. Four storeys with basement and attic (surrounding a large central reading room);

12 Mosley St Grade 2 listed - English Heritage Building ID: 388325 Shops and offices. c.1870-80, altered. Iron frame with sandstone ashlar cladding, slate roof. Rectangular plan on corner site, with canted right-hand corner. Eclectic Gothic style. Three storeys and attic, a 3-bay facade plus the canted corner;

Rylands Building - now Debenhams Grade 2 listed building -English Heritage Building ID: 388312 Wholesale textile warehouse, now department store. 1932, by Harry S.Fairhurst, for Rylands and Sons. Steel frame with cladding of Portland stone (roof concealed). Very large irregular quadrilateral plan. One of the last and biggest textile warehouses built in the city.

1 Piccadilly Grade 2 listed building English Heritage Building ID: 455651 Shop. 1879, by James Lynde; altered. Probably cast-iron framed, with cladding of wood and stucco, slate roof. Irregular plan on narrow corner site, curved at the corner and then canted back to Tib Street. Eclectic style with Aesthetic Movement elements. Four storeys and attic, one bay to Piccadilly, curved corner bay, and 6-bay return to Tib Street canted in the centre; iron columns and cornice to ground floor

Lever Street

Little Lever Street

Newton Street

Mosley Street

York Street, currently renamed for no good reason as New York Street, which fools no-one. It still looks like a back street with entry to hotel car park.

Parker Street (currently buses only)

This whole block was built around the 60's as a massive multi story development with a hotel to the left (still existing- currently Mercure), a shopping plaza at ground level (existing) and first floor (never really used) and offices above in the middle and right.

38 Mosley Street. Williams Deacon's Bank, then Williams and Glyn's Bank, then Royal Bank of Scotland. Grade 2* listed building - English Heritage Building ID: 388328 1862, by Edward Walters for Manchester and Salford Bank, with extension c.1880 by Barker and Ellis. Ashlar, slate roofs. Rectangular plan on end-of-block site, with portal to left and extension beyond this. Italian palazzo style. Banking hall with columns and coffered ceiling. History: last great work of Edward Walters. (I worked in this building for nearly two decades...)

10 Mosley Street (formerly address was Marble St) Former National Bank, later Williams & Glyn's, later a building society, currently a betting shop. Grade 2 - English Heritage Building ID: 388324 1836, by Richard Tattershall, for the Manchester and Salford Bank; altered and restored. Sandstone ashlar, slate roof. Rectangular plan at right-angles to street. Classical style. Three storeys and 3 bays, the ground floor treated as a rusticated plinth and the upper floors as a temple front with giant fluted Corinthian columns,

Queen Victoria Monument Grade 2 listed English Heritage Building ID: 456029 Monument to Queen Victoria. 1901, by Onslow Ford. Portland stone with bronze statuary. A bronze statue of the Queen seated on the throne

Wellington Statue Grade 2 listed English Heritage Building ID: 456031 Monument to the Duke of Wellington. 1856, by Matthew Noble. Ashlar plinth and pedestal, bronze statuary.

Trolleybus - a double decker bus on wheels but collecting power from overhead wires.

This area has in modern times been used for a modern tram platform (Manchester Metrolink) with a concrete wall and food takeaways built between the platform and the little grass remaining.

This area has in recent times had a large multi story building placed on it, ensuring what little recreational area remains is usually in shadow,

Piccadilly Gardens. This area was in modern times and at great expense covered with a large multi jet fountain, usually out of action and currently not working for several months. There is a question whether it will be repaired, simplified or removed.