EPW060538 ENGLAND (1939). Market Street, Piccadilly and environs, Manchester, 1939

Newall's Buildings

Dobbin's department store, Oldham Strret

GPO building

Victoria hotel destroyed in ww2

The old market place destroyed in ww2

This block between Parker Street and York Street was demolished to make way for a multi story development including a tower hotel (many names, lately Jarvis now Mercure), a 30 storey tower office block completed in 1965 (formerly Sunley Building, currently called City Tower) and what was intended as a first floor retail area, which never worked.

York Street, this section is now called New York Street.

York Street

Marble Street

Parker Street

This small corner block is now occupied by a small part of the Manchester Arndale Centre, built in the 1970's. This area is mostly (at 1st floor level) occupied by a large Boots store.

Portland Street

Not really visible but this is Piccadilly Railway Station

Police Court, now the Manchester Crown Court at Minshull Street.

Dale Street

Church Street

Bridgewater Place

King Street

King Street

High Street

Tib Street

This crowded area was demolished and replaced by the Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre in the 1970's. a completely enclosed mostly two level shopping area. Some shops have three shopping floors. Following 1996 bomb damage there was considerable rebuilding.

You can just glimpse the edge of Manchester Cathedral here. Badly damaged in WW2, it was quickly patched, and in 2013 the building is closed for reinstatement of the organ damaged in WW2 between the choir and nave. The flooring and heating are also being replaced.

Barton Arcade (1871) - a glass and iron shopping arcade with glass domes.

Deansgate

Corporation Street

Market Street

Manchester Royal Exchange - a "cotton exchange" trading area. As it was before a direct bomb hit in WW2. As seen the building was erected around 1870, and modified and enlarged 1914-1931. After the bomb damage the clock tower was rebuilt in a much simplified form, and the trading area was halved in size. The Exchange closed in 1968 and demolition looked possible but in 1976 the large open trading floor was used to hold a three level theatre in the round. The theatre is not resting on the floor, but suspended from the columns supporting the large dome above. A bomb explosion in 1996 caused damage (moving a dome) which was repaired. This large stone building gave much protection from the blast to the elderly St Anns Church at the end of the square, which only suffered broken glass.

St Anns Church. Consecrated 1712. The Ann without an E is after Lady Ann Bland who provided funding. The square tower seen here originally had a cupola then a spire, but is best known just as a tower. Venue for decades of Tuesday lunchtime organ recitals.

Former Woolworths Department Store, being redeveloped into hotel/apartments/supermarket.

Piccadilly Gardens. The sunken square marks the basement of the former hospital on this site. At the top side of the gardens the former library buildings seen in a 1931 shot have been cleared- this area now sports a tall office building which ensures the gardens are shaded. The basement area has been filled in and concreted over. The "gardens" are now an expensive large fountain and forever dead (badly drained and overworked) grass with a lot of concrete.

Lewis's Department Store, now Primark.

Rylands Department Store, now Debenhams