Manchester city centre is rapidly changing – the buildings are getting taller, shinier and more expensive. But you don’t have to look far to realise that the city is also steeped in history.
If you’ve ever wondered what Piccadilly Gardens looked like before the ugly grey wall went up, or which shops populated Market Street before the Arndale, here are some photos of historic Manchester to help you step back in time.
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1. Piccadilly, circa 1880
Piccadilly. The Duke of Wellington statue can been on the left. (Photo by James Valentine/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
2. Piccadilly, circa 1880
Piccadilly in Manchester, as seen from the Royal Hotel. The hotel was demolished in 1908 and Lewis’s Department Store (now Primark) was extended. You can see a red plaque on the Skipton Building Society building marking where it once stood. (Photo by Francis Frith/Getty Images)
3. Market Street, circa 1890
A military brass band parades down Market Street. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
4. Piccadilly, 1887
The view of Piccadilly Gardens from the Queen’s Hotel (the corner of Portland Street and Piccadilly), which no longer stands.