Strangeways is one area of central Manchester that is often overlooked. While neighbouring areas like the Green Quarter and Ancoats develop into highly sought-after areas, Strangeways' reputation for crime and disorder continues.
But there are faint signs that change could soon happen in Strangeways. Manchester and Salford city councils have recently appointed a team of consultants to help regenerate the area, and, last year, the Ministry of Justice rejected the council’s request to move the prison out of the Grade II-listed building.
The surrounding area is not much better. Bury New Road, nicknamed ‘counterfeit street,’ is one of the main targets of Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Vulcan to crackdown on organised crime in the area.
The prison’s reputation extends further than Manchester and it is widely regarded as one of the most notorious prisons in the country. In 1990, inmates made headline news for their 25-day strike which saw rooftop protests
Another reason the prison has become so infamous over the years is because of its equally infamous residents. Here are some of the most notable ones – daytime TV celebrities, revered activists and some of the country’s most despicable murderers.
5. David Dickinson
The Bargain Hunt he served three out of a four year sentence, mainly at Strangeways, for mail order fraud when he was 19. | Getty Images
6. Harold Shipman
One of the most infamous murderers in modern UK history, GP Harold Shipman spent a few months in Strangeways while awaiting trial. | Getty Images
7. Benjamin Mendy
The Manchester City footballer was briefly in Strangeways while awaiting trial for rape and assault. He was acquitted in earlier this year. | Getty Images
8. Christabel Pankhurst
The suffragette was imprisoned in 1905. She was one of 1085 suffragettes who were imprisoned around that time for their activism and protests. | Getty Images