In Victorian times, the southern part of Sackville Street was called Zara Street. The road used to run right into the north-eastern part of Chorlton On Medlock and, after crossing Mount Street, was called Rutland Street.
Later, Rutland Street was renamed St. Luke’s Street. Then, in the 1960’s, the Mancunian Way (motorway) was built and sliced across the area from east to west, cutting off this part of Chorlton On Medlock from the city centre to a degree.
This is how things looked in 1916 and here is a photo taken from the same spot this month.
This map is from 1849. The yellow symbol shows roughly where the camera was in both photographs, old and new, and the red lines show where the Mancunian Way runs today.
Here’s a shot from 1916 looking in the opposite direction up Sackville Street. On either side in the foreground are the low walls of the bridge over the River Medlock. On the map above it is shown as the ‘Zara Street Bridge’.
Chorlton On Medlock (or Chorlton UPON Medlock) covers a fairly large area from Stockport Road in the east, Hathersage Road in the south, Cambridge Street in the west and almost into the city centre in the north. Just to confuse matters, the north eastern part is sometimes referred to as Brunswick. In the nineteenth century this north-eastern area near Sackville Street had a mix of factories, mills, chemical and dye works and poor terraced housing, along with some grand houses along the front of some of the streets. As the century progressed and the area became ever more industrialised, the wealthier people moved further out of the city, leaving the poor behind.
The air was thick with smoke and filth. There were outbreaks of cholera, especially amongst the houses that bordered the River Medlock (this photo was taken from Downing Street looking west). Nowadays you may be lucky enough to see a heron in the river, but 150 years ago it was a toxic soup of chemicals, sewerage and the occasional dead body. It wasn’t uncommon to find 100 people sharing a single outside toilet or cold water tap.
When you weren’t at your 84-hours-a-week job in one of the ‘dark satanic mills’ you would likely be at one of the many churches in the area. Such as the sinister-looking smoke-blackened St.Luke’s.
Here’s a shot from 1957 and another from 1959, by which time many of the houses had been demolished. The photographer had his back to Downing Street when he took these two photos.
You can see St. Luke’s church on the 1849 map. However it seems this was an earlier church. It was rebuilt with the spire shortly after that date.
In the modern-day photo above the approximate positions of Sackville Street and St Luke’s Church are marked in red and yellow. Note the patch of grass next to the Mancunian Way, which is where the graveyard of St Luke’s was (and still is).
Here’s a shot from 1960 looking towards the city centre and similar to the modern day picture above. However the camera position is a little further to the left. You can see the rear of St Luke’s and its spire on the right of the photo.
Note the distinctive red brick Manchester University building at the top right corner of the modern shot and top left of the archive shot. This photo was taken at the same time (the vehicles are the same in both) and shows the tower of Piccadilly Plaza (now called City Tower) under construction in the distance. Here’s another image showing the scene slightly further to the left (west).
The information on one of these pictures states that they were taken from the roof of 68 Grosvenor Street, which I think may be this building. It’s in the right position and one of the few that is still there now, although boarded up and neglected. Here’s how it looks today:
Here’s a shot looking east towards Downing Street and Piccadilly Station. Note the spire of St Luke’s in the foreground and the box shaped building in the middle distance on the right side of the picture. This is an electricity sub-station apparently and is right next to the entrance to Manchester’s one-time top-secret cold-war atom bomb shelter: the Guardian tunnel.
And it seems the photographer turned to his right slightly and got this shot which shows the rear of the buildings along Grosvenor Street.
Note the factory with the zigzag roof in the top middle of the photo. Here it is today from a different camera angle.
Looking over to the west from the same roof, this vintage shot shows Upper Brook Street with the junction with Grosvenor Street just out of frame to the left. This is how that junction looked in 1959 (the vans at the traffic lights are travelling towards the west along Grosvenor Street). Here’s how the same scene looks today:
This image shows those buildings under demolition in 1960. However the photographer has printed the negative the wrong way round (or it has been scanned that way) so the scene is flipped horizontally.
And here’s the other side of the junction in 1959. The road leading away from the camera is Upper Brook Street heading towards the city centre. In the similar modern-day view below you can see the same building at far left of frame.
If you look at the chimneys you can see how many buildings were demolished to widen Upper Brook Street: the buildings on the corner at the junction, the lower white building and the taller darker building to the left of it were all pulled down. With only the one to the very far left of the old photo still remaining today.
Road widening was one of the things that helped destroy communities up and down the country, as whole stretches of shops were swept away.
When he was in Manchester, Charles Dickens used to attend Rusholme Road Congregational Chapel, which was on the corner of Upper Brook Street and Rusholme Road. Here is a similar image that gives more of a glimpse along Rusholme Road and here is the modern day scene.
The chapel was roughly where the royal blue car is in the middle of the picture. Upper Brook Street is now much wider than it was in those days and Rusholme Road disappeared completely in the 1960’s, along with almost everything else in this part of Chorlton On Medlock. They called it ’slum clearance’ and much of the housing that was bulldozed was terrible. But decent buildings were swept away too.
Similar houses survived in other areas. If they were still around, some of those large terraced houses would sell for £250,000 now (examples: 1, 2, 3, 4). But, even if they had survived the clearance, some of them would no doubt have fallen into dereliction or even been abandoned completely in the following years, as happened in other areas of Manchester during that time.
Today this inner-city area still has a good sense of community. It’s home to an incredibly diverse range of different cultures and nationalities and all get along well together. Here’s a colourful ‘flags of the world’ parade by local children from 2006:
LINKS
Spinning the Web: Cottonopolis - Chorlton on Medlock
This page is mainly about the area of Chorlton On Medlock to the west of Oxford Road.
thank you i thought pictures of chorlton on medlock i thought every thing was gone i went to the school next to st lukes church i forgot the name if you know it let me know thanks roger
Comment by roger foster
Saturday 27 December 2008 @ 10:23 pm
Interesting site, thank you. I lived in Chorlton on Medlock as a child and although many of the streets I knew as a child (Spring Street, Summer Street etc, off Upper Brook Street) were indeed slums, the slum is still alive and well in the area. I myself grew up in Upper West Grove and though I would love to tell you of the fond memories I have of the place, this simply wouldn’t reflect reality. Thank god for education and aspiration. And thank god there was, even then, plenty to stimulate a child’s mind. My brother and I used to know the museums and galleries by heart. Hathersage Baths was also just around the corner.
The Groves are still standing and still a blot on the horizon. My father still lives there. When I was a child in the early sixties, we still had the old air-raid shelter. Conditions were truly grim.
It was interesting to hear that Charles Dickens had visited the area. He must have felt very at home!
Comment by Christine Mills
Tuesday 30 December 2008 @ 7:55 pm
hi i was wondering if anyone knows what year thay took the top of steeple of st luke’s church , i was a boy siting in the class room i would see the big stones come down but dont know what year it was thanks harry
Comment by harry
Saturday 17 January 2009 @ 9:16 pm
g7uk.com: There are some photos of the classrooms on the Manchester Libraries website:
http://www.images.manchester.gov.uk/
Search for “St Luke’s Church”.
There don’t seem to be any exterior shots earlier than 1959 on the website.
Comment by GS
Sunday 18 January 2009 @ 4:52 am
Speaking of dark satanic mills, I was back in the UK recently and had a stroll down Grosvenor Street towards Ardwick. I was surprised to see that several of those old buildings were still working as textile and clothing factories. Sadly, two of the companies were named and shamed as sweatshops in the recent Primark purchasing scandal. So, not much has changed in the intervening 100-odd years !
Interesting site. Thanks.
Comment by David
Tuesday 27 January 2009 @ 2:53 pm
Good site - lots of info - am in process of writing piece about my childhood in C-on-M (Robert Street). Went to Mansfield Street School.
It was regarded as a slum area but many houses were quite good and sound. They would have benefitted from modernisation. Good community to grow up in.
Thanks.
Comment by Gwen
Thursday 5 March 2009 @ 11:11 pm
I am looking for any Prendergast family members.they lived in the area at the turn of the century, in Rutland Street.No 5 I think.I am living in Australia, moved here in 1962 so its difficult to find out anything. Anybody know anything,thankyou.
Comment by Shirley Daly
Sunday 3 May 2009 @ 12:19 pm
g7uk.com: Shirley it seems there was a Rutland Street in Hulme and another one in Chorlton On Medlock. Did you click through and see the 1916 photo that I mention right at the top this page? That shows the top of Rutland Street where it joined Mount Street in Chorlton On Medlock. And my modern-day photo at the the top of this page is from the same viewpoint.
Thanks to everyone for all the comments and information. I plan to do some more photo articles about the area.
Comment by GS
Sunday 3 May 2009 @ 12:38 pm
Fab site, my gt gt grandmother (Catherine Gerrity) lived at 41 Robert Street (died there in 1906). Is it still there? I cant see it on a road map.
Comment by Dave Harrison
Wednesday 20 May 2009 @ 2:14 pm
g7uk.com: Dave there was a Robert Street in Chorlton On Medlock and another one not far away in Ardwick. The Robert Street in Chorlton On Medlock ran parallel to the south east side of the Rusholme Road Cemetery. From Upper Brook Street probably over to Downing Street (I can’t see that far on my map).
Just about everything in the area was cleared in 1963. Only a few pubs, a church and a couple of warehouses were left. However Robert Street ran along one side of the King’s Arms pub and the building is still there. It is where the two cars are parked in the Street View below.
View Larger Map
Here is how the pub looked in 1959.
There was also a Queen’s Arms pub on Robert Street. Seen here in 1959.
Comment by GS
Wednesday 20 May 2009 @ 5:26 pm
Shirley, Are you a descendant of Harry Prendergast? He lived in Chorlton as a youngster and had a son called Sydney who then had two daughters named Denise and Shirley. If so, have some information on Harry which may be of interest
Comment by Des
Sunday 14 June 2009 @ 9:34 pm
I am a descendant of Jack Norman Davies (born at 1a Ripon St 1923) his parents were George Walter Davies and Florence Thompson. Does anyone know any descendants of either Julia Davies or Eveline Hawley (married Tom Hawley) or any descendants of Tom Warren Thompson and Sarah Alice (nee Crimes) (these 2 were Florence Thompson’s parents). Also, if someone died in Chorlton upon Medlock or Fallowfield, where would they likely be buried? (Before 1960). Thanks
Comment by Jane Mount
Wednesday 16 September 2009 @ 8:29 pm
GS, Glad you took the trouble to host this site. The ‘Comments’ have yielded enough clues to find the addresses of my ancestors. e.g. Mawson St, Cottenham St, Higher Temple St, Robert St.
My dad was born on Higher Temple St. in 1905 - - - his Registration bears the signature of Emmeline Pankhurst !
Keep up the good work
Comment by Geoff Royle
Saturday 24 October 2009 @ 10:26 am
The late Mr James Sperring of Moss Side
It’s interesting to know that my 3rd great grandfather, who worshipped at the Rusholme Rd Congregational Church for 40 years, may have known about or even seen the famous Mr Dickens on one of his visits.
Mr Sperring was also the secretary for the “Sackville Street Ragged School.” I’ve not to date been able to verify the existence of such a place. Is Sackville street in this area as well? and if so, whereabouts?
Does anyone else have information on either Sperrings in Manchester or know about a Ragged School in Sackville street?
Thanks
Comment by Gill Hopkins
Saturday 31 October 2009 @ 12:34 am
g7uk.com:
in reply to Geoff, great to have a connection to such a historic figure! Here is the corner of Brunswick Street and Higher Temple Street. If you click New Search on that page and search for Higher Temple Street there are a couple of other shots (I think the photo labelled ‘Higher Temple Street steps’ should just be ‘Temple Street steps’ as that is right at the northern end near the railway viaduct).
In reply to Jane, Chorlton upon Medlock is quite a big area. They could have been buried in the Rusholme Road cemetery which was probably the largest in the area, or in Ardwick cemetery which was renamed Nicholls Field in 1966. I’m not clear when burials ceased in those two. Before 1881 they might have been buried at All Saints church on Oxford Road.
There was also a churchyard at St. Luke’s church (Roman Catholic) on St. Luke’s Street (earlier known as Rutland Street). Also a number of burials at Grosvenor Street Chapel (General Baptist) which was at the south east corner of the junction of Grosvenor Street and St. Luke’s Street (I’m fairly certain that photo shows it but it’s a bit confusing because there is also this photo and I’m not sure whether that is the same Chapel or a different one). I don’t know much about Fallowfield unfortunately.
In reply to Gill, here is part of the 1849 Ordnance Survey map showing Zara Street.
At the time, if you had walked north up Zara Street as far as Canal Street you would then have been walking on Sackville Street. However, at some point the name Zara Street was done away with, the whole street became Sackville Street and still is.
This photo shows ‘Chorlton on Medlock Ragged School near Temple Street’.
Temple Street was just 150 yards west of Zara Street/Sackville Street and between the two was School Street.
I looked at the 1955 Ordnance Survey map (which I can’t post here because it is in copyright) and it shows ‘Jackson Street Ragged School’ on the corner of Holt Street and Jackson Street. I’ve marked the position in yellow on the 1849 map above. The 1849 map shows a building which is a similar shape, but it has no label.
Here is another picture of the same school. This photo also shows a Ragged School in Chorlton on Medlock.
I wonder if a Ragged School would have been on a main street like Sackville Street? I reckon more likely it would have been in a back street close to the mills? So I wonder if the Jackson Street school is the one you are looking for?
The area was cleared in the early 1960’s and new buildings constructed for the Manchester College of Science and Technology (later called UMIST). Now it is part of Manchester University and plans are afoot to redevelop the area yet again! But that must be in doubt in the current economic climate. There is some interesting historical info about the site here and here.
View Larger Map
Comment by GS
Saturday 31 October 2009 @ 2:37 am
Working into the wee small hours on this one GS, many thanks.
Still not sure if this is the right “Ragged School,” now that I look closer at the newpaper cutting, I believe it says “Saville Street!” Names aside, your information has really helped me understand the nature of Mr Sperring’s work. I’m sure he carried out his duties with great religious zeal, such was a Non Conformist custom. Despite the photo of the RS being taken in the 1950s it does appear extremely grim, I don’t think time would have changed that aspect.
After reading all this, you’ve given me more ideas on how to utilise maps/resources on the internet to help with my research-GREAT!
An appreciative reader-keep us this sterling work.
Comment by Gill Hopkins
Saturday 31 October 2009 @ 5:46 pm
g7uk.com:
I always do my best work in the early hours!
Saville Street is part of the car-park at BBC Manchester now. The junction was on the opposite side of Oxford Road to Chester Street.
View Larger Map
Archive photos of Saville Street: 1, 2, 3.
The 1849 map shows Chorlton Row School on Saville Street and on either side of it are Hesketh Street and Sorton Street. The 1955 Ordnance Survey map shows two buildings labelled St.Augustine’s Roman Catholic school, just around the corner on York Street.
It seems St.Augustine’s church stood on one of those sites but was bombed in the blitz and there was another St.Augustine’s School a couple of blocks away on Stafford Street near Sidney Street.
I’ve written more about St. Augustine’s church and it’s predecessor on Granby Row in this post.
Comment by GS
Saturday 31 October 2009 @ 7:25 pm
Many thanks for your info!Do you know if Denmark Road, Moss Side is still there? My Great Grandmother Julia Davies lived at No.90. I just received her death cert., and she also died there. My grandparents George Walter Davies and wife Florence lived at 18 Kingswood Road, Fallowfield - I vaguely remember visiting in the 1960’s, it was part of a row of back to back terraces. Wondering if it’s still there. Your site is fantastic and very interesting. I currently live in the U.S. and hope to visit the area on one of my visits home.
Comment by Jane Mount
Tuesday 8 December 2009 @ 9:15 pm
g7uk.com:
in reply to Jane, Denmark Road is still there in Moss Side but very few of the old houses are left. This seems to be the only cluster of them. I can see number 18:
View Larger Map
There are some archive photos online in the Manchester Libraries Local Image Collection if you search. Like this picture. Shame those were demolished.
Google Street View doesn’t cover Kingswood Road but there’s a satellite photo showing it. There are some photos in the Manchester Libraries Local Image Collection if you search for ‘Kingswood Road Ladybarn’ (not Fallowfield).
I found out more about Ardwick Cemetery recently. It was off Hyde Road behind the School. The last burial was in 1950 and in the 1960’s it was grassed over and turned into a playing field for the school. It continues to be sports fields today. Here it is on on Google Street View:
View Larger Map.
And here is a close up of the plaque that can be seen on the fence.
Comment by GS
Tuesday 8 December 2009 @ 11:54 pm
I found my mother’s birth certificate with the address of Cottenham St., Chorlton on Medlock. I could not make out the number clearly it appeared to be 99. I visited Manchester from my home in Canada and could not find a Cottenham St. I think it was once off Brunswick St. Does anyone know about Cottenham St. and when it ceased to exist and if their are any photos of the area back from say, 1910 to 1928? Cheers!
Comment by Walter Hinson
Friday 25 December 2009 @ 3:03 am
Hi
I am trying to find some images and information on February street Chorltn on medlock. My father was brought up in this area and his is interested in seeing some pictures.
I hope you can help
Many thanks
sarah
Comment by sarah barratt
Saturday 30 January 2010 @ 6:01 pm
My Great Grandfather, Thomas Brock was a Tripe Dresser at No 9 Oxford Street, Chorlton upon Medlock from about 1860 until about 1900. Does anyone know about where this might have been?
In the 1890’s My Grandmother, Mabel Crews was a regular visitor to No 21 Oxford Street, where her sister and husband William Bently Capper ran a specialist theatrical supplies business. I think that my Grandfather Edward Brock probably worked there.
If there is any information out there it would be much appreciated.
Comment by John Brock
Thursday 11 February 2010 @ 2:29 pm
g7uk.com
in reply to John Brock: these days Oxford Street only runs from St.Peter’s Square to Whitworth Street and then it is called Oxford Road. But years ago it was all Oxford Street. But if we assume it was numbered from the St.Peter’s Square end, then number nine and twenty-one wouldn’t have been very far along.
I don’t know which side was even numbers and which was odd, or whether the buildings were numbered that way. But both shops may be in this photo from 1913 I reckon. Number one might be the one on the corner on the left. Note the Princes Theatre on the right.
This photo from 1905 might show number nine. Another photo can be found here.
Here are some much later shots: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5.
Number nine could have ended up under the Paramount cinema (later called the Odeon) in the 1930’s. There is a drawing from 1850 here with the shops in the background on the left and St. Peter’s church in the foreground.
The same viewpoint today:
View Larger Map
Number twenty-one would have been halfway between the Palace Theatre (on the corner with Whitworth Street) and the Princes Theatre — a good position for that type of business!
Comment by GS
Saturday 20 February 2010 @ 6:31 am
g7uk.com
in reply to Walter Hinson: here is Cottenham Street.
View Larger Map
It runs off Upper Brook Street and parallel with Brunswick Street which it pre-dates. Cottenham Street is on the 1848 ordnance survey map. I’m sure it was demolished as part of the clearance in the early 1960’s. The Mawson pub is the only building left.
I haven’t been able to find any images of Cottenham Street. But this is Eldon Street which joined Upper Brook Street directly opposite Cottenham Street and gives some idea of what the houses probably looked like.
Comment by GS
Saturday 20 February 2010 @ 7:15 am
g7uk.com
in reply to Sarah:
I haven’t been able to find out much about February Street. I’m not sure where it was and I haven’t found any photos. Do you know of any other streets it was near?
The Times dated February 21, 1931, lists J.Pettener of 18 February Street, Chorlton on Medlock as bankrupt. He was a master upholsterer with a business in Old Trafford.
Comment by GS
Saturday 20 February 2010 @ 8:02 am