K is for......

King Street.

Running from East to West from Spring Gardens down towards Deansgate and the River Irwell is King Street.

The Eastern section used to be the financial heart of the city and contains LOADS of listed buildings.

There is..
* Lloyds Bank - Grade II listed
Built on the site of the original town hall which was a greek style building
completed in 1825. Lloyds bank is baroque style and opened in 1915.

* Pall Mall Court - Grade II listed
This is a more modern building that was completed in 1969.

* The former Northern Rock Building Society - Grade II listed
completed 1895

* The former Reform Club - Grade II listed
A venician gothic building from 1870 - 1871

On the other side of the street is..

* Prudential Assurance building - Grade II listed
Designed by Alfred Waterhouse completed 1888
(He did the Town Hall and the Natural History Museum in London)

* Former Bank of England (Manchester) - Grade I listed
Completed 1846

* Former Manchester & Salford Savings Bank - Grade II listed
completed 1849

* Ship Canal House - Grade II listed
Built for the Manchester Ship Canal company and opened in 1927
On the top of the building is a statue of Neptune holding out in front of him a
trident and surrounded by (sea) horses. The trident is a lightning conductor.

* Atlas House - Grade II listed
Designed by Michael Waterhouse, grandson of Alfred Waterhouse for the Atlas
Assurance Company.

* The former Midland Bank - Grade II listed
Opened in the 1930's and now home to Jamie's Italian.

In this shot you can see, fr0m left to right, part of Ship Canal House, the former Manchester & Salford Savings Bank, the former Bank of England and in the distance the red brick Prudential Assurance Building.

At the beginning of the last century King Street was less than a mile from some of the poorest districts of Manchester - the contrast must have been staggering.

other manchester stuff