The city centre evolved from the civilian vicus of the Roman fort of Mamucium, on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell.[3] In the Middle Ages, what is now the city centre was the township of Manchester.
Extensively redeveloped since the Manchester Blitz of 1941 and 1996 IRA bomb, the city centre remains the commercial and cultural centre of Manchester. The majority of the tallest buildings and structures in Manchester are located in the city centre, including Manchester Town Hall in Albert Square and the Beetham Tower, the tallest building in the United Kingdom outside London.
Manchester evolved from the civilian vicus associated with the Roman fort of Mamucium, which was established c. AD 79 on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell, in a position defensible from the Brigantes.[4]
Once the Romans had abandoned Britain, the focus of settlement in Manchester shifted to the confluence of the rivers Irwell and Irk.[5] During the Dark Ages which followed – and persisted until the Norman Conquest – the settlement at Manchester was in the territory of several different petty kingdoms.[6] In the Middle Ages, what is now the city centre was the township of Manchester.
Manchester Castle – a medieval fortification, probably taking the form of a ringwork – was located on a bluff where the rivers Irk and Irwell meet.[7] The castle was first mentioned in 1184 and was recorded in 1215 as belonging to the barons of Manchester, the Grelley family.[8]
It has been described as "of no political or military importance".[9] The Grelleys replaced the castle with a fortified manor house, which in turn was replaced by a college of priests (founded in 1421).[10] In 1547 the college was dissolved and the property acquired by the Earl of Derby and early in the reign of King Charles II it was sold to the Governors who had been appointed in the will of Humphrey Chetham.
By royal charter in 1665 Chetham's Hospital was established and eventually this became Chetham's School of Music.[11]
- The Northern Quarter is in the northwest (east of Victoria Station and northwest of Piccadilly Gardens).
- The Millennium Quarter is the area around Manchester Cathedral, which has been extensively redeveloped after the IRA bomb of 1996, containing Shambles Square, Exchange Square, and Cathedral Gardens.
- Spinningfields is an area in the west adjoining the middle part of Deansgate which has undergone much large-scale redevelopment.
- Castlefield is an area in the extreme southwest between Deansgate and the River Irwell with the sites of the Roman fort and Liverpool Road Railway Station.
- Eastern section
- Piccadilly: the largest public square in the centre and the most important transport interchange. The area known as Piccadilly runs eastwards from the end of Market Street to a point where London Road begins: to the south of this are the gardens and paved areas.
- Chinatown is an area to the south of Piccadilly Gardens with many oriental restaurants and other facilities of a far eastern character.
- The Gay Village is a part of the centre east of Portland Street and west of Whitworth Street through which runs the Rochdale Canal; it contains many bars, clubs and other facilities for the gay community.
Manchester city centre has several large department stores including Marks and Spencer and Debenhams on Market Street, House of Fraser on Deansgate, Harvey Nichols on New Cathedral Street and Selfridges in Exchange Square. There are many leisure facilities in the city centre including the Printworks, a large facility containing a cinema (including an IMAX screen), numerous bars, clubs and restaurants and also Manchester's first Hard Rock Cafe.
The Northern Quarter, centred around Oldham Street, is known for its Bohemian atmosphere and independent shops and cafes. The landscaping of the city centre has provided several public spaces including the newly developed Piccadilly Gardens, which incorporates fountains, green spaces, a concrete wall, and a Metrolink station (it has not been improved by the construction of an office block to the east).
Exchange Square is located near Urbis, formerly an exhibition centre focusing on city life but now closed and due to re-open in mid-2011 as the National Football Museum. Both Piccadilly and Exchange Square are used for screening public events. Two of the city centre's oldest buildings, The Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair's Oyster Bar, were dismantled, moved 300 yards and re-erected in 1999 to create the new Shambles Square adjacent to Manchester Cathedral.[18]
There are other museums in Manchester city centre including the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry in Castlefield which includes many hands-on exhibits and the People's History Museum.
There are a great variety of restaurants in the city centre including a number owned by Paul Heathcote the chef. There is also a good stock of hotels in the city centre which include the Midland, Jarvis Piccadilly and Ramada Renaissance.
Manchester city centre has many nightclubs, many of which follow in the footsteps of the Haçienda nightclub which has now closed; the site has been redeveloped as a housing complex. There is a gay village around the Canal Street area in the east of the city centre, which plays host to an annual Gay Pride Festival, and a large Chinatown with numerous far eastern style restaurants.
The area to the west which is bisected by Deansgate and crossed by Peter Street is also well-provided with bars and some clubs (e.g. The Moon under Water and Ampersand).
The city centre also has many bars, mostly located in the Northern Quarter, regarded by some as the central district's creative hub. The quarter is well-provided with bars of various sizes; these include 'TV 21', 'Bar Fringe', the cocktail bar 'Apotheca' and 'Trof'. Live music venues may also be found here, including the well-known 'Night & Day Cafe', newcomer 'MOHO Live' and jazz bar 'Matt & Phred's'.
Information Care of wikipedia.com
