Deansgate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deansgate is a main road (the A56) through the city centre of Manchester, England. It runs roughly north-to-south through the western part of the city centre. At the northern end, Deansgate runs parallel with the River Irwell. The road is named because it passes through one of Manchester's city gates (since demolished), located next to the Cathedral (Dean referring in this case to the clergy of the Cathedral).
It contains many shops such as a large House of Fraser department store (known as Kendals from the 1830s until 2005), along with many pubs and bars, including the Moon Under Water, one of the largest pubs in Britain. Other bars and clubs include Label, RSVP and Club V (also known as Venus).
As it is one of the main roads that connects the northern and southern areas of Manchester, Deansgate has a great deal of traffic, and the many shops, pubs and bars ensure it is busy with pedestrians both during the day and late into the night.
The northern end of the road used to contain a retail area known as The Shambles. This was badly damaged in the IRA bombing in 1996. The area was eventually redeveloped and is home to several new buildings, including No. 1 Deansgate and the Manchester Branch of Harvey Nichols. Other recent additions to the Deansgate area include the Royal Bank of Scotland building, the Beetham Tower, and the redevelopment of the Great Northern Warehouse. These stand in contrast with more historical buildings, such as John Rylands Library and the shopping mall Barton Arcade [1]. The disused Manchester and Salford Junction canal runs directly underneath Deansgate and underneath the Great Northern Warehouse.
It is also home to the head offices of the Manchester Evening News and The Guardian newspapers. At the northern end of Deansgate is Victoria Street, on which lies Manchester Cathedral, and at the southern end is Deansgate railway station.
[edit] External links
- Guide to Deansgate Restaurants
- Guide to Deansgate Bars
- Map of Deansgate's location
- Photograph of Manchester Cathedral with No. 1 Deansgate in the background
- News report on the decision to re-name Kendals to House of Fraser
