| Code | DS/UK/89 |
| Corporate Name | Bank of England Manchester Branch |
| Dates | 1826 - 1997 |
| Activity | Manchester was the second branch to be established, opening at 35 King Street on 21 September 1826 with Alexander McGregor of Everton as Agent and Edward Smyth appointed as Sub-Agent. Smyth moved to the newly established Leeds branch the following year. The Agents were assisted by two clerks and a porter, chosen from the Head Office staff. In 1847 the branch moved to new premises designed by C R Cockerell on King Street (bounded by Essex Street, Tib Lane and Pall Mall). As of the 21st century, half of this building (the side on King Street) still stands and serves as an entrance hall to a 14 story office block behind it, that itself stands on the Tib Lane half of Cockerell's building.
In 1971 the Bank branch moved once more to another purpose-built building on Portland Street, this building being bounded on four sides by Portland Street, New York Street, Faulkner Street and Charlotte Street. Designed by the architecture practice Fitzroy Robinson & Partners, the building was bomb-proofed with a 16-inch exterior wall of concrete.
Following the decision to close all the Bank's branches except Leeds in 1997, note operations at Manchester ceased on 16 May 1997 and the branch was formerly closed on 31 October 1997. At this point the Manchester Branch of the Bank of England was remodelled as the North West (Manchester) Agency of the Bank of England, operations were re-located from Portland Street, Manchester to the 2nd floor of 82 King Street, Manchester. This new location was within a 13-floor office block added to the rear of what was the original Bank of England Manchester Branch. The Portland street site was purchased by office developer Bruntwood in the late 1990s. It was subsequently renovated into Grade A office space, and the existing vault space has since been converted into space for servers and data farms for companies. By the 2020s there has been multi occupational useage of the Portland street site, with retail and restaurant and educational facilites all having a presence. |
Show related catalogue records