Lost and forgotten streets of Manchester .......... nu 14 Century Street

Century Street, 2016

This is Century Street which runs from Whitworth Street West to Tariff Street and here are bits of a story I wrote earlier.*

Back in 1911, the Railway Hotel occupied the open space beside the street which now offers up the new stairs up to the metro stop.

It was run by John Bardsley who was 66 years old, single and shared the 16 roomed hotel with three staff.

Now I rather think there may well be some stories here not least that of Mrs Helen Cattermole who was 29 years old had been married for five years and had one child who had died.

But for now I am more intrigued by the two properties just a little further along Whitworth Street, just where it meets Century Street.

Century Street, 1902

In1902 this was Crown Street and the taller of our two houses was listed as number 4 Crown Street.Whitworth Street West  and Crown Street during the canal work, 1902

And in that year they attracted a lot of interest from Mr Bradburn, who was perhaps more interested in the work being done to the canal but came back five years later to record the houses all over again.

The three images he tool perfectly capture both the houses and the Railway Hotel but and there is always a but, number 4 and its companion have so far not yielded up any further information.

Neither is listed in the street directories for 1903 or 1911 and without a name searching the census record is a long complicated process, but I will go looking if only to see how much I can find out about them and the people who lived there.

I have to say that the steps up to the metro are far more impressive than the old ones and go nicely with the new footbridge across Whitworth Street to the railway station.

The corner of Century Street, 2016

The old one was looking quite tired.

And because that canal gets a mention a few times, I thought that I would include the plaque.

Once the tunnel continued some distance further long the canal which for my money remains a pretty good little stretch of water running as it does through the heart of the city.

Location; Manchester

The Gaythorn Tunnel plaque

Pictures; Century Street, 2016 from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and the corner of Whitworth Street West and Deansgate, May 1902, m05501, by A Bradburn, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

*That metro stop at Deansgate-Castlefield and a hidden story of hotels, canals and vanished houses, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/that-metro-stop-at-deansgate.html