“Interestingly it had received Grade II listed status in January 1990…”
The choice of photo location this week was the equivalent of a goal on 90 +8 !
Euan was walking back to the office yesterday afternoon (15th October 2026) following the excellent Estates Gazette REGEN 2026 event - expertly hosted by Tim Burke and held at the amazing Science and Industry Museum - and realised that Steve Welsh had very kindly shared with him a photo looking east along Great Bridgewater Street, taken in July 1995.
The building in the centre of Steve’s photo is the Havelock Mill (formerly known as Great Bridgewater Street Mills). Interestingly it had received Grade II listed status in January 1990 and was described as Manchester’s last intact silk mill. At the time of the photo it was however being demolished as part of the wider redevelopment and regeneration that was taking place at the time in this part of the city centre.
On the left is the under construction The Bridgewater Hall and on the right is, of course, The Britons Protection. Note the ad hoardings including one from the Manchester Evening News.
My photo, taken yesterday, captures some of the change that has taken place in this part of the city over the past three decades or so. From left to right:
🔹 The Bridgewater Hall may be just off camera but the importance of this development cannot be under estimated. Easily one of Manchester’s most significant regeneration milestones of the 1990s, the project was made possible through a partnership between Manchester City Council and the Central Manchester Development Corporation (CMDC), established in 1988 to revitalise 187 hectares of largely underused and declining land around the southern city centre.
🔹 80 Great Bridgewater Street was originally a Victorian warehouse, subsequently associated with umbrella manufacturing and dry cleaning (hence the ‘Manchester Contract Cleaners’ signage on the side of the building in Steve’s photo). On 5 August 1999 it was officially opened as the Rain Bar by JW Lees Brewery.
🔹 In the background is the 32 storey Artisan Heights. Operated by Unite Students and designed by SimpsonHaugh the scheme comprises 603 student beds and was completed in 2020.
🔹70 Great Bridgewater Street - now known as Havelock - was previously known as Evershed House and replaced the Havelock Mill building. In 2024 a retrofit of the existing office building was completed by OMI Architects on behalf of Credit Suisse. The building now comprises 10,290sqm across 8 levels; two of which were added to the original concrete frame helping to increase overall net-internal area by 3,700sqm.
🔹 The Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland - formerly the Jury’s Inn - was built on the cleared site in 1999.