King Street, Manchester facts for kids

King Street is a very important street in Manchester city centre, England. For many years, it was known as the main place for banks in the north-west of England. Now, it is mostly famous for its many fancy and expensive shops.

History of King Street

King Street started in the 1700s. A group of people called the Jacobites created James's Square and a nice street next to it. This was near an area called Spring Gardens.

Further down the street, past Cross Street, it used to be much narrower. One old building from the 1700s is still there. It used to be a bank. Even further west, past Deansgate, is King Street West. This part of the street is a bit different.

By the 1970s, King Street had two clear parts. The eastern part had many banks and office buildings. The western part was a narrower street with mostly fancy shops. This shopping part later became a pedestrian area, meaning only people could walk there, not cars.

Over time, more and more expensive shops opened on King Street. In 2008, a very grand bank building, the old Midland Bank, became empty. It was designed by a famous architect named Edwin Lutyens.

Manchester's First Town Hall

Manchester's first local government office was on King Street. It was called the Police Office and opened in 1772. Police Street got its name because of this building.

As Manchester grew, a bigger building was needed for the city's leaders. The first Town Hall was built on King Street, at the corner of Cross Street. It was designed by Francis Goodwin and built between 1822 and 1825.

The building looked like old Greek buildings. As Manchester became bigger and richer from making textiles, the Town Hall became too small. So, a new, much larger Town Hall was built elsewhere.

The King Street building then became a public library. Later, it became a Lloyds Bank. In 1912, the front of the old Town Hall was moved to Heaton Park. A new Lloyds Bank building was then built on the same spot at 53 King Street.

Important Buildings on King Street

Many old and important buildings on King Street are still standing today. They are protected in a special area called a conservation area. This means they are kept safe because of their history and beauty.

On King Street, there are 11 buildings listed as Grade II. This means they are important buildings. Two buildings are Grade II*, which means they are even more important. One building is Grade I, which means it is a building of exceptional interest.

Here are some of the notable buildings:

• 53 King Street: This is the Lloyds Bank building, built in 1913.
• 74 King Street: This building was for the Northern Rock Building Society, built in 1896.
• 76-80 King Street: These are the Prudential Assurance Offices, built in 1888.
• 81 King Street: This is the Manchester Reform Club, built in 1870. It is a Grade II listed building.
• 82 King Street: This used to be the Bank of England branch in Manchester, built in 1845. It is a Grade I listed building, making it very special.
• 84–86 King Street: This was the Manchester and Salford Savings Bank, built in 1842.
• 88-96 King Street: This building, called Ship Canal House, was the main office for the Manchester Ship Canal. It was built in 1927.
• 98 King Street: This building is called Atlas Chambers, built in 1929.
• 100 King Street: This was the Midland Bank building, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1929. It is no longer a bank and is a Grade II* listed building.

Shopping on King Street

King Street is known as one of Manchester's most fancy shopping areas. You can find many well-known shops here. Some of these include Hermès, Whistles, Gant, Karen Millen, Emporio Armani, DKNY, Diesel, Timberland, Calvin Klein Jeans, Polo Ralph Lauren, Max Mara, T. M. Lewin, Jaeger, Cecil Gee, Agent Provocateur, Mulberry, Thomas Pink, and Crombie. Some of these shops are actually on Bridge Street, which is close by.

The part of King Street west of Cross Street has been a shopping street for a long time. In 1906, a poem called "Manchester Alphabet" mentioned King Street. It talked about how there are different King Streets and how the writer liked the one with the cake shop the best!

Images for kids

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  King Street, Manchester city centre

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  The original Manchester Town Hall

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  Former Bank of England Building, King Street

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  Looking down King Street towards the River Irwell

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  53 King Street, a Grade II Lloyd's Bank.

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  35-37 King Street; a Georgian house built in 1736, it became Loyd Entwisle's bank in 1788 and later a shop.