Victoria Square, Manchester

Image: © Tricia Neal Taken: 18 Oct 2013

Manchester's first municipal housing was built in 1889, by Henry Spalding and A.W.Cross and is Grade II listed. It is in red brick with terracotta dressings and slate roofs. There is a square courtyard plan with balcony access inside the courtyard. The listing gives loads of architectural detail, most of which I don't understand. It opened in 1894 his block of flats was opened in 1894 and was the first building of the major re-housing scheme that the Manchester Corporation undertook. The building was intended for 848 people in 237 double tenements and 48 single. The flats had internal bathrooms and the Square had shared laundries with drying facilities in the top rooms of the corner towers - an attempt to rid homes of the damp air from drying clothes and thus reduce bronchial complaints. The property continues to be in local authority ownership and now provides accommodation for senior citizens run by Northwards Housing. One of the residents started a community project - knitting enough scarves to encircle the building! Here volunteers are helping to support the linked scarves. Afterwards they were to be auctioned for charity.

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