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Victoria Street, MANCHESTER, M3 1ST

Britannic Buildings, on Victoria Street, is attached to Image], around the corner on Cateaton Street. It was once occupied by The Britannic Assurance Company. That company started in Birmingham and began to spread across the UK in 1905. So presumably, if the building was built for them, it must date from around that time. The five-storey, red brick and sandstone former commercial building has been redeveloped into four floors of apartments above a ground floor retail space currently occupied by Hanging Ditch Wine Merchants. http://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/tours/tour4/area4page7a.html Manchester History Net

As part of the Millennium Quarter redevelopment the Cathedral used a narrow office building called Hanging Bridge Chambers to create a Visitors' Centre. The interesting part is the arch in the basement which can be seen in the photograph. This arch is part of northern arch of Hanging Bridge (Image]), a mediæval bridge over a stream known as Hanging Ditch which ran from the River Irk to the River Irwell. The stream became badly polluted and in 1600 the Hanging Ditch was condemned as an unsanitary open sewer, and in the following years the ditch was culverted and the bridge buried and built over. The bridge was largely forgotten (although the area retained the name "Hanging Ditch") until uncovered during demolition work in the 1880s. Covered up during the Victorian expansion of Manchester, the bridge remained hidden until, more than 100 years later it was uncovered again, and following restoration work it went on display in 2002 as a part of Manchester Cathedral's newly built visitor centre. From outside, the bridge is now largely hidden by modern buildings, but it can be seen from inside the basement of the Cathedral Visitor Centre, where it forms one side of the refectory. The bridge is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/england/1717912.stm BBC News December 2001

This arch is part of the remnants of Hanging Bridge, a mediæval bridge over a stream known as Hanging Ditch which ran from the River Irk to the River Irwell. The bridge was a crossing point between the town of Manchester and the Cathedral (then a parish church). The structure seen today was built in 1421, replacing an earlier bridge. During the 16th century, the stream became badly polluted and by 1600 the Hanging Ditch was condemned as an unsanitary open sewer. Over the following years the ditch was filled in and the bridge buried and built over. The bridge was largely forgotten (although the area retained the name "Hanging Ditch") until uncovered during demolition work in the 1880s. Covered up during the Victorian expansion of Manchester, the bridge remained hidden until, more than 100 years later, it was uncovered again, and following restoration work it went on display in 2002 as a part of Manchester Cathedral's newly built visitor centre. From the outside, the bridge is now largely hidden by modern buildings (see Image] for a wider view), but it can be seen from inside the basement of the Cathedral Visitor Centre, where it forms one side of the refectory. The bridge, One of Manchester's oldest structures, is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/england/1717912.stm BBC News December 2001

Part of the remnants of Hanging Bridge, a mediæval bridge over a stream known as Hanging Ditch which ran from the River Irk to the River Irwell. The bridge was a crossing point between the town of Manchester and the Cathedral (then a parish church). The structure seen today was built in 1421, replacing an earlier bridge. During the 16th century, the stream became badly polluted and by 1600 the Hanging Ditch was condemned as an unsanitary open sewer. Over the following years the ditch was filled in and the bridge buried and built over. The bridge was largely forgotten (although the area retained the name "Hanging Ditch") until uncovered during demolition work in the 1880s. Covered up during the Victorian expansion of Manchester, the bridge remained hidden again until, more than 100 years later, it was uncovered again, and following restoration work it went on display in 2002 as a part of Manchester Cathedral's newly built visitor centre. From the outside, the bridge is now largely hidden by modern buildings, but it can be seen from inside the basement of the Cathedral Visitor Centre, where it forms one side of the refectory. The bridge, one of Manchester's oldest structures, is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. See Image] and Image] for exterior views.

Part of the remnants of Hanging Bridge, a mediæval bridge over a stream known as Hanging Ditch which ran from the River Irk to the River Irwell. The bridge was a crossing point between the town of Manchester and the Cathedral (then a parish church). The structure seen today was built in 1421, replacing an earlier bridge. During the 16th century, the stream became badly polluted and by 1600 the Hanging Ditch was condemned as an unsanitary open sewer. Over the following years the ditch was filled in and the bridge buried and built over. The bridge was largely forgotten (although the area retained the name "Hanging Ditch") until uncovered during demolition work in the 1880s. Covered up during the Victorian expansion of Manchester, the bridge remained hidden again until, more than 100 years later, it was uncovered again, and following restoration work it went on display in 2002 as a part of Manchester Cathedral's newly built visitor centre. From the outside, the bridge is now largely hidden by modern buildings, but it can be seen from inside the basement of the Cathedral Visitor Centre, where it forms one side of the refectory. The bridge, one of Manchester's oldest structures, is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. See Image] and Image] for exterior views.

Grade II listed. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-387971-mitre-hotel-