IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Chester Road, MANCHESTER, M32 0RS

One of a cluster of substantial post-war office blocks in the Old Trafford area, perhaps part of a drive to attract business in the face of ailing industry. There is a local station, and the nearby A56 runs, in one direction, to what was the Stretford by-pass or M62 when it opened in 1960 (now the M60), and, in the other direction, to central Manchester. This one's plan is S-shaped, consisting of two parallel but staggered slabs joined by a clumsy linking section. Current tenants include the local DVLA office.

This large piece of street art, by local artist Venessa Scott, is painted on the east facing gable end on the south wing of Trafford House overlooking the major arterial route of Chester Road. The gable end faces the traffic leaving Manchester city centre, and is visible from over a mile away. It also overlooks the pedestrian route between Old Trafford tram stop and Manchester United’s Old Trafford football ground. The mural was commissioned by Bruntwood Works to be a vibrant celebration of the 100-year anniversary of suffrage; the artwork commemorates the sacrifice and spirit of the Suffragette movement, including that of women’s rights pioneer Sylvia Pankhurst, whose birthplace is about 500m away, on the junction of Chester Road and Talbot Road. The intricate mural features a tapestry of icons inspired by the area’s Pankhurst legacy, the suffragette colours, and the collaborative community in the Gorse Hill area. Following the unveiling of the 38-metre-high piece of art in 2019, it has been named as one of the UK's biggest permanent murals. Sadly, the bottom two panels are obscured by a large tree. https://www.businessupnorth.co.uk/bruntwood-works-unveils-huge-manchester-mural-honouring-suffragette-movement/ - Business Up North

Large office building at the side of the A56, one of the main arterial routes into Manchester. For a closer look at, and more information about, the mural on the wall, see Image

See Image] for more information.

For more information, see Image

Trafford House is a large office block which has recently undergone redevelopment carried out by Bruntwood Works who described it as a “landmark building”. In the foreground is a public toilets which I didn’t get the chance to try out.

This time on Chester Road, Stretford

An inn with this name was recorded here in the 15th century. It was demolished in 1863 and replaced by the Talbot Hotel. The name has now been restored by Wetherspoon's https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pub-histories/england/greater-manchester/the-bishop-blaize-stretford

A mural of flowers and a hovering bee can be seen on the back wall of a toilet block on Chester Road opposite the Bishop Blaize Image A look back on historic Streetview images shows that it was painted sometime between July 2014 and May 2015.