IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
St. Petersgate, STOCKPORT, SK1 1HE

St Petersgate House was constructed in 1972. A photo of the construction work can be found on the Stockport Image Archive at http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/leisureculture/libraries/libraryonline/stockportimagearchive/sia/?accessionno=1168&Album=Single#picInfo The 6-storey office building was refurbished in 2009.

The square was redesigned in recent years with the installation of a fountain and new bench seating. The building on the left is the 1970s built 6-story office block St Petersgate House Image Behind it on the right is the 50,000 sq ft office block, on the site of the former Cannon cinema, completed in 2009 by BAM Properties and occupied by BSkyB.

The insurance firm had similar premises in towns and cities across the country. These are now occupied by a firm of solicitors. Located in St Petersgate and part of the St Peter's conservation area.

High-quality landscaping transforms what was before 2007 an open space with grass and trees. The square was remodelled in association with the development of the unnamed building on the left, built on the site of a cinema, completed 2009 and home to a BSkyB customer contact centre. The refurbished building on the right is called 'Numero', seen from the other side in Image Thanks to Gerald England for information; He reports that the square is a haunt of skateboarders: not what was intended. See Image, his view in the opposite direction.

On the corner of Lawrence Street and St Petersgate Street is Chris King's barber shop. Behind it is the £13m 50,000 sq ft office development by BAM Properties on the site of the former Cannon cinema, half of which is now occupied by BSkyB.

The back of TJ's Bar on Mersey Square. The front is on Wellington Road South Image

The western side of St Peter's square looking towards Duke Street. The square underwent a transformation in 2007/8 in a scheme designed to "deliver an ideal venue for proposed outdoor events and create the perfect backdrop for facilities such as cafés, restaurants and pubs, open in the daytime, evening and night. St. Peter's Square is to become a vibrant, safe and sociable meeting place for the people of Stockport" (quoting a council web-page that is now defunct). On the left hand side is the former Prudential Assurance building which was designed by Paul Waterhouse in 1915 and finally opened in 1922. It is of stone, with a grand elevation to St Peter's Square which has a pair of projecting entrance bays each with arched entrances with keystones. Above giant attached columns frame upper windows, and support an entablature and balustraded parapets. These are separated by a two-window bay with a subsidiary entrance, and flanked by bays with two sets of paired windows, upper floors, framed by giant pilasters. The frieze has triglyphs and paterae. There is good elevation to Duke Street in similar style. On the right behind the new fountains is the former Post Office Building Image

A small plaque on the wall of the former NatWest Bank Image records the unveiling of a blue plaque Image commemorating the original site of the Garrick Society by Ian McKellen, patron of the Little Theatre Guide, on May 10th 2008.

The former premises of the NatWest bank on the corner of St Petersgate and Lawrence Street have been vacant since 2012 Image The building was sold at auction in 2013 for £149,000. After refurbishment it seems that the new occupants are a charity shop for Remar http://www.remar.uk.com/charity-shops They seem to specialise in rich wooden furniture. The site was originally The Church Coffee Tavern and a blue plaque Image on the wall records it as the founding home of the Stockport Garrick Society.

Saturday afternoon fun in the rain in St Peter's Square.