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Castle Yard, STOCKPORT, SK1 1XF

Leading from Mersey Square to Great Underbank.

The Castle Yard was the "Motte" of a Norman castle and the castle "Bailey" the area which is now the Market Place. Today it forms a link between the outside market and the Courts shopping development created from the conversion of the adjacent former Magistrates Courts building. Stalls line the sides on market days.

The Castle Yard was the "Motte" of a Norman castle and the castle "Bailey" the area which is now the Market Place. Today it forms a link between the outside market and the Courts shopping development created from the conversion of the adjacent former Magistrates Courts building. Stalls line the sides on market days Image but on non-market days it is deserted. The Courts building was partially occupied by TK-Maxx until they moved into the former Comet store at Portwood Image Their place has been take by Sports Direct. The store acts as a thoroughfare to a lift that takes shoppers down to Warren Street Image

On Market Days the corner of the Castle Yard is turned into a café.

Market stalls in Castle Yard.

The Castle Yard was the "Motte" of a Norman castle and the castle "Bailey" the area which is now the Market Place. Today it forms a link between the outside market and the Courts shopping development created from the conversion of the adjacent former Magistrates Courts building. Although now occupied by Sports Direct the "To Let" advertising sign hasn't changed since 2009 Image The toilets in the left hand corner (including the disabled toilets) are only unlocked on Market Days.

Castle Yard was the "Motte" of a Norman castle and the castle "Bailey" the area which is now the Market Place. The castle walls were demolished in the 1770s when Castle Mill, the first water powered cotton mill in Stockport was constructed. The Mill was demolished in 1841 and from 1853 the area was used as a cattle market. Today Castle Yard forms a link between the outside market and the Courts shopping development created from the conversion of the adjacent former Magistrates Courts building. 21st century excavations revealed the wheelpit. In 2005 artist Mike Woods created a piece of public art designed on the water whee1 which once powered Castle Mill. It consists of a banner that depicts workers caught up in a "mad whirl of machines and knotted tangled threads coupled with frenzied activity as they strive to adapt new technologies and the need to keep pace with the contantly changing new industrial age". "The Banner of the Industrial Revelution" Image is wrapped around the outside of the ladies public convenience.

Public art in Castle Yard Image In 2005 artist Mike Woods created a piece of public art designed on the water whee1 which once powered Castle Mill. It consists of a banner that depicts workers caught up in a "mad whirl of machines and knotted tangled threads coupled with frenzied activity as they strive to adapt new technologies and the need to keep pace with the contantly changing new industrial age". Detail: Image

A detail from the Banner of the Industrial Revolution Image in Castle Yard Image

The Union Bank of Manchester Building is on Bridge Street opposite Great Underbank Image is a Grade II listed building http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-210900-15-17-bridge-street- and was built in 1900. The Union Bank was established in 1836 with a capital of £6 million divided into 24,000 shares of £25 each. Although the original intention of the Union Bank was to confine itself to Manchester, after twenty years this policy was changed, and its first branch opened at Knutsford in 1856. The bank flourished with the growth of industry and acquired several smaller banks in Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire. It became an affiliated bank within the Barclays Group in 1919, when 99% of its capital was acquired under an arrangement whereby Union Bank shareholders were given shares in Barclays to replace their Union Bank shares. This was Barclays' last major acquisition before the Treasury put a block on major banking mergers in 1920. The Union Bank continued to be managed and marketed separately until 1940 when it was fully absorbed into Barclays. https://www.archive.barclays.com/items/show/5286 In recent years the building has been home to the appropriately named Bank Fashion Store. Bank Fashion which had previously been owned by JD Sports was put into administration in January 2015. It had 84 stores of which 20 have been closed. According to a sign on the window the next nearest still trading store is in Denton.