The Birth and Evolution of the Manchester Corn Exchange
From its completion in 1903 to surviving wartime bombings in 1940.
This iconic structure has borne witness to Manchester’s ever-evolving narrative. Join us as we embark on a journey through the corridors of history, unveiling tales of architectural marvels, business endeavors, and the indomitable spirit that defined this historic establishment.
1900’s
Between 1901 and 1903 the remainder of Hanging Ditch was completed. Corridors and staircases were well finished with tiles and mosaics that can still be seen in parts of the building today. Electricity was employed for lighting purposes, a steam heating system introduced, hydraulic lifts and a telephone system described as ‘a marvel in its way’.
The great Exchange Hall trading floor occupied the inner triangle of the building and at its time of completion, the subscribers to the Corn Market numbered around 250 and to the Grocery Market, around 400.
(Grocers Showcase, Corn Exchange, 1902. Courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council.)
Produce stores continued along the sides of the hall with ranged grocers showcases and most of the floor space held a multitude of corn stands and trading tables which can be seen in these images from 1902.
Once completed in 1903, the new building exteriors were three sides of four to six storeys high that also had basements and sub-basements (Cathedral Street) which then formed an inner triangle.
During the ten years it took to rebuild the Corn Exchange, there was no serious interruption to the business with the two weekly markets on Tuesday and Thursday continuing to be held.
(Trading Floor, Corn Exchange, 1902. Courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council.)
(Dismantling of the Old Corn Exchange, 1902. Courtesy of Chetham’s Library.)
The following excerpt from Manchester Guardian on the 14th February 1902 describes the building as follows:
When completed, the whole building will contain 350 warehouses, shops and offices besides a hotel of 40 rooms. The character of the general scheme has been maintained inside the building as well as outside. The corridors and staircases are airy and well finished in tiles and mosaic, and all the floors are fireproof. For artificial lighting electricity has been employed, and a system of heating by means of steam has been provided.
At its time of completion, the subscribers to the Corn Market numbered around 250 and to the Grocery Market, around 400.
The basements and sub-basement will be almost entirely taken up with the produce trades with some of the ground floor premises being let as warehouses for these trades.
There are then offices and other premises from the basement upwards occupied by provision dealers and an info site variety of other traders.
Throughout there is a sense of fitness and quality applied to the purposes in view all making for convenience and ease in accordance with the business requirements of today. This is well seen all round, not forgetting electric and hydraulic lifts and as regards the telephone, the system is a marvel in its way.
The exterior of the building contained an outer ring of warehouses, shops, offices and a 40-room hotel –The Exchange Hotel.
The building became one of the largest public buildings in the city and bore the city’s coat of arms which can be seen above the entrance door to Roomzzz Aparthotel today.
(The Exchange Hotel. Corner of Fennel Street and Cathedral Street, 1910. Courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council.)
1925
In 1925, due to the steady growth of business within the Exchange, further extensions were made which comprised of suites of offices, bank extension. enlargement of the Exchange area and a new café. The cost was approx. £50,000 and made the building the largest self- contained building in the city, with a total frontage of 300 yards.
The number of offices became 586 and had a length of corridor over half a mile long, all fed by five modern electric elevators and spacious staircases. Extensive basements were a model of cleanliness, being sanitary and vermin proof – conditions of vital importance as all were let to various produce merchants. A further interesting feature was the new Telephone Room, which contained twelve boxes side by side. An electrically controlled Telephone Indicator was installed and worked by 75 wires operating on 42 lamps plus a nest of private letter boxes for the use of members.
It quickly become a hub for traders from across the region to gather and do business and was a bustling centre until the economic depression of the 1920s and 30s.
(Hanging Ditch, Corn Exchange, 1910. Courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council.)
1940
As Christmas 1940 approached, two waves of German bombs pounded the city on the eve of December 22nd in to the morning of December 23rd.
Hundreds of people lost their lives and thousands were wounded from these two attacks. The city saw widespread destruction with many buildings being damaged or reduced to ruins.
Three incendiary bombs fell on the floor of the Exchange Hall at 7.20pm on 22nd December but were extinguished without any major damage.
(Damage to Northeast corner of Cathedral, Corn Exchange visible in the background. Courtesy of Imperial War Museum North. © Crown Copyright: IWM.)
At 5am the following morning, several landmines and bombs were dropped in the vicinity, the nearest being opposite the Exchange Hotel on the Northeast corner of the Cathedral. The damage to the Cathedral was severe. The rebuild took until 1958 to complete with a striking memento, the Fire Window – a stained glass addition, made in 1963 that can still be viewed today.
The blasts from the bombs in the area shattered every window and frame in the building and the whole of the Exchange Hall roof glazing was destroyed. In addition, corridor screens, doors and division walls were ‘practically all wrecked’. Further damage was caused to the slated roof and the dome due to heavy rainfall on the 29th & 30th December.
The damage caused took almost a year to repair and an amount of £18,036 was claimed under Part’s 1 and 2 of The War Damage Act, 1941. (Equivalent to £1,164,893 in 2023)
For a look at what this historic period was like in Manchester, see Manchester Took It Too (Scenes of the Blitz), A film by the Co-Operative Wholesale Society Ltd.
