Keith Warrender
Deansgate 1988Once upon a time, in a distant past, the River Dene flowed elegantly through Manchester’s Hanging Ditch, creating an essential link between the Irk and Irwell rivers at the northern end of Deansgate, which is one of the city’s oldest streets. During Roman times, in the era of Mamucium, historical records indicate that there was a mansio situated on Deansgate opposite the Hilton Hotel and that Roman structures were present on the eastern side of Deansgate, specifically on the site where the Hilton Hotel now stands. The land on both sides of the road was utilized for farming until urban expansion began to take over, particularly in the 1730s, when Edward Byrom constructed a significant quay on the River Irwell.
The name Deansgate likely originated during Anglo Saxon times and referred to that stretch of roadway between the current intersections of Cateaton Street and Peter Street. The origin of the name may be derived from Dene, with the ‘gate’ portion coming from the Norse word gata, which means way. In the month when the clocks sprung forward, the Society’s meeting had a revisit by Keith Warrender, who explored the history of this well-known road that runs approximately north to south in a nearly straight path through the western part of the city centre, making it the longest road in the city centre, at just over a mile long.
Keith last joined us in October 2013 with the story of The Kinder Trespass
