The Old Shambles and the original pub buildings 16th and 17th centuries The Old Wellington Inn building was constructed in 1552. The building was on the corner of Manchester's market square (which became known as Market Place) and the eastern end of the Old Shambles meat market, at the approximate location of today's New Cathedral Street. In 1554, the building was purchased by the Byrom family, prominent
linen merchants who used part of the premises as a
draper's shop. The Byrom family originally leased the building in the "Flesh shambles" in 1657. Edward Byrom (1627-1668) purchased it in 1666, having taken over the family business upon the death of his father Edward, who had owned property at nearby Hanging Ditch. A third floor was added in the mid 17th century. His son, also Edward, expanded the business, buying more of the property extending to the west of the Shambles 1689 and renting additional stalls on the market.
18th century Joseph Byrom inherited the original eastern Shambles building in 1713, buying the remainder of the western section (which would later become Sinclair's Oyster Bar) in 1729. Shaw was master of the punch house for 58 years until his death in 1796, when it passed to Peter Fearnhead, and was sold again about ten years later to William Goodall, former proprietor of the Fleece Tavern at the opposite end of the Old Shambles.
19th century The new landlord demolished part of the building and converted the rest into The King's Head Tavern in 1807, which later became known as Sinclair's. The butchers' stalls were moved from the Old Shambles to new premises in Brown Street, built by the
Lord of the manor,
Sir Oswald Mosley, in 1827. The eastern building became licensed premises in around 1829, when it was listed in
Pigot's Directory as the Vintner's Arms,
Changes at the Old Shambles During the
Victorian era, many buildings in the market place, including some adjacent to The Old Shambles, were demolished for road improvements. Most other buildings in the area were destroyed in 1940 by the
Manchester Blitz. However, the Old Shambles survived. This left it as one of the few pre-19th century structures in
Manchester city centre, and The Wellington Inn as the only
Tudor building. In response to post-war rebuilding plans which threatened the buildings, they were both designated
Grade II listed in 1952. The Old Shambles was underpinned with a concrete raft and jacked up to fit in with this development.
Relocation In June 1996, an
IRA bomb exploded in nearby Corporation Street and badly damaged many of the surrounding buildings, but the Old Shambles was protected by the concrete buildings around it and suffered only minimal damage. In 1998, £12m funding was provided by the government-sponsored Redevelopment Agency
English Partnerships, private companies, the
European Community and
Manchester City Council to redevelop Shambles Square. The buildings were subsequently dismantled and moved 70 metres northwards to their present location, close to
Manchester Cathedral, in 1999. The Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair's were rebuilt at 90 degrees to each other and joined together by a stone extension to form two sides of the new Shambles Square. The third side of the square is fronted by The Mitre Hotel which was built as The Old Church Tavern in 1815. Prince
Charles Edward Stuart is said to have reviewed his troops by the tavern in 1745. It was renamed The Mitre Hotel around 1835. == See also ==