I love this… this is slightly embarrassing.. after living in Manchester all my life “42 yrs” (yes i’m really that old… ) I only very recently found out this fact.

The real centre of Manchester is located at St Ann’s Church (St Ann’s Sq Manchester) & not Manchester Town Hall (as most maps indicate) St Ann’s was originally built on Acres Field.

This was the centre of the social gathering in Manchester & where the annual harvest fair was held. The benchmark symbol in the picture was left by surveyors & cartographers to mark the very centre of Manchester. The original mark was left at the base of the Tower at St Ann’s Church in the 1700’s. The tower was taken down in 1777 for safety reasons, but the benchmark symbol still remains visible at the tower door. For those really interested in local history, a visit to St Ann’s Church in Manchester is a must.

Filed under: Manchester City Centre