And across the road on the corner of Bradshawgate and Sliverwell Street was the old GPO building. David Whenlock's postcard dated 1905.                                  >>>>>>>

Bradshawgate with the cut down Pack Horse on the corner of Bradshawgate and Nelson Square a little before 1904.

1962

Bradshawgate by the corner of the Pack Horse looking along to Preston’s.

The poles which used to hold up the tram wires now support street lamps.

Hardly changed from the tram era, pre 1947

On the right we see Graveson's (ironmongers?) and Albert Ward's (sports equipment.

In the 1920s as you turned out of Nelson Square onto Bradshawgate and past the Packhorse, the next building would be the Paragon cinema built 1910(?)

Part of the Packhorse built 1904,5 can be seen immediately left.

No-one remembers this cinema, it did not remain long, other cinemas were built and this one may then have been too small to be viable.

This quite attractive building was replaced by the one through which ran "The Arcade" which itself was replaced by the Arndale Centre and the Primark frontage.

Buck Jones in Western Luck was released 1924

Picture supplied by Richard A Whyte.

Bradshawgate c1895-1904

Artist R E Cooper '78

The Wine House was next door but one to The Pack Horse.

Some information on Ross Munro has been put together by Richard A White whose great grandparents were part of the families involved. Some of the information is from http://lostpubsofbolton.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/bay-horse-scotch-vaults-37-deansgate.html and http://lostpubsofbolton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/sun-inn-54-bradshawgate.html

Around 1885, Robert Anderson Ross relocated from Ross-shire, Scotland to Bolton and began working for George Munro, an established wines and Spirits merchant.

When George died in 1894, the business became Ross Munro and Co (Bolton) with premises also in Wigan (via brother Hugh Ross who was Mayor of Wigan 1905-6) and Oldham (via brother George Ross).

More at the bottom of the page.

1902 50 Bradshawgate, Ramsdens Music Shop. To its right, the Volunteer pub which became The Empire, replaced by Saddle c1905.

Ramsden’s and to the left was replaced by the building through which ran The Arcade and replaced again by the Arndale centre. This is presently Primark’s frontage.

Twenty years or so after the widening of Bradshawgate. Probably mid-late 1930s.

We see the Packhorse, then the building with The Arcade whose entrance is obscured by the shop blinds, the Campbell's. At the end of the block is Fold Street then the Norwich Union building and off the picture Yate's Wine Lodge.

(C)Bolton News

The Arcade contained Harker and Howarth's music shop, a posh dress shop and other establishments. Upstairs  was a ballroom dancing studio, It was a covered way from here on Bradshawgate to a point near St Andrew's Church on Bowker's Row.

It was lost to the Arndale Centre though that retained a walking route through along roughly the line of the arcade. Then Primark wished to expand and threatened tot leave Bolton if it was not allowed a continuous shop across that passageway - and the access to Bradshawgate was lost.

Moving on to the 1960s. Note the Chinese characters for the Chinese Restaurant, Desert Orchid? Stone Dri and the entrance to The Arcade. Campbells is still trading. We see Fold Street, the Yates Wine Lodge, Ship Gate, then the magnificent Fleece which still stands though has undergone a number of name changes in recent years and is now derelict (2021).

Nurseryland, The Arcade, Montague the jewellers, Campbells,Halon just removed,  The Saddle. All of this was replaced by the Arndale Centre and Primark

The lettering above Montague's is Pearl Assurance..

1975 The Saddle Inn and Refuge Assurance were both lost to the Arndate. We note the North Fur Company at no 42 and Harry Fenton. Fold Street is to the right of the Refuge building with the Burnley Building Society beyond.

Looking back the other way we see from Nelson Square to Yates Wine Lodge.

Jack Howarth and Tom Harker c1966?

Bradshawgate c 1906

An enormous amount of rebuilding has been done, everything you can see is new. But there are still a couple of gaps.

At the far right is Yates Wine Lodge.

Bradshawgate - much more recently the Arndale Centre replaces most of the above frontage. At this time there is an entrance to the Arndale Centre on this frontage so at least during opening hours there is a route through from Exchange Street close to Victoria Square to Bradshawgate - not too different from the old arcade. More recently Primark extended its store right across the front and for security reasons removed its own access to/from Bradshawgate. There has been quite a lot of protest from the point of view of the loss of that route and from the point of view that Primark was able to get its own way by threatening to leave town if this development was not allowed.

Fold Street marks this end of the Arndale Centre.

The Burnley is in a building that was part of the c1910 widening of Bradshawgate though it was built a little after some other premises and has a strangely modern look.

c1900

Fold Street / Bradshawgate - Bromley’s Fine Art Depository

Bromiley's quaint building is what was replaced by the Refuge building on a previous picture. There is not much to recommend the rest of the block but what a shame we lost this building. In fact it was a victim of the widening of Bradshawgate c1904-10.

The whole picture is interesting. Notice far left the pointed turret of the Prudential Building on the corner of Nelson Square. Then we see the almost derelict single storey Packhorse. Moving further right we see what was at some time Ramsden's music shop and the Volunteer (Saddle) Inn. The picture is taken in the morning with the early sun shining up Wood Street on to Preston's Jewellers with the clock at one end and the lantern at the other before its move to 2 Deansgate in 1905. The clock is not telling the correct time. Then we have Bromiley's, Fold Street and on the right of the picture the H belongs to H Samuels.

A detail of Preston's jewellers original shop.

We have a quick look up Fold Street before continuing along Bradshawgate on the next page.

A quick look up Fold Street from Bradshawgate with Bowkers Row and Chancery Lane on the left and Acresfield across the end.

A longer view along Fold Street towards Bradshawgate. The awning is at Sherries.

c1950

Looking away from Bradshawgate.

On the right as we enter Fold Street was Wood and Co whlosale and retail tea and coffee merchants. The aroma as you entered the shop was to die for.

This picture seems to be immediately before demolition when the Arndale Centre was built.

Woods is on the right as you leave Bradshawgate with Sherries (wines and spirits sigh) just a little further on

Fold Street crossed Chancery Lane.This and Acresfield were the Business Quarter of Bolton. We can see "Chartered Accountants".

I have seen few tears shed for the loss of these dark streets.

c1962 Picture from Bolton Museums Archive. A view back out onto Bradshawgate. Wood Street is just off the picture to the left.

Next page we continue or journey along Bradshawgate to Preston's corner looking into Wood Street on the way.

This picture is looking back towards Bradshawgate.The building facing us is  "Royal Globe Insurance" on the opposite side of Bradshawgate.

We see Sherries, Anglo-Continental Travels with Howcrofts then Chez Aristotle.