Gore Park

[markbarbera]

Description of Market Street, Manchester (source: Main Roads that define Manchester)

The A6 is one of the longest and most ancient roads in England. It runs from Carlisle to Luton. The final leg into London is along the A5. The A6 passes along many famous towns and streets. Gently curving, rising and falling with the terrain, it often seems to have a similar width and character, whether passing through Lancaster, Little Hulton, Hazel Grove, Leicester or Luton.

The A6 is the post-1974 City of Salford’s main street, linking Walkden, Swinton, Pendlebury and the old city of Salford, before crossing the Irwell into Manchester. In modern times its route has been diverted and obscured due to city centre pedestrianisation and the construction of by-pass routes, including the so-called Inner Relief Route.

But we need to get back to the realisation that Market St is the A6, part of the Carlisle to London Road, one of the ‘big 6′ routes through England. Perhaps there should be blue signs by Deansgate pointing to Carlisle and Scotland, and on the corner of Market St, a sign pointing to Birmingham and London, though not that many people walk from Manchester to London nowadays.

The continuation of Market St is Piccadilly - a name copied from London in the mid-19th century. It continues as London Road, next to Piccadilly, formerly London Rd station - still the main station for the capital. The A6 is London Rd as far as the River Medlock, then turns into Downing St - another name with London connections, then Ardwick Green, then Stockport Rd. Now we’re back on the A6 proper - people often refer to it as such. London is another 185 miles, though this has ceased to be the main route to London since the coming of the M6 in the 1960s.