Deansgate Conservation Area - Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

4.9 Public realm: roads, pavements and street furniture
Carriageways on the principal streets including Bradshawgate, Bridge Street, Knowsley
street and the west end of Deansgate itself are surfaced in tarmacadam (Fig.9). The
central pedestrianised section of Deansgate has an elaborate formal pattern of brick
setts at the intersection with Market Street, but this does not at all relate to the main part
of the street with its apron of white concrete paving slabs outside Marks and Spencer.
The surfacing of much of Deansgate looks shabby, especially compared to the new York
stone paving of Churchgate immediately to the east. The wide variety of materials and
styles used for paving throughout the Conservation Area creates a very disjointed effect.
Fig.19: historic stone setts and kerbs
on Woods Court, an alley north of
Deansgate
Several of the smallest streets, like Woods Court on the north side of Deansgate still
retain their stone setts and on Corporation Street the setts have recently been restored,
to good effect. Footway surfaces are extremely varied with some poor quality areas of
tarmacadam, concrete paving and red, brown, blue and buff paving (Fig. 23). Natural
stone has been used to relay footways outside the Market Hall on Knowsley Street and
along Corporation Street.
Fig.20: re-laid setts and natural stone
paving on Corporation Street, with castiron
bollards
July 2008 21