Free Trade Hall

Free Trade Hall is a hotel in Manchester, England, occupying a former concert venue. The sandstone front runs along Peter Street with nine sections arranged across two levels in the Italian palace manner.

The building rose between 1853 and 1856 on ground where an 1819 public demonstration ended in violence. After wartime damage, the hall received repairs during the late 1940s.

The name recalls the movement against grain trade restrictions that shaped nineteenth-century Britain. Visitors today find an elegant entrance hall that blends old stonework with contemporary hotel furnishings.

The rooms sit behind the preserved outer walls and offer current fittings in the city center. Guests reach the reception through the main entrance on Peter Street.

Between 1951 and 1996, the space hosted regular performances by an orchestra before it moved to a newer concert hall. The conversion to a hotel began after the concert use ended in the late 1990s.

Location: Manchester

Inception: 1856

Architects: Edward Walters

Architectural style: Palazzo style architecture

GPS coordinates: 53.47778,-2.24722

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:26