The leafy green space with mature trees, shrubs and flowers were ripped up in the 1990s
Lost ‘peace’ garden in St Peter’s Square, Manchester
It lasted only five years but a small patch of green space would end up being a peaceful haven for reflection and a suntrap for the city’s office workers.
As fears surrounding nuclear war grew in the 1980s, many UK cities and local authorities declared themselves ‘Nuclear Free Zones’ starting with Manchester in 1980. The movement was a protest against the nuclear arms race and advocated for nuclear disarmament.
Cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and councils across Wales, made the symbolic declaration in opposition to the government’s plans to stage a National Civil Defence exercise to show its stomach for nuclear war. But the Nuclear Free local governments refused to take part, resulting in no such rehearsal exercise taking place.
Declaring Manchester a ‘nuclear-free zone’ was a world first, but by the end of 1982, 150 local authorities had joined Manchester in opposing the arms race.
As a symbolic gesture, Manchester Council chose the edge of St Peter’s Square on the corner of Mosley Street and Princess Street, for a new kind of civic space: a Peace Garden, set among the tramlines and grand public buildings as a quiet counterpoint to the city’s bustle.
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In March 1984, the Manchester Evening News reported on the plans to build the garden.
The journalist wrote: “A valuable piece of land within the shadow of Manchester Town Hall is to be transformed into a ‘peace garden’. The site, already used for peace vigils, is to have sculptures and a statue – moved from Piccadilly Gardens.
Peace Garden in St Peter’s Square. Circa 1985 to 1990 (Image: @Manchester Libraries and Local Archives)
“It will be dedicated in April, during the first international nuclear-free zone conference, which the city is hosting. The land, Clarendon Club Gardens, is between the town hall and Mosley Street, and is used by office workers for lunchtime snacks.”
However, the Peace Garden didn’t last long. Less than 10 years after it was envisioned as symbol against the nuclear arms race, it was ripped up as a revamp of the whole area, and part of the building of Metrolink in the area.
Under the headline ‘Breach of the peace garden’, the Manchester Evening News wrote in October 1992: “Manchester’s Peace Garden has been well and truly disturbed.
“The leafy stroll-zone in Princess Street, with its sunken walkway, is vanishing. Mature trees have been axed and shrubs and flowers ripped up – all on town hall orders.
Metrolink Construction, St Peters Square in 1991(Image: @Manchester Libraries and Local Archives)
“The city council, which has sworn to defend its ‘sacred sites of greenery,’ has approved a scheme to re-vamp the whole area and fill in the sunken garden.”
Despite the Peace Garden being consigned to history, people still remember the green space fondly.
Recently, when journalist and history writer Brian Groom, posted an image of the gardens on Facebook, his followers took to the comments to share their memories.
One person said: “One of the places I had my lunchtime butties when working in Manchester”.
St Peter’s Square in Manchester now
Another said: “When the city had lots of pockets of green spaces”.
Another person posted: “No peace anymore….”
Another commented: “Great picture, the Peace Garden in 1985 looks like a wonderful place to relax”.
Another said: “I miss the Peace Gardens”.
While one person commented: “Wow! Memories of real green grass in the city centre!”
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