Victoria Street (22)
Victoria Street was called Well Lane until 1837 and the Great Well was on the corner of Victoria Street and Springfield Road. Note the names Springfield Road and Spring Bank nearby indicating a water supply in the area. In 1880 a ‘splendid well’ was reported near the site of the Mechanics Institute towards the top left of Victoria Street. In 1980 the South Trafford Archaeology Group excavated a medieval brick-lined domestic well here, presumably the same one. It had been used from the 14th century until the late 19th century, despite a privy being situated quite close by. As well as some intact pieces of pottery, thousands of sherds were found in the well including Buckley pottery and a flint scraper. Behind on The Knoll a medieval corn or malt-drying kiln was found dating to the early 14th century.
Victoria Street was the main road to Stockport and until 1932 was a narrow street with 16th to 18th century buildings on both sides. The doors of those on the south side came directly on to the road and the street originally had a drain down the middle out of Old Market Place. Peel Terrace on the north side (demolished 2007) was built in the 1840s and named after Sir Robert Peel. The cottages are empty in 2006, pending redevelopment. The 1847 Mechanics Institute was a cottage/shop towards the top left and was transferred to a new building in Lower George Street in 1852 as the Free Library.