Where 10,000 Protesters Clashed with Police in 1931

A plaque on the wall marks the Battle of Bexley Square, where 10,000 protesters of the Salford Branch of the National Unemployed Workers' Movement clashed with police on 1 October 1931. The novelist Walter Greenwood was present at the demonstration and portrayed a similar event in his novel, Love on the Dole.

Designed by Richard Lane in the Neo-classical style and completed in 1827, the building was originally constructed as a market hall. It became Salford's town hall in 1835 and a courthouse in 1840. In 1878, the building was the place where local hero Mark Addy received awards for gallantry in saving people from drowning in the River Irwell.

The building served as the headquarters of the County Borough of Salford until 1974, when it ceased to be the local seat of government. It was used as a court house until the last two court rooms closed in December 2011.

Constructed with a minimalist entablature of the Doric Order, the Neo-classical architecture features stone only on the front, while the sides are red brick. The building was sold to private developers and completed conversion into apartments in November 2015. It is a Grade II Listed Building designated in January 1952.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons