CO-OP Bank - Manchester
Arriving bright and early on a sunny October morning, we were ready to scope out the building with little optimism of cracking it. Having walked past the place countless times, I knew it had been dormant for a while, but it always seemed sealed up tight. A route towards the back presented itself, requiring a climb up a shonky fence overlooking a busy bar.
The visible rear of the bar meant someone was frequently sneaking out for a fag break or faffing around with barrels, so timing was key. The last person over was in a very exposed position when a worker appeared and began to spark up a crafty one. They somehow didn’t notice a bloke sat hunched over on top of the fence above her, but after delicately and quietly swinging over, we were in, seemingly undetected.
A window inched open and provided us with easy enough access; we did notice a couple of other possible ways as backup. We had the whole place to ourselves for the morning and were careful to thoroughly work our way through the grand building. Roof access was doable and provided a brilliant view over the city, although I am more of a fan of doing this sort of thing at night, it was still nice.
We noticed a stairwell continuing into the neighbouring building but decided not to head down and check it out in case we alerted anyone in there, and headed out. We didn't think much of it until a few months later when I was in the area heading to a comedy club one evening; I noticed the adjacent building was also abandoned and made a note to inspect next time I was in the area. I was in the area a few weeks later doing some summer drain antics when I remembered to go check out the big derp office block.
In the time that passed, the bank had been hit up by other explorers quite a bit, and security responded by blocking all previous access points and installing PIR’s within. After the place seemed quite sealed, I tried my luck on the front door, which was locked from the inside, and was met with the loud shouting of internal secca. We decided to walk away and thought nothing of it until we noticed them tailing us through town. The security man in question was filming us and shouting a load of uninterpretable gibberish and proceeded to follow us for quite some time. After heading into the Arndale, he decided to retreat.
It turns out that morning, whilst we were enjoying what Manchester had to offer below, another explorer had been caught inside by the same security who were camped out in the adjacent building, hence their unjustified response to us trying the front door.
History
“Nestled within Manchester's burgeoning NOMA redevelopment, the Grade II listed Old Bank stands as a testament to the architectural vision of William Albert Johnson, chief architect for the Co-operative Wholesale Society. Constructed between 1927 and 1930, this imposing structure, originally opened in 1928, served as the Co-operative Bank's flagship, with its grand ground floor banking hall, while the upper six floors housed the administrative heart of the Co-operative Bank Company. This building, a replacement for the Co-op Publicity Department Building dating back to 1835, is rich in history, bearing witness to the city's evolving commercial landscape. Despite its former prominence, the Old Bank has remained vacant since the Co-operative Wholesale Society's departure in 2013, when they sold six of their Manchester properties. Today, amidst the wider £800 million NOMA redevelopment, plans are underway to revitalize this architectural gem. While the upper floors have been stripped bare, revealing their featureless expanse, the ground floor retains its photogenic allure, offering a glimpse into its past grandeur. The redevelopment envisions a sensitive refurbishment of the existing structure, complemented by a modern extension at the rear, facing Sadler's Yard. Visited here back in 2022 but in recent years internal cameras and on site security have been implemented”.
