Underbanks Street Art Stockport

Murals | New Berlin | Historic Underbanks | Access

Jimi Hendrix mural by Otto Schade

The Underbanks area of Stockport consists of Little Underbank and Great Underbank streets, close to Stockport Market. Read more on new Underbanks Street Art in Stockport.

The area of Victorian era buildings dubbed the “Soho of Stockport” has just got a bit more attractive with the addition of four recent pieces of street art.

The project was funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and directed by a progressive Stockport Council. It aims to increase visitors to this historic area of the town. This follows the relative decline of nearby Merseyside shopping centre both pre- and post-pandemic.

For example, Debenham’s, Marks & Spencer’s, and Woolworth’s have all closed in the precinct in recent years.

Mural by Qubek at Royal Oak Yard, Underbanks, Stockport

Murals

There are four new murals in the area chosen after a competition with 33 entries. They are Moth mural by Paintsmiths, Shop Small, Love Local by local artist Emily Flanagan, Jimi Hendrix mural by Otto Schade and Mural Life by Russ Meehan aka Qubek, who grew up in the town.

Shop Small, Love Local is under St. Petersgate Bridge and honours the many independent shops in the area.

Work by Emily Flanagan

Moth mural is on Lower Hillgate opposite Robinson’s Brewery and highlights the role of moths as pollinators of such plants as barley, used to brew beer.

Lower Hillgate’s Moth Mural

The Jimi Hendrix mural references a 1967 gig by the legendary guitarist in Stockport back in 1967. Hendrix played twice in the town, in fact, in 1967. First at the at The Sinking Ship club in Royal Oak Yard, a venue that later burnt down and again at The Tabernacle on Middle Hillgate. The latter venue also does not exist today, either.

Mural Life on Royal Oak Yard opposite the Cracked Actor craft beer bar adds a touch of the natural world with its vivid depiction of flowers and fish.

Das neue Berlin. Es ist wunderbanks!

Stockport – The New Berlin

The town of Stockport has earned some positive press recently. The Guardian newspaper reported on the rise of independent shops and bars in Underbanks and the town as a whole. Movers and shakers in town include acclaimed restaurant Where The Light Gets In, Stockport Hat Works and Top of the Town for vintage clothing.

The White Lion pub in Stockport

Historic Underbanks

There are several historic buildings and structures still standing in Underbanks. These are part of the original medieval wall behind the NatWest bank in Great Underbank, Three Shires House and Underbank Hall (now the aforementioned NatWest bank).

Mural Life on Royal Oak Yard

Attractions in Stockport

Other things to see in and around Stockport in Greater Manchester include the impressive Stockport Town Hall, Stockport Air Raid Shelters, St Mary’s Church, Staircase House, Bramall Hall, Woodbank Park, Vernon Park, Stockport Market, Fred Perry’s birthplace, Woodbank Hall, and the historic Viaduct.

Access – Getting There

7 miles south of Manchester on the A6, the two places are connected by regular trains from between Piccadilly and Stockport Station. The 192 bus also runs between the two places.

Map of Little Underbank in Stockport

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