About

The place

The Granada Television Centre was the first purpose-built television studio complex in the UK (second in the world) and as at closure in 2013, was also the longest-serving facility of this type.

Designed by architect Ralph Tubbs under the instruction of Granada Television chairman and founder, Sidney Bernstein, construction for the Granada Television Centre began in May 1955 – with the centre opening one year later in May 1956 and finished fully by 1962.

The website

Thanks for visiting! Over the past few years, I’ve collected hundreds of photographs from inside the former Granada Television Centre in Manchester (now known as Old Granada Studios) and wanted to share them as people seem to be interested – so this site is dedicated to just that. I’ve also done lots and lots of research into what everything is!

Many of the areas photographed no longer exist (as they’ve been cleared to make way for development works), so I like to think that I’m preserving a bit of history too.

The studio complex is a vast site and each bit has its own unique look and feel due to both the staggered nature of construction and a significant bit of history, so I’ve given each part or building its own section, which can be accessed from the home page. Each of the elements mentioned within the blurbs are also marked on a map.

Not every photo is included on here, but I’ve tried to showcase a fair selection. I’ve used a range of reliable sources (listed below) to gather the featured information, which is accurate to the best of my knowledge. If you’d like to get in touch with feedback, queries, or if you want to use any of the photos, please feel free to email me. For more, head over to Instagram – @granada.gram.

Finally, as a disclaimer, I have no affiliation with the current site owners, Manchester Quays Limited/Castlefield Properties Limited (Allied London); the previous site owners, Granada Properties (ITV); or any other associated parties.

Enjoy the site,