Peter 's Fields ( Civic Quarter ) Peter 's Fields , now known as St Peter 's Square sits at the top of Oxford Road and Peter Street and extends east towards Princess Street . It is noted for its purpose as a civic area and includes important buildings and monuments such as Central Library , Midland Hotel , YMCA Building , Manchester Town Hall and Town Hall Extension – all of which are listed . It is described by Manchester City Council as " perhaps the greatest collective accolade to Manchester 's original modern heritage " . The Square is famous for the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 when cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000 – 80,000 that had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation on what was previously fields – hence the name Peter 's Fields . A monument to commemorate the nationally importantly event in the struggle for suffrage is expected to be commissioned for 2019 to mark the 200th anniversary of the massacre . In recent years , the square has been redeveloped with new high-rise office buildings , One St Peter 's Square and Two St Peter 's Square with further buildings approved for the derelict Odeon site and London Scottish House adjacent to the Midland Hotel . As part of the redevelopment , the Cenotaph was relocated outside Manchester Town Hall in 2014 and St Peter 's Square tram stop will be redeveloped with an additional platform and new configuration in 2016
Peterloo Massacre
Peterloo Massacre
Manchester city centre