Now it is easy to forget just how run down, neglected and pretty dismal was the area around the Castlefield Canal Basin just a few decades ago.
It was a place waiting for something to happen, but sadly no one knew quite what and the extent of that forlorn landscape was caught by David Easton in a series of pictures he took from a moving train.
He posted them recently on face book apologising for “the quality of these images.
I hope they are of some interest though.
Those of Castlefield were taken from a moving train and have been scanned from ageing slides. This was about 1972/3 when there was still some barge traffic on the Ship Canal.
Some barges occasionally found their way onto the Bridgewater Canal although I think the warehouses were already out of use.”
And when I saw them I was immediately transported back to a time
before the developers saw a potential for the area and when sitting beside the canal with food and a drink meant nothing more than a sandwich and a bottle of fizzy pop.
So for all those who never knew the canal basin with its empty warehouses and sunken boats here again are a selection of Castlefield in 1972.
Pictures; from the collection of David Easton, 1972
He posted them recently on face book apologising for “the quality of these images.
I hope they are of some interest though.
Some barges occasionally found their way onto the Bridgewater Canal although I think the warehouses were already out of use.”
And when I saw them I was immediately transported back to a time
So for all those who never knew the canal basin with its empty warehouses and sunken boats here again are a selection of Castlefield in 1972.
Pictures; from the collection of David Easton, 1972
Sorry Andrew but in that period you have highlighted Bridgewater basin was very busy transporting coal and other goods
ReplyDeleteThe warehouses may not of been as busy as before but some were still used and the area was very busy and not run down but a hive of activerty