Now laying aside the politics of the redevelopment of the city, and the race by said developers to create a Manhattan skyline across Manchester, I had hoped that those stretches of the Medlock and Irwell would have fared better.
During the 19th century they were closed off by tall warehouses, and mills whose walls rose up from the water line mimicking giant cliffs.
And with the clearance of these buildings I naively thought that us ordinary citizens might be able to get close to the rivers to dip out toes in the water.
But not so, as Andy’s pictures of the area behind Own Street show.
The river continues to flow through a canyon of brick and stone.
Location; Manchester
Pictures; looking down on the river, 2021, from the collection of Andy Robertson
That’s a shame, a missed opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThe Medlock is the poor cousin- in culvert in part, turned its back on through most of the City Centre. It once was a ‘sewer’, but now the water quality is much better.