Arch 19 on Watson Street ……. What Andy Robertson spotted

 Now Andy Robertson can always be guaranteed to come across the interesting when it comes to developments with our historic buildings, and so last week he was on Watson Street, hard by Great Bridgewater Street in in the shadows of the Beetham Tower, the old Central Railway Station and the Great Northern Warehouse.

He commented that this is "a section of the railway bridges that cross Great Bridgewater Street by Watson Street have just been demolished. I think this part went into the warehouse rather than Central Station".

And according to the Planning portal of the City Council the spot consists of  “arches J & K (18 and 19) on Watson Street, which are to be in converted into to a new theatre, events and teaching space and associated facilities including a bar

The development is proposed as the new home for independent theatre operator and charity 53 two who were previously located at the Bauer Millett site on the opposite side of Great Bridgewater Street. 

The Bauer Millett site is proposed for development and as such 53 two vacated their previous home in May 2019. 

The use of the Bauer Millett site by 53two was approved by Manchester City Council in 2016 (planning application number 114040/FU/2016) and subsequently operated successfully. 

The uses under a new application are the same as those approved under the previous planning application, with a view to enabling 53 two to carry on operating as it has been for the previous period, from a new home”.*

I was aware of the theatre, but this jogged my memory, and that is that is pretty much it, other than to say I know Andy will be back, to record the developments.

Location; Watson Street, Manchester

Pictures; What you discover going on down at Watson Street, 2021, from the collection of Andy Robertson

**CDN/21/0232. Statement of Archaeological and Heritage Record, of listed Building Consent, ref 124383/LO/2019. | Arch 19 Watson Street Manchester M3 4LP Manchester City Council Planning Portal, https://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QQDRDSBCFR600

A little bit of our lost railway architecture ………….. in Heaton Mersey

Now I know that if you live in Heaton Mersey this bit of our railway heritage is not lost but is there for all to see.

But for me it was a surprise to come across it and reignite my interest in all thing’s railway.

That said I bet most people will not value these old viaducts and embankments, in the same historic way they might treat one of those castles “Cromwell knocked about” or the remnants of a Roman aqueduct or Egyptian pyramid.

So it was left to Andy Robertson to celebrate this bit of the old railway line, by taking a series of pictures, adding that, “Inspired by Barbarella Bonvento's picture on the blog, I went to clock the other bits of ex railway. Considering how many railway lines Heaton Mersey had there is not much left”. *

But I like them, and more than that they do offer up a memory of when the country was cross crossed by railway track from the great main lines down to quiet, sleepy branch lines, which ran a few passenger trains a day along with early the milk train.

I shall leave it to others to wade in with the history of this particular track, but I will dig out my copy of Mile By Mile on Britain’s Railways, which was published in in 1947 with “the object ……. to encourage the passenger to anticipate his progress, and to enable him to know to a nicety, what he next will see from the window at any and every stage of the journey.  

It is such a pity to sacrifice this experience to idle slumber, or to concentration on a magazine that would be better enjoyed at home.” *

Now this seems a pretty neat idea to me, and I have to say it is one that I try to practice, whether I am on a train, tram or the bus.

But I rather think it is an ambitious project that few would undertake, especially when what is being described is nothing less than the routes of the main railway companies in 1947.

But this is what Mr Pike set out to do in a series of little books just as the railways became nationalized.

The publications covered the L.N.E.R, the LMS, and Southern Railways but for reasons which have never been established he failed to keep his promise of one on the G.W.R. **

Nevertheless, for the other three there were details of “the gradients of the lines, speed tests and mileages, viaducts, bridges and embankments, along with tunnels, cuttings, crossovers and streams, rivers and roads.  

For good measure there were also lists of towns, villages, churches and mines, factories and works and an account of features of interest and beauty to be seen from the trains.”

It was all of the information which made a train journey worthwhile.

And of course, with the passage of time and the end of both steam locomotives as well as many of the branch lines his guides have become a piece of history.

So, lots to do before more of Andy’s pictures appear here.

Pictures; bits of railway architecture in Heaton Mersey, 2020, from the collection of Andy Robertson and the cover of MILE BY MILE ON BRITAIN’S RAILWAYS, S.N.PIKE, published by Aurum Press Ltd, and original Mile by Mile on the L.M.S. 1947

* Relics of our industrial past …….. doing the essential walk and making it historic .... no. 23, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2020/05/relics-of-our-industrial-past-doing.html

** MILE BY MILE ON BRITAIN’S RAILWAYS, S.N. PIKE, 1947, published by Aurum Press Ltd, 2011.