The River Medlock Appears After being Underground Through most of Manchester.

This Family of Mallards live in the Middle of Manchester foraging on the Rivers Sand Banks. It is said that in the 1880's when the River was in Full Flood, further up stream a Grave Yard was Flooded and several coffins were washed down stream and ended up in the River Irwell and the River Mersey and Floated down towards Liverpool. (Was it a Dead Loss. Ha Ha.)

More Willow Trees.

The Very Old House on the Left between the Factory and Flats is one of the oldest houses on the River, it's now Derelict. As you can see, it overhangs the River. In the 1780's there was no Sewers, so all Human Waste went straight in to the River.

Trees and Sand Banks

The River Medlock runs by the Flats on the right from under the road. Willow Trees are growing on the Sand Bank on the Left. Believe or not, Mallard Ducks are living on the River. So it's Clean and not Polluted.

Underneath the Arches.

The River Flows underneath the Arches which were built in 1849. Even in the middle of Manchester there are Sand Banks and Small Trees growing around the River.

The Palace Hotel.

This is the back view of the Palace Hotel, (1996) which used to be The Refuge Assurance Company. It was built in three stages including the all white building. A spectacular hotel. It just shows you where the money was in the last Century. The River runs past the car park and under Oxford Road towards Little Ireland where the Big Cotton Mills were situated in Chorlton on Medlock. ( Now all Gone )

The Medlock is joined by a Brook.

The River Wends it's way to Run under Oxford Road one of the City's Main Thoroughfare.

The River on it's Way across Manchester.

The Medlock comes to the surface and threads it's way between factory's, and under bridges on it's way towards the River Irwell

Little Ireland. (The Red Plaque)

This is where the Slums were in Manchester, mostly Irish People who came over to escape the Potato Famine in 1845. The conditions were so appalling that a German Friedrich Engels wrote book of what he saw in the Slums in German( So not read in English till years later). His friend German Philosopher Karl Marx and he, drew up the book Das Kapital the (Blue Print) to Communism in the Soviet Union.

The Medlock

The River appears again from the underground. The Building that was above it has been demolished so is just a building site on top.

Round the Bend.

The River runs past the Electric Railway Bridges and past a Letting Agents Office which you can just see, set in one of the Arches with Chairs, Tables and a Blue Picture on the Wall.

The River Medlock.

Mr Steve Bourne (in the peak cap) who is an "Official Manchester Guide" is pointing out salient points of the River as meanders it's way to join the River Irwell.

River Medlock

Once again the Medlock disappears under the Net work of roads and buildings.

The Banks of the River.

The Car Park Wall on the opposite bank has fallen in to the River, or was it pushed? We will never know.

The Medlock

The River flows past some New Trendy Flats that have been built for Town Living.

The River Medlock

The River once again is going underground beneath the road, towards Deansgate Quay there it will go under the Quay where excess water from the Bridgewater and Rochdale Canals flows down a Sink Hole in to the Medlock which is on it's way to the River Irwell.

River Medlock

The River here goes underground and under Deansgate Quay. At one time it did Flow in to The Deansgate Quay, but it was found to be too Dirty. Especially at Flood Times.

Warehouses.

Around the Wharfs and Warehouses these Picturesque Bridges have been built across the canals. Meanwhile the River Medlock runs underneath them all.

Vegetables.

Above the River Medlock there are the Canal Docking Wharfs. The Tunnels you can see were built to unload Vegetables Underground to Cool Storage Places from Barges. There was a thriving market in Manchester for them. The Country Growers took advantages of cheap transport that the canals gave them.

The Potato Wharf

These Ware Houses are on the Castle Field Wharfs and were used to store Raw Cotton as it came up Manchester Ship Canal. The Cotton was then sold in The Manchester Cotton Exchange.

The Rochdale Canal

The Rochdale Canal joins the Bridgewater at Potato Wharf. That's the Rochdale coming through the Arch. The Lock Keepers Cottage is just above the Arch. (The Arch was being Repaired when the Photo was Taken.) Beetham Tower now called Hilton Tower in the Background Manchester's Tallest Building.