Manchester & Salford. Five trivial historic relics.

In this video we are in Manchester UK looking at five trivial historic relics. Firstly we are in Openshaw looking at an Industrial railway or the remains of it. Where the railway tracks went along the main road to English Steel. We even have a picture of the Industrial locomotive. Then we move on to Manchester city centre to look at the Goulden Street Police and fire station. A victorian police station. Onwards to Angel meadow a site of extreme poverty to look at the remains of an old Victorian building. Then on to Salford to look at the remains of a tramway and a landslide that closed the tramway. Finally we look at the remains of a bridge that was another industrial tramway of the Lancashire coal field. this is a Manchester history tour video.

[geoffdecorator]

I was born in Hr Broughton in 1964, the landslide or Lanny as we call it was our play ground as kids .Been back even in the last couple of years, the tram tracks went up along Great Clowes street which gets its name from Captain Clowes who owned most of the land in the area including Clowes park, aka Broughton park or the duck park for short .The landslide occurred in the 1920s and later again in the 30, s, it was caused by soil erosion due to the rain water run off coming down from the areas further up the road .The weight of the trams further accelerated the collapse of the road .Those houses who see along the path away could at any moment go down the hill too .The massive amount of the trees you see today was not there at the time of the landslide as they planted afterwards to stop the soil erosion .The dressed stones you were seeing were part of the grand mansion houses that once stood in the valley before it collapsed, there was a road way into the valley further up Bury new road .The grand houses were built by the Greeks in the 1820s who were related to the British royal family and also the Heaton family who owned Heaton park etc, this explains the Greek church further down the road .Scarr wheel further along the river bank to your left down Lower Broughton is famous also but thats another story .Over looking and across from the irwell on what was the well known Manchester racecourse site which closed in the 60s, my great grandparents were the stewards of the site for years .In local knowledge a murder also took place down the lanny with the victim found in a drain culvert in the 70s, spent a lot of my youth down the lanny back in the 70s .Right at the bottom on the rivers edge is redbank and back in the scorching hot summer of 76 we actually walked across the irwell, i was 12 at the time ! Hr Broughton has more history than most places .

[alexac]

I live across the pond, in Arizona, and a couple of years ago I stumbled upon a short video about the history of St. Michael's Flags and Angel Meadow. It intrigued me enough to search for more and that's how I found your channel. You have the BEST urban exploration channel on YouTube, and today's video is a prime example of the things I find most fascinating about Manchester. And there are HUNDREDS of things like that in the metro area!

Even though I live thousands of miles away, in the year or so I've been subscribed, I've watched so much about Manchester that I've come to feel I know it well, like a second home. There's so much physical history there - it really started to be eradicated at the end of the 20th century, but there's just enough left that people are starting to catch on how important it is to preserve what's left.

I know Manchester has really been booming again in the last decade or so, and that's dangerous to a lot of these sites. I'm quite salty about the development right around Angel Meadow because anything old that close to the city center is really at risk at being torn down. It makes me fear for the remains of the sunday school wall you found along Gould Street. They've already put up apartments where a car park used to be, and discovered in preparation the ruins/remains of slums of terraced housing from the early/mid 19th century that had been paved over. Of course they completely demolished everything.

Really loved the bits with the wall at Angel Meadow and Redby St. Fascinating work.

[timschultz]

Knowing the history of one's hometown gives one a greater appreciation for it. How the place formed and came together, the struggles it faced, and the progress its made. One thing that is obvious, is how your heart is breaking due to all the "progress" that is being made in Manchester.
I live in Nashville, Tennessee and this place is EXPLODING with people and development. The city is, as you say, a shadow of its former self. So much of what made Nashville, Nashville; the unique places and monumental events which gives historical context to where we have been, is being lost or already has been. I feel we are kindred spirits in that regard.
Martin your video is absolutely splendid!!! I am already on my second viewing. These places are a treasure. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us.

[jetsons]

Martin, A true Historian will always get excited over "Small Trivial Relics." This video really takes me back to your early work, I mean that in a good way. As always a enjoyable and fun watch. You are one great local historian.

[anneforster]

Loved this Martin, not trivial to me. Particularly the Kersal Vale piece. Just off the map you showed in the bottom right was a grand house called Cliff House, long since demolished . Canon (at Manchester Cathedral) Oswald Seargant lived there and in his employment in 1841 was Isaac Sumner an ancestor of mine who worked at the house as a butler. His family lived in the poorer area of Lower Broughton. I have pored over maps of the area for many years and knew there had been landslips in the past. I remember walking around the area quite a few years ago to get a feel of the place. I think it's an amazing area, for instance did you know just over Bury new Road from Kersal Vale at Northumberland St there was a short lived Zoo, long before Belle Vue was even thought of.

[donnaelizabethcampbell]

Ahhhh watching this brings back childhood memories in Salford, walking around Landslide known as the Cliff ahhhh happy days ❤️💋🙏✝️Thankyou

[pepperthekobold]

For anyone who cares to know regarding the Stephenson and Hawthorn 0-4-0 ST:
0-4-0 is the wheel arrangement - 0 leading wheels, 4 driving and 0 trailing wheels. Being such a small and relatively slow locomotive, leading and trailing wheels were not necessary.
ST refers to 'saddle tank' in that the water tank is, if you like, draped over the top of the boiler like a saddle is over a horse's back.

[mci]

Enjoyed that. Our, once rich, former industrial nation.

[KidCurry]

There's been some good stuff on your channel this year, but for me this is the best. Bite size snippets of gold, so interesting, brilliant 👍 Thanks Martin and team, have a great Christmas 🎅

[missmerrily]

Martin, it's hard not to catch your infectious enthusiasm. I didn't know Manchester at all until I started watching your channel but I find it so fascinating. Your first 'trivial' relic was actually really touching, having seen the photographs of how Redby Street/Wood Street once looked. And even a little mystery with the name change. That on its own is interesting. If you ever find out why, please let us know! There was actually nothing trivial about any of the treasures you showed us. It's living history and I loved it!

[hovermotion]

Wow fabulous video..drove past this area 100s of times but never knew this museum existed.
Thanks for showing..

[daveclucas]

The Openshaw part brought back some memories. In 1964 I started my apprenticeship at Depot Engineering in Clayton. I rode my bike from home in Longsight to work and passed English Steel every day. At that time the steam locos were still in use. I still remember them crossing the road.

[swampthing]

Oh my god Martin, this one is pure quality. As soon as I saw the thumbnail for this I knew exactly where you were and couldn't wait to watch it. As I watched more I also couldn't believe where else you'd been.

I took pics of Redby Street about 10 years ago, mesmerised by it after years of driving past it on the way to work. Ashton Old Road is a series in itself. From Edge Lane to Pin Mill Brow there must only be three or four original buildings left; two miles of complete decimation over the years. Prime example is your old map at 5:00, virtually everything is gone, including on that map Whitworth Hall and the Public Baths (shamefully lost only a couple of years ago); the Lads Club is just about standing but it needs saving.

So onto Angel Meadows and the first thing I spot in the photo of the old Sunday School is the mullioned windows, and was praying that it was those you'd start to talk about. So chuffed that you then walked round to Gould Street. I took photos of those same old windows quite possibly on the same photo session 10 years ago. I was in awe and wonder then, and still am when I drive past now. How brilliant that you've provided all that backstory for us. A joy to watch. Also great that you were back round the old police station too.

These trivia relics videos are brilliant, so many things to show and document around Manchester. I know you're only one guy and you've no doubt got an ever-growing wish list of things to film, but I'm craving even more of these. Amazing as ever mate.

[sarahward]

Oh gosh I'm in tears!! Thankyou for this..I lost my mum and dad in 2021 and have been doing my family history..I never realised how much of my family was around east Manchester back to 1700s..openshaw, clayton, collyhurst, miles platting, bradford, holt town, ardwick..I've lost count of family buried in Philips park and Droylsden cems..I've lived in Droylsden for 50yrs and knew v little really till now..there's a small abandoned cemetery st barnabus in Openshaw that I need to go to the archives for as there is nothing online...they wouldn't recognise Manchester now..I hate how the heritage is disappearing..Xx 💖🤗

[tuk]

Perfect Video. Perfect Music A Sunday treat. Detailed and explained History.Trains! Brick! No distractions. No moustache boys. " There is a Light that never goes out ".

[chrisslater]

Great to see these remnants explained and put into perspective. Keeps the history alive for all to see, not just this old Salfordian!

[seasidesandles]

Martin. Thank you so much for the English Steel footage. My father worked there in the 50s and 60s as transport manager. I always wondered what sort of place it was. I knew he was responsible for shipping their goods out all over the world and he would sometimes come home inebriated when he’d been invited on board ship. Anyway thanks again.

[bernardmcmahon]

Totally with you MZ, industrial history in our twin cities is amazing, keep up the great work. Salford

[frankparsons]

Redby Street and the old photos, make me weep. Then the remains of St.Michaels Hall too, its all meat and drink to me, thank you so much for sharing. I'm a lifelong Archaeologist and Industrial Archaeologist, since the age of 7, when I started to dig up my Dad's garden, I assisted with a dig on a Roman Villa at 11, joined the Salisbury Museum as an amateur on the digging team, and recorded and photographed secular buildings and churches, drawing ground plans of churches & recording Industrial buildings, great monolithic edifices such as Otterbourne pumping works (Winchester) with their truly massive steam pumping engines. For many years I was honoured to know, and to work with Peter de B Nicholson (Salisbury), a no nonsense Yorkshireman from whom I learnt so much, from half timbered medieval dwellings to Victorian bricks and roof tiles - bless him, long gone now. I'm 75 and it is all just as exciting and interesting now as it was 65 years ago, but alas so much has been swept away in the name of progress, but unfortunately it isn't progress in any shape or form, its simply eradicating a whole way of life, communities gone forever, it brings a lump to your throat. Great video, so interesting, keep it up - meat and drink lad. Terrific!

[Hellojack-kv]

Excellent and very informative. We walk over the past every day and never realise what could have happened.