Door hidden by brambles leads to 200 year old (tunnels ?) Gas works remains

A door hidden by brambles leads to 200 year old tunnel's in Manchester. Apart from its not a real door, they are not tunnels and they aren't quite 200 years old. Rochdale road Gasworks was built in 1824 it was also known as the Gould street gas works. This victorian gas works provided town gas for the city of Manchester. Much of it now demolished there are some hidden remains left behind. These hidden chambers are a fascinating insight into an area of Manchester that has lain abandoned and undisturbed for years. The old gas works in Manchester took coal from the nearby Oldham road goods depot and treated or baked the coal in the absence of oxygen and made Coke a smokeless fuel. But the main product was town gas. This video is an urbex explore looking at the history of Manchester in the UK. Or the history of England.

[truthhunter]

Great video martin as usual. My old stomping grounds of Collyhurst and Rochdale road. Grew up there and hated the place until the day I escaped! My dad worked at that gasworks, don't know what his job was or what year as he never spoke to me about anything unless I was in lumber, Lol. The banks of the river irk was a place of solitude and escape in my young years as I used to sneak out at 4.30 am in summer to watch the sunrise before the drudgery of the school day. The best part of the area was that I met my lovely girlfriend/wife by chance encounter at the junction of Cheetham hill road and Queens Road in 1967. I lost her after 53 years of a wonderful life together. I also had a school mate who lived at Alexandra place flats. I lost contact with him after I left school then met him one day and he was working at the bone works on Collyhurst Road, adjacent to Barney's tip., I sincerely hope he found a better position and had a better life after that. Sorry for the ramble, memories eh?

[PaddyWV]

I vaguely remember walking from Piccadilly to Victoria in the early 90's and the dour red brick Manchester that was still clinging on. When I travel through today and see yet another building site where yet another glass and steel ivory tower is accelerated towards the sky, I feel privileged to have at least witnessed the place when it was still just about a People's City.

[stevesawyer]

Hi Martin great video as expected. I was a gas engineer in Manchester from 1974 based at Stretford, but spent some time at Gould Street. I have just shared your video with a gas forum I belong to. Will have to see if any old gas men can give anymore information

[markh]

It’s a portable fan blower for the gas retorts.

[malcbury]

Brilliant! It never ceases to amaze me how things that were constructed in bygone days still remain to be explored. This is testament to the skills of the engineers and quality of materials used at the time. I doubt that anything constructed since the 1970s will remain to be explored by anyone in 2070! Keep the videos coming!Thanks, Martin and team! 😀

[gaius_enceladus]

Great video Martin!
I'm a New Zealander and I work with a great lad from Manchester! He's as funny as heck - really dry sense of humour - a real Northerner!
I love seeing videos like this! The UK is soooo OLD that you never know what you'll find - digging up a king in a carpark, for example!

[andymackey]

It's going to be apartments, that's what all the digging is for. Good to have videos like this Martin as it will all be built over and forgotten about soon.

[wladniem]

It's great that these places are being documented
thank you to all you lads

[ffrancrogowski]

Another one of your classic Manchester videos, Martin. Can't get enough of these, especially with the industrial past like this old gas works that was. Many thanks to you and your team for going into those tunnels and filming for us.

[loyndsy]

That shake of the head when you were going under that girder cracked me up "look what they've talked me into doing now"

[pbartmess]

I really appreciate the historical detail you provide. Those scenes where you guys squeeze into tiny cracks give me an uneasy sense of claustrophobia. Thank you for taking the risks that some of us just can't do.

[bubbelz]

another cracking video, watching yourself and others like Paul and Rebecca, AdventureMe and many more is defiantly got me out more and with my camera to film my own local history. wicked sweet awesome video mate

[gasmandownunder]

I worked there in the 80s Martin, there was a two story building built in 1980 on top of the old Gould st works, didn’t know what was underneath, I guess it will be very expensive to build property there, thanks for the video.

[SDE]

16:54 it looks like there are rails either side of that hole which could be an inspection pit which would make that building a loco shed

[stanwilson]

I remember the train line across rochdale rd.I worked for the NWGB in 1964-67 at Newton heath on Oldham rd, I often worked from Gould st.The old row of buildings facing gould st was where my Gran and Granded lived when they first got married.The Spread eagle pub was a bit higher up Rochdale rd near Rochdale rd mcr corp bus station.Gleden st Bradford rd was where the gasometer was, (one non collapsible, the other went up and down floating on water.They took a canary in the gasometer to check if it was safe to breath.There was Bradford pit at Forge lane, and the trains used to use the road for the steelworks.

[ivormorgan]

Thanks for that Martin and pals, I am 84 years old and you bring back memories of bygone days, I was also fascinated by the Boutique Hotel you mentioned, looks loke a relic from the past that has survived, I can't find it on the Maps.Cheers, an old Mancunian.

[helopi]

Thank you for documenting this before it's all flattened. Great work

[MrDazvere]

BC was the initials of Bradford Colliery which manufactured the Bradford Fireclay bricks.

[havingalook]

Wonderful, fascinating. Glad it didn't involve water. And yes I have been send that rubbish about wining a prize as you mentioned is a scam. Thanks for presenting this.

[davidberlanny]

Great video Martin and team. Big thanks to the Urban Legend for showing you the gas works underworld!!

I've just been back to rewatch your first video with Connor, it's well worth watching that one again, loved the music by "Martin" on that one!!

Seems incredible that the coat of arms is now at street level. Great find to see those rails uncovered. If they're going to build there they will need to do a lot of clearance work. I'm glad you have been able to go back to record it.

Be great to see you out and about with Connor again. Good luck from Spain!!