Manchester's oldest Mills. looking for clues

In this video we are looking for clues to some of Manchester's oldest mills. We are back in the River Irk valley. Our old friend the Moss brook makes an appearance as we are investigating its confluence with the River Irk. Also we are back on Collyhurst road in Manchester. An old Calico printers and fulling mill stood at the site of the the Irk / Moss brook confluence. We are looking for clues of their existence. Using old Photographs of Manchester and old maps of Manchester we hope to find out more. Of course we go and investigate the river culvert on the urbex historical investigation. We look at the history of the Lancashire cotton mills in Manchester.

[darkstatehk]

This episode is classic Martin Zero. You're on the edge of your chair all the way through. The mix of past photos and present video, the side by side analysis, excepts from old papers, historical talk throughs, all woven into an amazing story. I love these videos so much. Thank you Martin and the team for such an amazing effort.

[pwhitewick]

I love this. This is pure Martin Zero. The Brook walking, the maps, the mystery, the questions and the answers. All combined with some perfect scores.

[markabbott]

Superb. One of your best, and how refreshing to find a company that still has a sense of its history and maintains an archive of that history.

[jetsons]

This was a GEM, you really did your homework on this one. The B&W shots at 32:02 and 32:35 are amazing, in face all the B&W you used were great. Your use of maps really helps with the story in a big way, thanks. Wish the "wheel pits" were still there, next time... Thanks to you, your team and the paint works for sharing there old photos and letting you get the shots of the weir. Take

[timschultz]

I absolutely LOVED this video. It's very much like your old works which are endless enjoyment, no matter how many times I watch them. For me, its the same things such as pointing out the row houses on Bebbington Street and how the children who lived there must have fought and died in the Great War. Well done Sir! Very fine work!

[katherinekinnaird]

I'm 1, 000s of miles away in theU.S. but my heart still aches for the boys you speak of the went away in the WW1 and then never returned. Thank you so much for traveling so much and walking through these sometimes smelly Calvert's and digging deep into the history of these historic events and property's. God bless you all.

[kevinoakes]

WOW, Martin !, again, a fantastic piece of industrial archeology. I love how you put so much work into these videos with your research and on site explorations, and a can honestly say that, that was an extremely interesting watch. Those old photos from H. M. Guest archives were brilliant to see. It’s interesting to note that, just as those guys climbed down that ladder over 100 years ago into the polluted river just to photograph it, you are doing exactly that, right now, for future generations to see in, maybe, another 100 years time. Your work is an invaluable archive of the industrial heritage of your city.
P.S. using The Smiths, “There is a light….” Topped it off for me, though, I don’t know how you got that past YouTube’s copyright rules…
Bravo.

[chazzyb]

0:12 Martin boldly ventures down - an underpass!!!! Even I might have ventured down that one Martin!
But oh boy, the plot thickens…
23:00 I'm intrigued by the pleasure gardens/circuit route, orchards and lawn that they have laid out below the Mill?
25:30 A very beautifully built little bridge indeed.
27:45 Up above, "Eh oop, I could swear I just heard that Martin Zero." "Don't be a barmpot, what would he be doing here, lad".
36:30 Bebbington Street, fair point, the WWI story. History goes by so fast.
Great work once again Martin. Hopefully the boy James has a brew waiting for you!

[ianmccaffery]

Martin, Thank you so so much, I watched the video with extreme interest, My mother and her siblings was born in collyhurst in the 1920s in Copper Street and all worked in Cotton mills in the area from being kids, Later some of her sisters moved to collyhurst road, I Have been trying to search the area for evidence of where she might have worked without success, but you have give me an insight of where she may have worked, so again, many many thanks, i will visit my older brother and let him watch this, Great job pal

[General_Confusion]

I think the Moss Brook had to be diverted when they built the weir, otherwise the raised water from the Irk would have gone the wrong way up the Moss. It says there were Three water wheels. The arch you saw on site below the weir looks like an outflow from at least one of them, i suspect the long lost spur of The Moss was just the outflow from the remainder, as there would be no way of water going in that way to drive a wheel, to exit into the Irk, as the irk must be higher even below the weir.
Fascinating video Martin.

[venge]

Thank you for documenting the sites you have over the years. There will come a day, where these sites degrade and return to the Earth, and the only thing left of them will be videos like these.
'History Deserves to be remembered'

[yorkie]

Classic Martin Zero, you are 'the light that never goes out', respect mate!

[laurentaylor]

Love it, must have said "oh wow" fifteen times! All your stuff is interesting...but when you do Town history...well it just means so much. Thanks.

[JBE]

My home town history looked back at from someone who has genuine enthusiasm for the past and how it's arrived today. Thanks Martin 👍

[carlrehnberg]

Wow! The River Irk is indeed as wonderful and mysterious as I hoped. You have made a very happy Swede Martin! Well worth the wait. I am very much looking forward to future instalments containing bits and pieces on Irk. Loved every second, I will take this as a week early 50 years birthday present. :)

[leemorris]

A return to vintage Martin Zero!!!

We love watching Martins videos, whatever they are about. But this one takes us back to the classic format which originally got us hooked ... Manchester's rivers, tunnels, canals, Mills, the ethereal soundtracks, the old side by side maps, the old photos, the satellite photos, the research, the stories, the sense of mystery and adventure, the sense of history and changing landscapes across the centuries. If only history had been taught like this when I was a kid!!!

My ancestors came from Ancoats and Angel Meadow, originally from Ireland, and worked in the Mills and factories during the industrial revolution.

So anything Martin does in Manchester is fascinating to me.

Well done Martin and Thankyou for bringing the history of Manchester to life for us all!!!
❤❤👍👍👍

[darreno]

Nice work Martin, enjoyed this one. And what great guys from the paint works, I wish all were so welcoming. God bless

[TheGodsrighthandman]

40:05 That photo of Logwood Mills. You know those piles of bricks in front of it are probably the remains of Appleton Street (in front) and Bebbington Street (under the photographer's feet) . . . .

[malcolmrichardson]

A brilliant piece of industrial archaeology. Incredible photographs and detective work. Thank you and well done.

[Hairnicks]

Fantastic explore, what brilliant history, being a collector of old cameras and photographs, I was very impressed with the lovely photography, seeing history in such clarity is a real privilege. The paint factory were obviously very helpful and interested in your investigation, good for them to protect the history of their company.