CANALS & ROMANS AT CASTLEFIELD, MANCHESTER

A day out in Manchester - part 1

As I took so many photos that day, I have split them up into four posts, this one, the Canal Cruise, Back to Media City & the Canal Graffiti. 

It was during my stay with my cousin Jean in Congleton in July 2014, that we spent the day in Manchester. It all started with an e-mail months earlier from Jean, saying " How do you fancy a sightseeing trip on the Manchester Ship Canal " ? Of course my reply was "Manchester Ship Canal" ? So after a quick look on the web to see what was on offer, the answer was "Yes". Little did I know what a Great Day Out it was going to be, we even found the Romans !

The weather for this day did not look very promising, with rain expected, but we managed to escape with only a light shower in the afternoon & we even managed to get a little bit of sunshine in the morning.
We had arrived in plenty of time at the Castlefields Hotel, from where the cruise sailed from, so we elected to investigate the area. This is when we found a network of canals & bridges to photograph, we even found the Romans ! I expect if I had done my homework before our trip, I would have known that this was where the Romans had first settled in Manchester.

It's a pity that a aeroplane was not in shot on this one, then I could have named this photo, Trains, Boats & Planes. I do have a man walking across the bridge, so it's Trains, Boats & Man !

Looks like the area had recently had a makeover, with the railway bridges all being newly painted & the slabbed area around canal basin revamped into a space for events & entertaining.

Although we did not know it at the time, but the bright red canal boat was to be our canal cruise boat later in the morning.

I missed taking this shot, so this one is by Jean. It shows the many railway bridges & footbridges that criss-cross the canals. It's a different world under these arches, which may not be a place to go after dark. I expect that most people who travel on the trains above do not even know what lies below them, as they go about their busy daily lives. 

I suspect that these old warehouses are now posh offices or flats.

The building on the right of this photo had been converted into a pub & restaurant, but no time eat yet. There were more photos to take.

The Hilton Hotel seems to dominate the Manchester skyline & you will see that I have included more that one photo of it.

Canal boat negotiating the lock into the Rochdale Canal.

The menacing grey skies makes this a great shot !

This is where we found the Romans at Castlefield & Jean couldn't resist playing the part of a Roman Emperor at the Granary. It's a pity we didn't have a toga for her to wear !

View from the granary towards the Gatehouse of the Roman Fort. Although the Fort had laid in a ruins for many years, the site was levelled in the early 19th century & was further destroyed by the construction of both the Rochdale Canal which was completed in 1834 & the Great Northern Railway.

Modern lift & stair towers to get you to the railway station at Deansgate/Castlefield Station.

After viewing the restored Roman Gatehouse, there was just enough time to enjoy a light lunch & cup of tea at the Castlefield Hotel before we embarked on our canal cruise. Which will be covered in my next post, Manchester Canal Cruise - Castlefield to Media City, a day out in Manchester part 2.