23.12.2016 Views

Manchester New Islington - article, Lancashire Mag. style

Photo article example

Photo article example

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Geoff Whittaker<br />

<strong>New</strong> <strong>Islington</strong> <strong>article</strong>


<strong>Manchester</strong> - <strong>New</strong> <strong>Islington</strong><br />

History and current development. Old and new,<br />

together in harmony.<br />

Words and pictures Geoffrey Whittaker<br />

The history and current<br />

development of the <strong>New</strong><br />

<strong>Islington</strong> area is a fascinating<br />

journey into an industrial<br />

past and a hopeful future.<br />

<strong>New</strong> <strong>Islington</strong> is one of<br />

the seven “Millennium<br />

Communities Programme”<br />

areas and received funding<br />

in 2002. Urban Splash are the<br />

main developers. They are<br />

the creators of the “Chips”<br />

building, shown on the right.<br />

An eight storey residential<br />

structure designed by Will<br />

Alsop, it is intended to be<br />

a striking move away from<br />

“mundanity” or slightly bonkers<br />

depending on your taste in<br />

architecture.<br />

The development plan will<br />

”create an orchard island,<br />

a protective grove of Scots<br />

Pines around the beach, and<br />

wild-flowers and reed beds,<br />

all helping to attract wildlife.<br />

There will also be a variety of<br />

follies, meeting shelters, bird<br />

boxes and floating wildlife<br />

islands that will create places<br />

to stop, relax and contemplate<br />

the environment.”<br />

The Cottonfields development<br />

is on the site of the notorious<br />

Cardroom estate that was built<br />

in the 1970’s and demolished<br />

to make way for the new<br />

development. The recession<br />

temporarily halted progress<br />

but new building is now going<br />

on apace.<br />

It’s not all about blitzing the<br />

past, old buildings are being<br />

sympathetically restored.<br />

warehouse structures are being<br />

converted into shops and<br />

residential apartments.<br />

Stubbs MIll a former machine


Works that made machinery for<br />

the surrounding Cotton Mills<br />

in Ancoats has been converted<br />

into innovative spaces for offices<br />

and other uses. The complex was<br />

constructed between 1880 and<br />

1930.<br />

Canals are a feature of the <strong>New</strong><br />

<strong>Islington</strong> development and were<br />

a key part of <strong>Manchester</strong>’s past<br />

transport system.<br />

The beginning of the industrial<br />

revolution, in <strong>Manchester</strong>, is<br />

considered to be when the<br />

Bridgewater canal arrived in<br />

Castlefield. Importing cotton<br />

from Liverpool via the Mersey<br />

and Irwell navigation led<br />

to <strong>Manchester</strong> becoming a<br />

manufacturing and distribution<br />

centre for manufactured cotton<br />

products. Although not a canal as<br />

such the Mersey and Irwell were<br />

both improved with locks and<br />

new cuts.<br />

Richard Arkwright was credited<br />

as the first person to build a<br />

Cotton mill in the city. At first<br />

water power was tried but proved<br />

to be inadequate. He then used<br />

a Watt steam engine to drive the<br />

machinery and this then became<br />

the norm and led to <strong>Manchester</strong><br />

being named Cottonopolis.<br />

The demand for coal led to more<br />

canals being built. The <strong>New</strong><br />

<strong>Islington</strong> canal basin branches off<br />

the Rochdale canal. There is also<br />

a branch from the Ashton canal<br />

on the Other side of Old Mill<br />

street.<br />

The Rochdale canal was wider<br />

than most at fourteen feet. It<br />

runs for thirty two miles and was<br />

opened in sections until 1804.


The metro has a tram station at <strong>New</strong> <strong>Islington</strong><br />

and it is only a short distance from Piccadilly<br />

rail station. Horse drawn trams began in Salford<br />

in 1877 and <strong>Manchester</strong> in 1880. They were<br />

electrified in 1901. Today a second cross city line<br />

is opening and <strong>Manchester</strong> now has the largest<br />

tram system in the country.<br />

A lot of work is going into integrating the old<br />

and the new and this key area is undergoing a<br />

new renaissance.<br />

The <strong>New</strong> <strong>Islington</strong> development is not just a<br />

concrete jungle but is also a haven for nature.<br />

Tree planting and encouraging wildlife are a key<br />

element of the planning.<br />

“Today a second<br />

cross city tram<br />

line is opening,<br />

<strong>Manchester</strong> now<br />

has the largest<br />

tram system inthe<br />

country.”

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!