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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: PaulJC on Saturday 18 March 17 14:45 GMT (UK)

Title: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: PaulJC on Saturday 18 March 17 14:45 GMT (UK)
Dear All,
I will soon be home in the UK visiting family and wondered if there is anything left of the old Ardwick or Beswick that I might see and photograph? I left the area in the late 1960's and know that most of the old terraced streets have long since been demolished but was hoping to find a few landmarks still remaining. Perhaps a few old schools, churches or even one or two streets.
Any guidance would save me a lot of wasted searching.
Regards,
Paul
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Ruskie on Saturday 18 March 17 14:50 GMT (UK)
My suggestion would be to look at google maps, in particular google street view.  :)

Enjoy your trip, and good luck.  :)
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: PaulJC on Saturday 18 March 17 14:55 GMT (UK)
Thanks,
I will do that but was also hoping for  some guidance as I really don't know what I am looking at ! Someone told me that my old primary school, St Anns, is still there on Cyrus Street but is now an industrial premises.
Best,
Paul
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: stanmapstone on Saturday 18 March 17 16:08 GMT (UK)
This map shows side by side an old map and the current aerial view http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sidebyside.cfm#zoom=17&lat=53.4841&lon=-2.2118&layers=171&right=BingHyb. The school is not shown on the old map but you can see it on the map at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/386073/398685/13/101329

Stan
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Ruskie on Sunday 19 March 17 14:33 GMT (UK)
Thanks,
I will do that but was also hoping for  some guidance as I really don't know what I am looking at ! Someone told me that my old primary school, St Anns, is still there on Cyrus Street but is now an industrial premises.
Best,
Paul

And we don't know what you are looking for.  ;D

It would not be an easy task for people to list what still exists from the 1960s and earlier that you may or may not be interested in anyway.

If you are looking for specifics such as the school you mentioned, I'm sure people can help you locate them as Stan has done, otherwise I would still suggest you just have a browse around on google street view.

If there is nothing that you recognize then sadly it has probably been demolished and replaced with a new building or a car park or similar. :-\
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Gone. on Wednesday 22 March 17 23:07 GMT (UK)

If you want to look at old photographs to jog your memory of the area, then there are loads of images here:
http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

... and even one of St Anne's school:
http://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=45890&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=7712

I used to live near Ardwick which also prompted me to have a quick look on Google Street View and the buildings in above image, including the school,  are still there.
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: PaulJC on Saturday 08 April 17 09:27 BST (UK)
Hello All,
Well I visited the Ardwick/Ancoats area and theres virtually nothing left of what I remember from the 1960s. The street layout is so different so it was hard even to get my bearings. St Ann's School on Upper Cyrus Ancoats is still there but is now in a terrible state of repair. A guy in an adjacent industrial unit said it was ok until about 3 years ago but the company moved out and it became a squatters paradise. Theres a church on Every Street which I remember and some large mill properties on Mill Street but that was about it.
Paul
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Ruskie on Saturday 08 April 17 10:44 BST (UK)
Sorry to hear that there is so little left of what you remember Paul. Sadly that is a familiar story.  :(
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: PaulJC on Saturday 08 April 17 11:00 BST (UK)
Thanks,
I suppose its what I had expected as my family left the area when the terraced streets started to be demolished in the late 60s. I kept in touch with a few friends who remained and they told me of the steady removal of various landmarks but I have to say that I did not expect such widespread clearance. Some of these buildings had architectural merit but the City seemed intent on removing all traces of the old until fairly recently. Its not for me to say that what replaced my street is any better or worse. For sure, the houses now have bathrooms and central heating so that must be progress.......
Paul
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Ruskie on Saturday 08 April 17 11:11 BST (UK)
Sometimes I feel that simply clearing was the easier (and cheaper?) option for developers. Easier than renovation and retaining the character of a place - the 60s has a lot to answer for. Sad that what you knew and had fond memories of has been razed to the ground. It is always going to be sad to see.  :(
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Jontrev on Monday 12 February 18 10:43 GMT (UK)
Can anyone help with the location of Meridian Street, Ardwick in the early 1900's as it's for my wife side of the family, poss. near Ashton Old Road ?
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Ruskie on Monday 12 February 18 12:37 GMT (UK)
Can anyone help with the location of Meridian Street, Ardwick in the early 1900's as it's for my wife side of the family, poss. near Ashton Old Road ?

Welcome to rootschat Jontrev. Do you have the family in the 1901 or 1911 census at that address?

If so, if you give their names and any other details so we can look them up for ourselves it can be easier to see the street name in context with surrounding streets to give an idea of location. As it is, Meridian Street does not seem to exist now, so some clues as to where to look might be a good idea. Ashton Old Road is a very long road and there are many streets in the vicinity.
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Ruskie on Monday 12 February 18 12:51 GMT (UK)
Don't worry - I found it:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=19&lat=53.4740&lon=-2.2181&layers=168&right=BingHyb

You can zoom in and out and scroll around the map. The street has gone I'm afraid, replaced by a (now) shabby 60s building and a grim yard full of palets.. :-\
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Jontrev on Monday 12 February 18 17:05 GMT (UK)
Thanks for that, yes I don't think it's worth a day out to look at the views !
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Kevin Byrne on Tuesday 24 August 21 19:22 BST (UK)
I wonder if anyone can give a clue as to the rough whereabouts of Willaston Street, near Hyde Road. I think demolished in the 1960s; on old maps there are so many streets that it is hard to know where to look, e.g. north or south or east or west of Ardwick Green, something like that?  Many thanks.
P.S. Grandfather born there 1891; I have seen the pictures in Machester City Archive, excellent
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: JohninSussex on Tuesday 24 August 21 22:29 BST (UK)
I have an old A-Z which shows Willaston Street.

I navigated to the area starting from Ruskie's link just above so you should find it in the centre of the map found with this link:

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=53.46915&lon=-2.20688&layers=168&right=BingHyb

Looks like it is more or less where "Whixhall Avenue" is shown on the modern image.

 
Title: Re: The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick
Post by: Kevin Byrne on Tuesday 24 August 21 22:41 BST (UK)
Absolutely brilliant, thank you kindly - a magnificent response, could not be better.  This really puts everything together, including the local church etc.  I could not be more pleased - thanks again, Kevin