Cobblestones beneath your feet and the scent of the canals fill the air. This is Castlefield. It is an inner-city conservation area in Manchester. Today we will peel back the layers of time in Castlefield.
Castlefield’s story stretches back to Roman times. Around AD 79, Roman soldiers marched here led by General Agricola. They built a fort called Mamucium. It stood on a rocky bluff where the Rivers Irwell and Medlock meet. This fort was the first sign of settlement in Manchester.
Mamucium guarded the Roman road between Chester and York. The fort was first made of timber. Later, it was rebuilt in stone. A village grew around the fort to serve the soldiers. But when the Romans left around 410 AD, the village faded away.
Centuries later, Manchester grew a kilometre to the north-east. The old village site became known as Aldport or The Old Town. In 1601, the Mosley family made their home here. Their house was used as a Royalist base during the Siege of Manchester in 1642. But victorious Parliamentarians burned it down.
The River Irwell was made navigable in the 1720s. This allowed boats to reach Liverpool. Edward Byrom financed the first quay in 1734. This led to Quay Street being built.
The Roman fort was by now just a grass mound. Then, from 1758 to 1761, the Duke of Bridgewater hired James Brindley. Brindley built Britain’s first canal to carry coal. The canal ran from the Duke’s mines in Worsley to Manchester. The success of the Bridgewater Canal halved the price of coal. This spurred the building of the Rochdale Canal. John Rennie carried out the Rochdale Canal project. It opened in 1804. Castlefield became the hub of the canal network.
Manchester grew rapidly in the 19th century. It became the fastest-growing city in the world. Warehouses were built to meet the needs of the population. But canals could not move goods fast enough. So, railways were built. The world’s first railway station opened on Liverpool Road in 1830. Soon, the station became a hub for goods traffic. Railway lines crossed Castlefield on viaducts. Four viaducts converged over the Roman fort. Some of the piers were designed like castles as a nod to the fort.
The old town of Aldport was densely populated. It was torn down in the late 19th century. The Great Northern Warehouse was built in its place. It served as a transport interchange building.
In the 20th century, both canal and rail transport declined. The Liverpool Road railway complex was sold for just one pound. It became the Greater Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. Castlefield was named Britain’s first Urban Heritage Park in 1982. Part of the Roman fort was rebuilt on its original site.
Today, tourism and leisure drive Castlefield. It has transformed from a neglected area into a major attraction. Castlefield hosts frequent public events. So, as you explore Castlefield, remember its long and varied past. From Roman fort to industrial hub to urban park, Castlefield has always been a place of importance.