Do you know this Wall ?

Every time I walk down by the river I wonder about this wall . . . it runs from the first footbridge across the Douglas after the Tesco entry bridge and stops just before the bridge that carries Central Park Way over the river.

It seems to be where Westminster, Burlington and River Streets were . . .maybe even further, stopping just before the footbridge at Water Heyes (Weston St) Did they back onto the river directly? The wall is made of stone with odd bricks in and seems to have doorways or windows blocked in, and also old metal pipes rusted through . . . I don't think it dates from the building of Central Park Way but I could be wrong.

Anyone make me any wiser on the subject - photos would be brill!

Cheers!

take a camera next time you go lol

I reckon that wall must have been built by the Romans!
They were good workmen, the Romans, just look at all those flagstones they layed in Chester, they're still level after nearly 2000 years. Council workmen lay flags and folk are tripping over 'em in six months and they all have to be done again!

The council should employ Romans and save money.

Grab a few Romans at Owd Trafford toneet

oh well, was worth a shot I suppose . . .

dont be so mard ! get your camera out post a few pics and then we can see what you are talking about trekky

It could be Maximus Decimus Meridius. Max Wall for short.

I can't believe the amount of stick I take from that young Danni Right missus! You've asked for it!!!

Stand by for wall pics! Trekky indeed!!!

Ok, here is the wall from the footbridge side, near the Tesco entrance bridge:


Then from the other end, near the Central Park Way Bridge:



Then some pipes:






You can also see a door way type thing . . .

Find it all very curious, don't you?

There is some stuff on here that explains some tunnels there from the roman times.

river douglas

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Thanks Stel - will continue to investigate!

It was probably built to channel the river narrower, in order to gain land.

I remember that wall now

Don't think so Tonker . . . is way above river level and doesn't feel as though that "fits" - sorry! a stupid way of putting it but just instincts ! plus I believe the river at this part of the course had already been channelled as it were for industrial uses for about past 300 years or so!

Thanks Getwom; I knew that Calderbanks had something around there but wasn't sure where - am just going off the 1907 map and trying to contrast and compare as it were!

from what I remember the school yard had a high brick wall at the bottom. There were 2 yards one for the boys and one for the girls and infants and they had green metal grill type gates set into them. The scrap place was to the right if you looked towards the river and I remember lots of corrugated sheets along the edge making a kind of fence.

the first photo tells it all it is the wall by the side of the dougie by the scrapyard. tell me what the modern building is on pic 2..is it at the bottom of greenough st?

Correct Sue, that building is the Quality Hotel. Water Heys ran from Greenough St/Powell St, on the opposite bank of the Duggie to the Drill Hall,to Warrington Lane.
Anybody remember the Water Heys Factory?

the rest of the wall did indeed run by the old st georges school and then met up with an old wooden bridge that led to the opposite side. one way went past the old central park and the other way led to the bottom of coppull lane [there were allotments there on the right]. the st georges side led to the bottom of great acre st and the bloody mountains. there was a woodyard there and the wall near the old wooden bridge was shored up coz it always looked like it was about to fall down

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Here's that section from 1907 . . . oh btw getwom, I agree about the drains although some of the pipes look like domestic gas ones!

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On an old map, it looks like there's been a couple of mills there in the past and the rugby ground built on the site. The wall could be what remains of the mills.

The rugby ground is on the opposite side of the river to the wall.

The Water Heys Factory, was an electical equipment producer. A lot of the undergound flameproof signalling, equipment & telephones (encased in cast iron) for the coal mining industry were made there.
It was opposite the car park between S&S Motors & Albert Echmanns skin & hide works, on the Greenough St side of the river, backing on to Orchard St

Thanks for that Art - as you may know I work in the theatre and our bar is called the Water Heyes Bar - so I had the conflict between an area nearer to Wigan Lane (ish! ) and the Corner of Crompton / Orchard St.

Suppose the factory was named after the area, just like the mill on the map . . .

The stretch above Greenough St, as I recall, was a path, as it is now. The part from Greenough St to the Little Theatre, was a proper street, with the "Water Heyes" street nameplate at the end.
It wasn't a large factory in height, but a low long building.
I believe there was a small cotton mill there in the mid 1800's, as was a larger one where Calderbanks yard was. There were also two pits Water Heyes Colliery No's 1 & 2 opposite the big cotton mill.

Again, thank you! You just can't beat personal recollections!

hi.
I remember Water Heys and I knw the wall you are talking abu. At a guess I would say it looks like a retaining wall ether to prevent river bank errosion or maintaining the required course.
As I say thats just guessing but I expect that the waterways authority will be able
to give the right information.

The base of the wall is about 8 feet above standard water level . . . I'm trying to work out if it has "always" been there, ie when the area was housing, and what was beyond it, as in school yard, scarp yard etc etc.

I'll ask me mother