# Davyhulme Harbour



## saul_son (Dec 11, 2005)

I only found out about this place a few months back, its in Davyhulme Manchester on the ship canal. The place was used for pumping slurry into barges to be taken off down the canal. There are four pumps which have huge moveable arms which used to raise or low over the barges. The place is within the davyhulme millenium nature reserve and has good security, access would be possible, but water scares me so I didn't venture around the gates and fences.

Some photos....
http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/gallery/browseimages.php?c=5


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## AleisterCrowley (Jan 19, 2006)

Nice find.

My uncle used to live near this place.

Wonder if these are anything to do with the nearby sewer system. Also does anyone know if there are any storm drains leading out from the sewer plant into the ship canal? OR anything about the tunnels under the trafford centre?

I know this is underground, but with all the development round there, there must be some stuff.


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## saul_son (Jan 19, 2006)

They were used for pumping slurry from the sewage farm into barges and down the ship canal to where ever it was disposed of, proberly out at sea, unless depleted poo has othere uses? 

As for tunnels,drains etc I'm not sure. I remember when the Trafford Centre was being built there was about four pretty big shafts by the road, they were only about 10m deep but they we're wide.


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## UnikProdukt (Jan 19, 2006)

I went looking for tunnels and culverts under the trafford centre a while ago... several brooks seem to dissappear underneath it.







The circles are a big concrete inlet and a pretty cool looking (pumphouse?) building which seem to go in line with what looks like an old riverbed going towards the trafford centre. There are a couple of other access hatches along that red line as well but it's hard to spot them from the aerial photos.

The pumphouse type building has an interesting old chest outside it that has been tarred and padlocked.

It's all very intriguing...


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## saul_son (Jan 19, 2006)

Nice one mate, I went walking through that croft back in the summer and spotted that pump house and I have often wondered about it in the past, there looks to be a similar one in that big field near Worsley AAOR ,further up Leigh road, no access there but I could here running water inside,as you might expect,lol.
I didn't wander over to pumphouse near the Trafford Centre and I was some distance from the red line but I did spot what looked like a dried up stream, so I might have to go have a look around there again and see whats about.


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## Jondoe_264 (Jan 19, 2006)

Google Earth has pretty good coverage of Manchester area now.






JD


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## UnikProdukt (Jan 19, 2006)

wow, google earth has improved! Going to take a look now, you could probably spot all the access hatches at that scale...


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## Jondoe_264 (Jan 19, 2006)

Same area on an 1848 map shows the brook/stream.






JD


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## saul_son (Jan 19, 2006)

That map lines up well with the roads/tracks that are still there today. Looks interesting, the Ship Canal scares the shit out of me though! Where did you get that map JD?


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## Jondoe_264 (Jan 19, 2006)

saul_son said:


> That map lines up well with the roads/tracks that are still there today. Looks interesting, the Ship Canal scares the shit out of me though! Where did you get that map JD?



Yeah, the best indication of it being the same spot is the hump in the road the other side of the canal there top right, it can be seen in the old map and also in the original aerial image posted bu Unik! 

Hello by the way Unik! Nice to see you here! 

My usual source for old maps is: www.old-maps.co.uk, which is where that one is from.

Cheers,

JD


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## saul_son (Jan 20, 2006)

Thanks JD.

I have just found this in the newspaper. Its regarding a plan to build a canal link from the Ship Canal to the Trafford Centre. The link is marked out in red and white on the right hand side. The idea is to be allow people to travel from Salford Quays to the new "Trafford Quays" on "Venetian" styled barges and do a bit of shopping. It will be the first new canal built in Greater Manchester for over 100 years,the Ship Canal being the last in 1894. Peel Holdings limited,owners of Worsley AAOR, have been granted the planning permission.


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## AleisterCrowley (Jan 21, 2006)

Nice one guys!

I make a post about a place I used to pass regularly and you turn up a motherload of information.

This is all very intriguing now, we could have a few new drains on our hands here.

I remember the sewer farm from the godawful smell. It used to be so bad you could smell it in your car on the bridge over the ship canal!!


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## saul_son (Jan 21, 2006)

Still stinks, its worse in summer!


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## AleisterCrowley (Jan 22, 2006)

Yeah, the smell is all too common, me thinks something needs doing about it.

As for the proposed canal scheme that is interesting, but if they really want to make money out of that area, I think it is high time Manchester had a lavish 5 star hotel.

On topic, anyone going to recce the culvert/drain? I should imagine if it goes underneath the trafford centre proper, then it could be considered a security risk, esp in these times of the PIRA and post 7/7.


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