Manchurian Waterways

Book accommodation in Manchester and you are in the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Yet Manchester was founded long before this, with a Roman settlement by the River Irwell, where Castlefield is today.

Rising at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, the river separates the cities of Manchester and Salford. If you need to get from one to the other, the futuristic Trinity footbridge, in the Chapel Wharf district, gives easy access. It is one of several award winning bridges built in the 1990s. Civic engineers booking serviced apartments in Manchester should also check out the Merchant’s Bridge, in the Castlefield Basin. The seven bridges surrounding it span 200 years. The reconstructed Roman fort takes you back somewhat further.

Manchester gained its importance through the Industrial Revolution. We at Serviced City Pads recommend renting our luxury serviced apartments in Manchester’s Salford Quays if you are keen to explore this side of the city’s past, as you are surrounded with industrial history.

The River Irwell kicked off Manchester’s industrial era, and still plays an important role in modern industry and commerce. During the 17th and 18th centuries it was adopted as a trading route, the stretch between Manchester and Irlam (where it joins the River Mersey) being changed drastically to become part of the Mersey and Irwell Navigation system.

The river west of the city centre was altered again in the 1890s, for construction of the Manchester Ship Canal.  At its time this 36-mile waterway was the largest navigation canal in the world and allowed Manchester and Salford to become a major sea port. Today, the canal is still a great sight to see for those staying in Manchester serviced apartments.