Report - Victoria Arches & Cathedral Steps, January '12

[Xan_Asmodi]

Visited with MaybeNot1330, Robehhh, Gone and Tweek​

The second part of my Manchester Trilogy, the first is here
We briefly met up with Fishbrain just to say hi! Then waiting for Gone and Tweek, we got bored and headed down to meet them inside.

The arches were built in 1838, by Manchester Corporation at the same time as the new embankment of the River Irwell. The arches have served various purposes including business premises, a steampacket landing stage. The lifeboat Challenger was built and launched from the arches in 1852.

Perhaps the most interesting and widely know use of the arches was their conversion to bomb shelters during the second world war. The conversion took three months, cost £10,150, and provided shelter for 1,619 people.​

_______________pictures_______________

[1]
No. 1 Arch

[2]
The intact male toilets

[3]

[4]
Down the the ladies; which are stripped out

[5]
Arch No. 7

[6]
Original entrance and medical post?

[7]
Ampere meter, used for measuring electric current

[8] [9]
Upstairs, Downstairs

[10]
Mindless graffiti

Thanks for looking ​