Castlefield, Manchester

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Just Off Liverpool Rd is what used to be a Roman Fort and settlement.

The first fort would have been built from turf and timber sometime around AD 79, the Romans named it Mamucium. The fort lasted quite a long time, it was expanded around AD 160 and was reinforced with stone around AD 200 and occupied by the Romans until AD410 when they left Britain to defend Rome against the Barbarians.

5 main reconstructed areas can be seen.

The Roman Gardens
A selection of plants, herbs and trees thought to have been introduced by the Romans;

The Vicus
The civilian settlement outside the fort, mainly inhabited by the wives and families of soldiers as well as neighbouring tribes (the Brigantes);

The North Gate
The reconstruction of the final fort built around 200 AD with Commander's House, stables, hospital, barracks and granary.

Defensive Ditches
In front of the North Gate the 3rd century earthworks which formed the primary defence;

The West Wall
A largely reconstructed wall overlooking the surrounding countryside.

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This was one of those interesting finds, which I enjoyed finding and visiting. It is clear that during the period of Roman occupation, this was an important local fort. It seems there is more to this area than we encountered during our visit.

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1700 years before the great industrial changes that shaped the modern Castlefield, the Romans built a Castle-in-a-field, hence the name Castlefield!

The original fort, built in AD79 was made of timber with defensive walls of soil. Inside was the commanders house, graneries, stables and barracks for 480 soldiers. Later the fort was extended and rebuilt so that it could house nearly 1,000 men.

In its' day, Castlefield was a centre of commerce and communication. The fort was on the main route between the fortresses of Chester and York; it generated new trade and a thriving civilian settlement grew up around its' walls.

The fort fell into disrepair after the end of Roman Rule in Britain around AD410. The last surface remains were destroyed by the building of the Rochdale canal and railway viaducts.

The North Gate and defensive ditches were restored in 1987 following extensive archaelogical excavation. The North Gate was not the main entrance but was known to be the only gate in the fort made out of stone and was built from sandstone quarried at Collyhurst, 2 Miles away.

Nowadays the gardens leading up to the North Gate offer a peaceful green oasis where the defensive ditches and excavated Roman settlement can be found.

Undeniably the most happenin place to party come weekend.. Situated very close to both manchester picadilly and oxford road. No visit to Manchester is complete without a visit to the campest most fabulous street in the Northwest!

Castlefield is Manchester's regenerated canalside district. Once a derelict and abandoned no-go area it has been developed into an upmarket waterside district of offices, apartments, galleries, bars and visitor attractions.

The main places of historical interest in Castlefield include the remains and reconstructed gate, granaries and walls of the Roman Fort of Mamucium, plus the foundations of the vicus (the town which grew outside the fort) buildings. Nearby is the Outdoor Arena used many times throughout the year.

The reconstructed Roman Fort gives us an idea of how Manchester looked during the Roman occupation of Britain. Nearly all of the original stones were lost

With expensive eateries and pubs, its the place to be seen. Footballers and minor TV celebs flock here which is nice if you can get into these places due to strick door policys. Still a good place to hang out.

Castlefield is the site of the original Roman settlement in Manchester. In the last century, the area fell into disrepair, but in recent years it has been totally restored with a hotel and popular bars such as Barca.

The area was the focal point of 3 canals, the Bridgewater, Ashton and Rochdale canals, instrumental for transport in the Industrial Revolution.

Castlefield, in the soouthern corner of the city centre, was the site of the first Roman Fort build in AD 79, but its real importance dates from the 18th and 19 centuries when it aws the site for a number of industrial firsts, including the opening of the Bridgewater Canal in 1761 and the construction of the first pessenger train station in Liverpool Rd in 1834. This was the heart of industrial Manchester, and its legacy is an industrial landscape of enormous weather-stained brick and rusting cast-iron relics of canals, viaducts, bridges, warehouses and market buildings. Sensing an opportunity, the city has skilfully redeveloped all of this into a pretty intresting heritage park with a Visitor Centre (open 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, noon- 4pm on Sat & Sun), where you will find a number of museums and galleries as well as trendy pubs and resturants.

There are canal-side bars & restaurants in Castlefields, the tables spill outside in the summer. This is 'Dukes 92'. It's all new though, although they've tried to replicate 'tradition'. Prices can be high as the location carries a premium.

By day Castlefields is pleasant for strolling around, and even good for a spot of fishing!
There are bars and cafes down here, and the Museum of Science And Industry too. Granada Studios is pretty close.