Hanging Bridge

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 28 Mar 2013

This arch is part of the remnants of Hanging Bridge, a mediæval bridge over a stream known as Hanging Ditch which ran from the River Irk to the River Irwell. The bridge was a crossing point between the town of Manchester and the Cathedral (then a parish church). The structure seen today was built in 1421, replacing an earlier bridge. During the 16th century, the stream became badly polluted and by 1600 the Hanging Ditch was condemned as an unsanitary open sewer. Over the following years the ditch was filled in and the bridge buried and built over. The bridge was largely forgotten (although the area retained the name "Hanging Ditch") until uncovered during demolition work in the 1880s. Covered up during the Victorian expansion of Manchester, the bridge remained hidden until, more than 100 years later, it was uncovered again, and following restoration work it went on display in 2002 as a part of Manchester Cathedral's newly built visitor centre. From the outside, the bridge is now largely hidden by modern buildings (see Image] for a wider view), but it can be seen from inside the basement of the Cathedral Visitor Centre, where it forms one side of the refectory. The bridge, One of Manchester's oldest structures, is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/england/1717912.stm BBC News December 2001

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