IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Harkerside Close, MANCHESTER, M21 8XQ

This used to be the site of Chorlton Grammar School which I attended in the 1950s. This pentecostal church is obviously new. There is also a Lighthouse Childcare centre attached. The school had moved to a new site nearby Image

The thoughtless driver of this Volkswagen has parked his or her car more than halfway across the footway, alongside a street cabinet, which already narrows the pavement. Most of the other cars in the shot also have two wheels on the footway, though none have left so little room for pedestrians. Highway Code rule 244: "You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs".

Since this photo was taken this section of disused railway line has been re-opened as part of the Metrolink tram network. The cycle path has been re-aligned to run under the previously unused bridge span to the left of the photo.

The railway bridge at St Werburgh's road was constructed (or reconstructed) with a future doubling of the line in mind. The northern span was never used. Since the closure of the line in 1988, the Fallowfield Loop cycleway has been constructed through the southern span. This is to be diverted through the unused northern span to accommodate the extension of the Metrolink network and the construction of a tram station.

On the pillar separating the southern and northern spans. Since taking this photo the disused railway line has been re-opened as part of the Metrolink tram network and the graffiti cleaned off.

Looking towards the site of Chorlton Junction where the Fallowfield Loop line (built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway) diverged from the Midland Railway's Manchester South District Line towards Didsbury and Tiviot Dale. Passenger services ceased in the 1960s, the Fallowfield Loop being for freight services until 1989. The cycleway was constructed in the 1990s and was originally planned to terminate at the junction and join St Werburgh's Road via a ramp. I recall there was an issue with ownership of land on the north east side of the bridge and the ramp was fenced off and obstructed with boulders. This led to the extension of the route under the bridge and along the section of line in the direction of the site of Chorlton-cum-Hardy station as far as the end of Sidbury Road. Since this photo was taken this section of line has been re-opened as part of the expansion of the Metrolink tram network. A new tram station has been built on the opposite side of the bridge. Fortunately the road bridge was built with two spans to accommodate a future doubling of the tracks that never took place. The cycle path has been diverted to run through the unused northerly span.

This location was just east of the unused northern span of the railway bridge near Chorlton Junction. Since this photo was taken the disused railway line has been re-opened as part of the expansion of the Metrolink tram network, and St Werburgh's Road station constructed on this site. The vegetation has been replaced with a lift / stairway tower. Note the survey pegs.

Corkland Road

An inconsiderately parked Ford Focus taking up almost half the footway. Highway Code rule 244: "You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs".