IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Queenhill Road, MANCHESTER, M22 4HW

The M60 Motorway crosses the floodplain of the River Mersey in the Northenden/Didsbury area to the south of Manchester. Sluice gates in the levees of the river allow controlled flooding and draining of a designated area. Tunnels such as the one pictured were built into the embankment of the motorway during its construction to enable passage of the flood waters.(see Image)

In the Didsbury/Northenden area high levees have been constructed to contain the River Mersey and prevent flooding. At times, however, it becomes necessary to flood designated areas hereabouts to stop the river over topping its banks or to control flooding further downstream. These sluice gates (and another set further upstream at Didsbury) control the water flow into and out of the flooded land at these times. ( See also Image)

Looking across the River Mersey from the Didsbury bank. The Environment Agency constructed a fish pass here in 2003 to enable salmon and other fish to negotiate this previously impassable weir. This has resulted in salmon spawning in the upper reaches of the River Goyt (a tributary of the Mersey) on a regular basis. The fish pass runs under the gratings in front of the railings.(see Image). Also see (Image) for a view from the opposite bank after heavy rainfall.

The salmon ladder at Northenden Weir (see Image)

The two-storey coach house of the Tatton Arms Tavern, Boat Lane, Northenden. Now used as a theatre.

The weir on the River Mersey with the derelict Tatton Arms in the background.

A grey heron wades in the fast flowing waters near bottom of the weir at Northenden. (It can be seen in Image]). The heron is one symbol of the improvement to the river's water quality (and hence fish stocks) since the 1980s. During the nineteenth century, the increase in industry along the banks of the Mersey caused it to become one of the most polluted rivers in Europe and wildlife became virtually extinct. It is only in recently decades that fish have been once again been able to survive in the river. Of course the presence of the heron could also symbolise the decline of local industry. http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=25467717&displayclass=bigger for more photos of this heron

A grey heron standing in the fast flowing waters near bottom of the weir at Northenden. (It can be seen in Image]). The heron is one symbol of the improvement to the river's water quality (and hence fish stocks) since the 1980s. During the nineteenth century, the increase in industry along the banks of the Mersey caused it to become one of the most polluted rivers in Europe and wildlife became virtually extinct. It is only in recently decades that fish have been once again been able to survive in the river. Of course the presence of the heron could also symbolise the decline of local industry. http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=25467717&displayclass=bigger for more photos of this heron

A grey heron standing in the fast flowing waters near bottom of the weir at Northenden. (It can be seen in Image]). The heron is one symbol of the improvement to the river's water quality (and hence fish stocks) since the 1980s. During the nineteenth century, the increase in industry along the banks of the Mersey caused it to become one of the most polluted rivers in Europe and wildlife became virtually extinct. It is only in recently decades that fish have been once again been able to survive in the river. Of course the presence of the heron could also symbolise the decline of local industry. http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=25467717&displayclass=bigger for more photos of this heron