- Concrete rot - lant_70
The Manchester catacombes
How many people walking past Manchester Cathedral, realise this underground world exists buried right under there feet?
The arches were used as an air raid shelter during W.W II The conversion, which included additional brick blast walls, took three months at a cost of £10,150 and provided shelter for 1619 people.
The definition of bar or barred entrance is to restrict or confine, as if by a bar, to hinder, to obstruct, to prevent, to prohibit, a gatehouse of a castle or fortified town.
All are relevant to the Manchester Cathedral steps. The barred, fortified wall and moat protect the most sought after location in the world of urban exploration.
The legend and pulling power of the steps is massive. Hard to reach places keeps them free from the vandals, thieves and the hordes of explorers suffering the 'location of the month' copycat syndrome.
''Fortes fortuna adiuvat'' Fortuna, the Goddess of luck, is more likely to help those that take risks, take action, and develop their skills proactively!!
Sometimes we can't see the obvious. We can't see the wood for the trees, our thinking power is weakened, an achievable goal becomes impossible.
We have to leave behind the normal scope of thinking. Rise to the challenge, clear our heads and think lateral. Suddenly the fog lifts, the impossible becomes highly probable!
Pouvoir à l'Imagination!
Click Here to see very rare 2008 full size pictures inside the arches, with archive shots, and full history of the Manchester Cathedral steps.
© phill.d
All my work is © Copyright. No unathorized use allowed. See here for details.
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Tasa_M, freebird ubx, Sirber, Lynn (Gracie's mom) - I'm here & there, and 20 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Tasa_M (24 months ago)
This is very creepy - looks like something out of Quatermass and the Pit! Deep colours too - excellent shot :-)
the matt1 (24 months ago)
Fascinating set. That looks like an amazing place to explore
phill.d (24 months ago)
Thanks Tasa. This is one of the two bloked off stairways that lead down here.
The colours are good down there yes, not so good with flash photography tho ;-)
Thanks Matt. It was an amazing experience getting down there yes!
Were still buzzing lol.
Cheers!
freebird ubx (24 months ago)
Excellent pic. Been looking at the others with sqwasher and they all look good. What an excellent explore!
phill.d (24 months ago)
Thanks Lorna. Excellent trip it was indeed.
Cheers!
christopherlevy (24 months ago)
Well done !
phill.d (24 months ago)
Thanks Chris!
Cheers!
Si238 (24 months ago)
Great shots, as always, Phill!
Si
phill.d (24 months ago)
Thanks Si. glad to see you made it mate ;-)
Lynn (Gracie's mom) - I'm here & there (24 months ago)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Art & Print Boutique of Flickr, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Great work. Looks almost like a painting. Instant fave.
ClydeHouse (24 months ago)
Another masterpiece Phil - Andrew
phill.d (24 months ago)
Thank all.
binaryCoco (24 months ago)
The black hole near the left upper border. I wonder what's behind that. It might be a "voice tunnel" to talk to people in another cellar which you haven't found, yet...
Seen in Fearless Photographers
phill.d (24 months ago)
It looks to be part of the ductimg system that was in there Binary. If you look on other pictures, you can see it in varies states of disrepair.
Cheers!
Lindsey39 (24 months ago)
You've found an interesting and untouched part of Manchester's past, don't tell anyone how you got in !
phill.d (24 months ago)
There is no way I'll be telling anyone how to get in there Lindsay. They'll have to use there brain like I did.
Thanks!
Rubberducky007 (19 months ago)
Please Join us and share your Manchester !
Manchester through my eyes
Please Invite other Members
and photos of Manchester !
artaddict2 (19 months ago)
What a place ! exceptional work!
SEEN in :
Manchester through my eyes
Please Invite other Members
and photos of Manchester !
Joe Collins Photography (19 months ago)
SEEN in :
Manchester through my eyes
Please Invite other Members
and photos of Manchester !
Craptown (15 months ago)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Craptown, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Craptown (15 months ago)
Mucho gracias!
JERSEY CHANNEL ISLANDS (14 months ago)
good shot and an interesting story
lamaaakash56 (13 months ago)
Amazing look
alanma1937 (10 months ago)
There are or were many more arches downstream from Victoria Bridge. These had landing stages and gave access to the cellars on both sides of Deansgate, two levels deep. The tunnels continued up to Cannon Street ,the far side of Piccadilly and served warehouses around Whitworth Street. .This kept goods wagons off the narrow streets. I went into a lot of these as a youngster [1940s].
The father of a school friend had textiles stored under Whitworth Street.
When the two big Hotels at the corner and opposite Victoria Bridge were bombed [I saw them burn] the cellars were left exposed right up to about 1955, and the linking tunnels were quite visible. The tunnels and cellars under the Hospital, which was where Picadilly Gardens are now, were employed in a 'top secret' Cold War telephone headquarters. That is still there.
I sat out several airraids in those shelters. To a young lad that was an exciting adventure, very scary but not traumatic.
Mike07922 (4 months ago)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Public Space: the Ordinary and Extraordinary, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Inconceivably (4 months ago)
Really interesting, appreciated the story too.
Good stuff
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