Report - Mode Wheel Locks, Manchester Ship Canal - December 2015

[TVurbex]

Just a few pics to share from this spontaneous visit - first though, a bit of history:

The Mode Wheel Locks are the last locks on the Ship Canal before the Salford Docks. The two locks here lift ships the thirteen feet to the level of the Salford basin. Before the Ship Canal was built and this was the Mersey and Irwell Navigation there was a corn mill at this spot. The mill was water powered and the wheel was called "Maud's Wheel" which over the years has been corrupted into Mode Wheel and used to name the area.

Source: Our Manchester

The Manchester/Salford city border runs through the centre of the site down the middle of the Manchester Ship Canal, which is owned by The Peel Group, who also own the adjacent MediaCityUK development.

On with the pics...

Front of sluices:

Behind the sluices:

Looking towards Trafford Park (left) and Weaste Wharf (right) from above the sluices:

Sluice signage (sorry about the lighting):

The locks are actually within the jurisdiction of the Port of Liverpool Police

The back of possibly an old control room of some sort? Or maybe just an office or somewhere for the workers to hang out?:

The same building from the front:

And with the south side of the locks neighbouring the Manchester (Trafford) Dry Dock Estate, I thought I'd take a quick snap of the SIS LIVE Teleport facility (a shed load of massive satellite dishes). If that sort of thing floats your boat, these beasts are connected to the control room in MediaCityUK's Blue Tower (pictured behind) by underwater cables:

Upon my exit, some guys turned up in an unmarked car and proceeded to film/photograph me for a minute or so before speeding off. Hopefully they were just from the Port Security Authority and not some sort of port-based gangsters...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the pics

 

[The Amateur Wanderer]

Looks like an engine house? I'm pretty sure I can see a bit of engine in there too, interesting...

*Edit* - Been a bit daft aren't I...? Will be the old engine for lifting the sluice gates I imagine.

 

[TVurbex]

Looks like an engine house? I'm pretty sure I can see a bit of engine in there too, interesting...

*Edit* - Been a bit daft aren't I...? Will be the old engine for lifting the sluice gates I imagine.

Beats my feeble guess! Would've liked to have had a proper look inside but didn't try for various reasons - looked pretty sealed, workers in the vicinity, risk of drowning etc.

 

[Speed]

Good find! Now get inside

 

[TVurbex]

Good find! Now get inside

Haha, we'll see