Explore:
Some of my favourite explores have been due to the ridiculous ways I've accessed them or the huge amount of effort that has gone into research rather than because I've found the actual location particularly interesting or photogenic . Victoria Arches pretty much ticked all the boxes for access / history and interest when physically being there.
I've really only had a handful of moments over the last 12 or so years where I've actually questioned my sanity and out loud asked myself what the fuck I'm doing, but as I battled a pigeon to the face and the fear of the unknown access wise this was definitely one of those moments. Luckily it was all good fun and I thoroughly enjoy a good dose of adrenaline so massive thanks go to Ojay and Lee for ensuring that I didn't die and all my terror was totally unneeded.
History:
"The Victoria Arches are a series of bricked-up arches built in an embankment of the River Irwell in Manchester. They served as business premises, landing stages for steam packet riverboats and as Second World War air-raid shelters. They were accessed from wooden staircases that descended from Victoria Street.[1]
Regular flooding resulted in the closure of the steam-packet services in the early 20th century, and the arches were later used for general storage. Following the outbreak of the Second World War they were converted into air raid shelters. They are now bricked up and inaccessible, the staircases having been removed in the latter part of the 20th century."
Some of my favourite explores have been due to the ridiculous ways I've accessed them or the huge amount of effort that has gone into research rather than because I've found the actual location particularly interesting or photogenic . Victoria Arches pretty much ticked all the boxes for access / history and interest when physically being there.
I've really only had a handful of moments over the last 12 or so years where I've actually questioned my sanity and out loud asked myself what the fuck I'm doing, but as I battled a pigeon to the face and the fear of the unknown access wise this was definitely one of those moments. Luckily it was all good fun and I thoroughly enjoy a good dose of adrenaline so massive thanks go to Ojay and Lee for ensuring that I didn't die and all my terror was totally unneeded.
History:
"The Victoria Arches are a series of bricked-up arches built in an embankment of the River Irwell in Manchester. They served as business premises, landing stages for steam packet riverboats and as Second World War air-raid shelters. They were accessed from wooden staircases that descended from Victoria Street.[1]
Regular flooding resulted in the closure of the steam-packet services in the early 20th century, and the arches were later used for general storage. Following the outbreak of the Second World War they were converted into air raid shelters. They are now bricked up and inaccessible, the staircases having been removed in the latter part of the 20th century."
Attachments
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and nice photos too. 
