Former Gasworks, Bradford Road, Manchester

This report has been produced in accordance with the brief produced by Montagu Evans LLP on behalf of National Grid and is based upon on-site investigation and documentary research. As specified in the brief, an 'Enhanced Level 2 survey' was undertaken on the gasholder. A level 2 survey is largely photographic and descriptive in nature. The level of recording undertaken in the wider project to record gasworks have previously been agreed with Historic England on a portfolio basis. Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by Montagu Evans LLP on behalf of National Grid to create an historic building record of a gasholder at the former gasworks at Saxon Street, Manchester, before and during the dismantling of the structure. The gasholder was constructed in 1892 and comprises a 250ft wide three lift column guided below ground gasholder with six tier box lattice frame. When in service it had a capacity of 7 million cubic feet. This forms part of a national programme of recording these distinctive structures which have formed familiar landmarks in towns and cities throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries. The archive record that is being produced will allow comparison between different sites. The project has also included research on the history of the site Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by Montagu Evans LLP on behalf of National Grid to create an Historic Building Record of a redundant frame-guided gasholder and ancillary structures at the former gasworks at Bradford Road, Manchester. The Manchester Gas Corporation was formed in 1844. Following an increase in gas use it was decided to add a new site in the Miles Platting area to the north east of the city centre. This site became known as the Bradford Road Gas Works and at its peak was c. 52 acres in size and had a productive capacity of around 30 million cubic feet of gas per day. The Bradford Road Gasholder is a column-guided gasholder with a below-ground tank and four lifts with a narrow box lattice of a fairly common design. Constructed in 1910, it was at the time one of the largest gasholders in the country and certainly the largest gasholder on the Bradford Road site with a capacity of 10 million cubic feet. The switch to natural gas led to the closure and demolition of the gasworks, although the gasholders were retained for storage and the site converted to a gasholder station. Changes in gas distribution in the previous decades have rendered gasholders redundant and the gasholder was isolated from the mains and decommissioned some time prior to this survey. The historic building recording has focussed upon researching the history of the site and photographing the structures and their context before their dismantling. This report covers Phase 1 of the project, the recording of the gasholder and associated structures prior to work on site, as well as Phase 2, the recording of the gasholder during its demolition. The wider programme of recording work of the remaining gasholders across the country will allow a comparison of the structures between sites.