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Author Keith Warrender will talk about the Victoria Arches, a series of bricked-up arches built in an embankment of the River Irwell in Manchester in the 1830s. They served as business premises, landing stages for steam packet riverboats and as Second World War air-raid shelters.
The Victoria Arches, situated between the Cathedral and the River Irwell have been the subject of much speculation. What lies behind the arches? Is there a road and even the remains of a shop? In this illustrated talk, Keith Warrender will explain why the Arches were built and reveal some of the products manufactured there, including a revolutionary new life-boat. He will describe its days as a setting off point for Irwell pleasure-seekers, and as a wartime refuge. Also you will learn how the Arches were believed to be the gateway to a number of underground routes through the city and, finally, what the future holds for this iconic piece of Manchester’s Victorian engineering.