The remains of old Ardwick and Beswick

[PaulJC]

Dear All,
I will soon be home in the UK visiting family and wondered if there is anything left of the old Ardwick or Beswick that I might see and photograph? I left the area in the late 1960's and know that most of the old terraced streets have long since been demolished but was hoping to find a few landmarks still remaining. Perhaps a few old schools, churches or even one or two streets.
Any guidance would save me a lot of wasted searching.
Regards,
Paul

[Ruskie]

My suggestion would be to look at google maps, in particular google street view. 

Enjoy your trip, and good luck. 

[PaulJC]

Thanks,
I will do that but was also hoping for  some guidance as I really don't know what I am looking at ! Someone told me that my old primary school, St Anns, is still there on Cyrus Street but is now an industrial premises.
Best,
Paul

[stanmapstone]

This map shows side by side an old map and the current aerial view http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sidebyside.cfm#zoom=17&lat=53.4841&lon=-2.2118&layers=171&right=BingHyb. The school is not shown on the old map but you can see it on the map at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/386073/398685/13/101329

Stan

[Ruskie]

Thanks,
I will do that but was also hoping for  some guidance as I really don't know what I am looking at ! Someone told me that my old primary school, St Anns, is still there on Cyrus Street but is now an industrial premises.
Best,
Paul

And we don't know what you are looking for. 

It would not be an easy task for people to list what still exists from the 1960s and earlier that you may or may not be interested in anyway.

If you are looking for specifics such as the school you mentioned, I'm sure people can help you locate them as Stan has done, otherwise I would still suggest you just have a browse around on google street view.

If there is nothing that you recognize then sadly it has probably been demolished and replaced with a new building or a car park or similar.

[Gone.]

If you want to look at old photographs to jog your memory of the area, then there are loads of images here:
http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

... and even one of St Anne's school:
http://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=45890&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=7712

I used to live near Ardwick which also prompted me to have a quick look on Google Street View and the buildings in above image, including the school,  are still there.

[PaulJC]

Hello All,
Well I visited the Ardwick/Ancoats area and theres virtually nothing left of what I remember from the 1960s. The street layout is so different so it was hard even to get my bearings. St Ann's School on Upper Cyrus Ancoats is still there but is now in a terrible state of repair. A guy in an adjacent industrial unit said it was ok until about 3 years ago but the company moved out and it became a squatters paradise. Theres a church on Every Street which I remember and some large mill properties on Mill Street but that was about it.
Paul

[Ruskie]

Sorry to hear that there is so little left of what you remember Paul. Sadly that is a familiar story. 

[PaulJC]

Thanks,
I suppose its what I had expected as my family left the area when the terraced streets started to be demolished in the late 60s. I kept in touch with a few friends who remained and they told me of the steady removal of various landmarks but I have to say that I did not expect such widespread clearance. Some of these buildings had architectural merit but the City seemed intent on removing all traces of the old until fairly recently. Its not for me to say that what replaced my street is any better or worse. For sure, the houses now have bathrooms and central heating so that must be progress.......
Paul