6. From Docks to Dereliction
The End of an Era
By the 1960s, global trade is starting to change and ships crossing the Atlantic are getting larger. Add to this the rise of container ships a few years later and the writing looks to be on the wall for Salford Docks…
Photograph: Pulling down the old banana sheds at Salford Docks (credit Manchester Postcards).
Trading doesn’t cease completely but the late 1960s and early 1970s are tough times for the Ship Canal, Salford Docks and all of those people who depend on them for their livelihood.
The size limitations of the Ship Canal meant that larger ships couldn’t access the Docks, a problem exacerbated by the rise of large container ships in the 1970s. The Manchester Liners shipping firm was struggling to survive and eventually sold its last ship in 1985. The last ship to bear the Manchester Liners Ltd. name, was the Manchester Challenge.
Photograph: Port of Manchester No.9 Dock (credit Manchester Postcards).
From containerisation to contamination
When the Docks closed in 1982, around 3,000 people lost their jobs. The area fell into dereliction and, by the 1980s, rumour had it that the canal was so polluted that people were warned not to smoke next to it in case they ignited poisonous gases. It was quite the decline for this once thriving hub of industry.
But you can’t keep a Salfordian down for long and the rebirth of Salford Quays started with a vengeance in the 1980s.
Today, the area has been completely transformed. Once polluted waterways are now treated through aeration and provide a popular place for open water swimming and water sports. Salford Quays was even used as the triathlon venue for the Commonwealth Games in 2002, which included swimming two laps of the Quays near The Lowry.
Photograph: The British Gas Great Swim, Salford Quays in 2010.
Photograph: A clean water system, housing and leisure regeneration at Salford Quays.
The Wonders of Open Water Swimming by Salford resident Sarah Thompson-Cook
“I love the feel of water on my skin, and the water quality in Dock 8 and 9 is amazing. When it’s warm enough to put my face in without brain freeze, it’s like meditation.”
Photograph: Sarah Thompson-Cooke from Salford.
