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Ball of Confusion

Squelchy underfoot in places but light rather than the heavy rain expected. Shoes coped well. Coffee at the courtyard. #Royden

A muddy forest path is surrounded by leafless trees and scattered autumn leaves.Cows are grazing in a grassy field surrounded by trees and a wooden fence.A quaint outdoor courtyard with tables and chairs sits wet under overcast skies, adjacent to a rustic brick building with a tower.

Apparently two cormorants trump a solo heron #Royden

Interesting. Well, I thought it was. Imperfect certainly (see YT comments), but an interesting reflection of the current state of the art. Pretty sure a serious Liverpool and/or railway historian could do a better job and most likely will. #ai youtu.be/hXvUw7mnS…

Mostly light rain during this morning’s circuit at #Royden. Briefly turned heavy while undercover in the courtyard cafe.

A pathway winds through a leafless forest with scattered orange-brown foliage on the ground.A bird is perched on a platform in the middle of a tranquil lake surrounded by trees.A small bird is standing on a cobblestone ground near the leg of a black chair.

Weather’s turned a shade biblical #Royden

Band new to me but enjoying their latest blast at modern life, the almost eponymous Viagr Aboys

Walk from Thurstaston to YOT (for coffee) and back. Lovely light, Santa in his grotto, dryish underfoot though kept to Wirral Way.

A dirt path surrounded by trees and bushes extends into the distance with a clear blue sky above.A wooden bench overlooks a vast, open landscape with fields and clear blue skies.A solitary tree stands in a grassy field surrounded by dry, wintery plants under a clear blue sky.A coastal landscape features grassy cliffs overlooking a wide beach with an expansive sky above.

Ness and RSPB Burton this morning for a nice change of pace. Coffee at the RSPB cafe.

A serene garden scene features a variety of trees and shrubs surrounding a tranquil pond, with a stone and metal fence in the foreground.A serene garden pathway winds through lush greenery and colorful plants, leading to an archway with a backdrop of bare and evergreen trees.A narrow path stretches into the distance, flanked by tall grasses and leafless trees under a cloudy sky.A serene pond is surrounded by trees with autumn foliage, reflecting beautifully on the calm water.

The iconic water tower at Liverpool Road Manchester railway station

As ever, very provisional and much conjecture plus thanks to Ed for stimulating discussions…

Perhaps the most familiar visual record of the first railway station at Manchester is Thomas Talbot Bury’s Entrance into Manchester Across Water Street which was first published in 1831 and updated in 1833 as shown here. Curiously Bury does not feature the goods or departure station on Liverpool Road but rather focuses on the twin engineering feats of the bridges over the Irwell and Water Street that brought the railway into town on a viaduct comprising 22 arches. Between the two bridges is a ramp and a prominent water tower necessarily raised above rail level so that it could service a water crane on the southern Liverpool-bound track.

Mains water was pumped into the raised tank by means of a stationary steam engine located at ground level. The chimney was absent in the first version suggesting that other means were initially used to fill the tank if indeed it was functional at that time. The engine also drove a hay-cutting machine and the boiler supplying steam to the engine was used to pre-heat the water destined for the locomotives.

The presence of the ramp was a concession to the Old Quay Company which owned warehouses alongside the Irwell and which raised objections to the plans to bring the railway into Manchester. It provided an 18 foot roadway alongside the track as far as Ordsall Lane on the other side of the Irwell.

There are few if any detailed plans of the early station but a town plan from 1849 shows a cistern house, i.e. water tower, above the roadway at what is presumably the top of the ramp. Whishaw (1842) notes that this comprises four tanks and outlines the manner in which steam from a boiler (presumably also used to service the engine used for pumping and feed preparation for company horses stabled nearby) pre-heats the water in the tanks to 84F/29C.

In his 1833 guide to the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, the pseudonymous Tourist published a sketch of the viaduct’s approach to the Irwell bridge. It includes the lefthand span of the original water tower and shows a low arch behind possibly with iron bars and air bricks, potentially providing ventilation for the engine, either directly or via a connection to the adjacent righthand arch (not shown) assuming they are connected and depending on the location of the engine.

What appears to be a ladder at rail level with a workman or two suggests that the expanded capacity, the cistern house, was already present in 1833, perhaps reflecting the increase in traffic on the railway. According to Thomas, in 1834 an additional boiler costing £60 was installed for the purpose of heating water, presumably to relieve the existing boiler used by the engine for pumping water and making feed. This may explain the second clear area to the left.

Detailed plans of the station are unfortunately lacking prior to the town plan of 1849 which shows the cistern house. It does not, however, show the original water tower. However, if one accepts that a ventilation space would be needed, the space with the black mark is appropriate and identifies a potential abutment (yellow) which is 5 feet wide. The space itself is 16 ft wide and, together with an adjacent central pier, span and righthand abutment, defines the location and breadth of the original water tower which corresponds closely to that of the cistern house of 44 ft in width (5 ft x3 + 16 ft x2 = 47 ft). The approximate size and location of the arches are also shown in red and blue. These are of the order of 20 ft clear span and thus curiously slightly wider than the spans of the original water tower at 16 ft. This can be seen in Tourist’s sketch.

If this supposition is correct, it would appear that the original water tower survived at least until 1849 and may have helped support the supplementary water tanks in the later cistern house. The nature of the surrounding buildings is unclear but the presence of a weighing machine suggests it may have been a warehouse (as in the original specification for the 1837 arrivals station) and/or something like a lumberyard.

Recent research

Duguid et al. (2020) give further detail of this part of the viaduct in their discussion of conservation issues surrounding construction of the Ordsall Chord, a new viaduct and bridge connecting Manchester and Salford. They relate significant changes to the southern aspect of the viaduct in the 1860s with removal of the roadway and water tower and addition of a new facade and ramp for livestock which still persists. They confirm that the area to the south was used as a dye works, a livestock market and warehouse.

According to the paper, the viaduct comprises seven brick arches with spans of around 20 ft, an exception being the arch adjacent to Water Street which was reduced in width due to a widened pier when the current bridge replaced the original in 1905. The southern edges of the five eastern arches appear to have been widened by 5-7 m (?), presumably in the 1860s. The other two arches (as shown in Tourist’s sketch) differ significantly in having lower springings and crowns. They are also stepped back (?) compared to the others and the authors suggest this reflects their involvement in either the roadway or water tower and that they were therefore potentially structurally separate from the viaduct itself.

A copy of their archaeological research is held in the Greater Manchester Historic Environment Record and may be published in the Greater Manchester’s Past Revealed series (it is not there at the time of writing).

Did the roadway and viaduct arches connect?

William Smoult’s painting of the Irwell bridge and viaduct shows a possibly truncated view of the viaduct prior to addition of the water tower but appears to confirm that the roadway arches were separate from the viaduct itself and their crowns lower. While Smoult may have had his limitations as an artist, he was a practising civil engineer so his view has potential interest.

Bury’s view appears to show low brick constructs projecting partially under the arches of the water tower. These are absent from Tourist’s sketch which shows the two westernmost arches as integral parts of a facade presumably some 7 ft inside the arch. Whether these connected to the viaduct arches is unclear. It is plausible that the boiler and engine were located under the water tower and roadway; this would have a combined depth of approximately 23 ft. However, Tourist’s sketch, albeit of only one arch of the water tower, provides no evidence of this. There is no access point, no evidence of piles of fuel. Moreover, the engine was used in the preparation of feed as well as pumping water so proximity to the raw materials stored under the viaduct arches would have been necessary. This argues that there was some connection between the two sets of arches if only for a belt drive..

With thanks to Ed, Paul and Ant for information and discussion on Bluesky. Their interpretation may differ

15/12/2025 Added reference from Thomas (via Ed) to second boiler. 15/12/2025 Added summary of Duguid paper and discussion thereof.

#Royden this morning. Fallen branch blocking route around lake led to bonus close-up of heron peering into water. Not sure why.

A peaceful woodland scene features a serene pond surrounded by trees with a carpet of fallen leaves on the pathway.A heron stands on a wooden platform by the edge of a tranquil, reflective lake surrounded by trees.A bird stands on a wooden platform by the water, with its reflection visible below.

Nice day so walked to #WestKirby and around the Marine Lake. Always a pleasure.

A waterfront scene features a row of houses and buildings, including a modern glass structure, with a body of water in the foreground.A rocky shoreline covered with green moss is adjacent to a sandy beach with a couple of birds in the background.A seaside promenade with a long path, metal railings, streetlights, and buildings on the right under a clear blue sky.A seaside promenade features a walkway with a sheltered bench overlooking a calm sea under a clear blue sky.

Pleasant Monday morning circuit of #Royden. Coffee at the courtyard.

A forest scene features bare trees, a ground covered in fallen leaves, and a mossy, ivy-covered stone wall.A sunlit forest clearing is covered with fallen leaves, casting long shadows from the trees.A dirt path winds through a forest with tall, bare trees and scattered fallen leaves.A heron is perched on a floating platform in a pond surrounded by trees.

Slightly damp end to today’s circuit of #Royden but better than yesterday. Coffee at the courtyard.

A narrow, dirt path winds through a forest with bare trees and dead leaves scattered on the ground.A narrow, leaf-covered path winds through a dense forest of tall, bare trees.A narrow path winds through a forest with tall, leafless trees and a carpet of fallen leaves.A muddy path winds through a forest with bare trees and fallen leaves scattered on the ground.

For anyone camera-shy, the story goes that this little girl disappeared but, after much searching, she was found under a table clutching a bunch of grapes where she was duly painted by the artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds. From today’s visit to the Lady Lever.

A young child in a light-colored dress sits holding a bunch of grapes in an ornate-framed painting.

Light rain and drizzle for this morning’s circuit of #Royden. Coffee at Benty’s.

A wooded path is covered with fallen leaves, surrounded by bare trees.Cows with shaggy coats graze in a field surrounded by autumnal trees and a wooden fence.A narrow path covered with fallen leaves winds through a forest of tall, leafless trees.

Bright but chilly circuit of #Royden punctuated by coffee at Benty’s and a Big Wing flyby. #crapNaturePhotography

A tranquil forest path is surrounded by leafless trees and a carpet of fallen leaves.A sunlit forest path is bordered by tall, leafless trees, with scattered fallen leaves covering the ground.A flock of birds flies across a cloudy sky framed by leafless trees.A narrow path covered in fallen leaves winds through a forest with tall, leafless trees.

Future of #WestKirby Marine Lake. www.birkenhead.news/council-t…

It’s the OpenSim Community Conference this weekend. I’m not presenting this year but thought I’d post this as a token of the booth that accompanied last year’s talk before I tear it down.

Brief visit to #WestKirby this afternoon. Coffee at Slinky’s.

A cozy cafe features a decorated Christmas tree, a wreath on the door, and warm lighting creating a festive atmosphere.

Light rain but not too bad underfoot in #Royden this morning. Coffee undercover at the courtyard.

A narrow path winds through a leaf-strewn forest with tall, bare trees.A forest clearing is covered in a thick layer of fallen autumn leaves, surrounded by leafless trees.A winding path covered with fallen leaves meanders through a forest of tall, leafless trees.A leaf-covered path winds through a forest with trees displaying autumn foliage.

Pleasant stroll around #PortSunlight this morning. Coffee at Hulme Hall.

A straight, tree-lined pathway stretches into the distance, bordered by bare trees and leaf-covered ground.A historic brick building with a pointed tower and circular windows stands beside an old stone bridge amid bare trees.A grassy lawn is bordered by a path, with a row of traditional houses in the background and a bench in the foreground.A decorated Christmas tree with lights, ornaments, and a red skirt is surrounded by wrapped presents in a carpeted room.

Better underfoot than expected this morning in #Royden and the rain held off. Coffee at Benty’s.

A serene forest scene with numerous bare trees and a carpet of fallen leaves covering the ground.A forest path winds through a grove of slender trees with exposed roots and scattered leaves on the ground.A dirt path winds through a leaf-strewn, autumnal forest with bare and golden-leaved trees under a cloudy sky.A heron stands by the edge of a tree-lined pond, reflecting in the calm water.

Bit of a deluge latterly but otherwise a pleasant circuit of #Royden this morning. Coffee at Benty’s.

A forest scene features bare trees with brown ferns and leaves scattered on the ground.A leaf-strewn forest path winds through bare trees under a soft, overcast sky.A forest scene features bare trees, scattered leaves on the ground, and a rustic bench made from logs.A moss-covered stone wall runs alongside a leaf-strewn path in a wooded area.

Mild but quite a stiff breeze on the Marine Lake this morning. #WestKirby

A body of water with a cormorant swimming in it is in the foreground, while a row of houses and a wooded area are in the background under a cloudy sky.A seagull stands on a paved road next to a bank of moss-covered rocks.A wooden pier extends over a wide, muddy shoreline with a cloudy sky overhead.A rocky shoreline is bordered by a railing along a coastal walkway under a cloudy sky.

Watched: Finch 🍿

Always a pleasure to watch Tom Hanks ply his trade. Impressive production values although the ending didn’t especially work for me.