Atlas of Content Investigation

Levenshulme

Contents
01 _ Introduction 03 _ History | Culture | Politics 07 _ Land Use 19 _ Geology 21 _ Topography 33 _ Boundaries 35 _ Site Exposure | Weathering 37 _ Solar Paths 39 _ Conclusion 40 _ Bibliography

01_Introduction Levenshulme; a busy commuter corridor linking Manchester City Center to Stockport. This suburb of Manchester is situated along the A6 which acts as an important transport link through the city. With the introduction of the railway in the 1890s, Levenshulme became commuting territory for the wider population. This rapid growth lead to its incorporation into Manchester as a township in 1909. Transport links to and from the city are vital, during peak hours infrastructure is stretched with period of standstill traffic along the A6 and trains operate at full capacity. Trams were discontinued due to the rise of the automobile post Second World War. The bus network to and from Levenshulme is considered the busiest in the country. Many people use the Fallowfield Loopline to cycle between suburbs as far as Chorlton cum Hardy and Faifield, offering greener modes of transport than single occupant vehicles. Circulation around Levenshulme itself is limited to pockets of busy and quiet times throughout the day and night. For example, between 7am and 9am the A6 is busy with commuters and the area around the schools is alive with children and parents. Mid afternoon reveals virtually empty pavements. Only the highstreet shows glimpses of life. Levenshulmes climate is mild with average temperatures ranging from 1C to 21C but due to its urban location it experiences an increase in temperature of 1C because of the urban heat island effect. Its proximity to the Peak district suggests and average of 142.9 days of rainfall a year.

Relation to the City

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Climate Data Temp.

Climate Data Rain

Introduction

02_ With a population of 12,691, Levenshulme can nowadays be considered a melting pot of different ethnic groups and cultures. The emergence of an Irish community dates back to the 1840s, after the Great famine emigration, and established about 7% of the total population. Later on, an increasing number of South Asian, predominantly Pakistani, and Caribbean inhabitants have settled in the suburb. Its heterogenous character, typical of the 21st century developing lifestyle, clearly appears in the mixture of Irish pubs, antique stores, Indian restaurants, takeaways and cybercafs that light up the main Stockport Road. In some towns this mix of cultures may not have been successful but in Levenshulme it seems to foster a strong community spirit with regular community run events and the well publicised protests to save spaces in the town that benefitted the community such as the library, baths and Arcadia sports centre. It is this, amongst other research, that we aim to analyse in this document to establlish what constitutes Levenshulme as a place rather than just a commuter corridor.

Circulation Mapping

03_ History

levenshulme 1900s

Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2013. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY.

Levenshulme 1900s
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04_ Located in South East Lancashire, Levenshulme was a 605 acres former township in the parish of Manchester from 1835. However, subsequent to the establishment of the London and North Western Railway, the parochial village was amalgamated with Manchester between 1904 and 1913, together with Withington, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Didsbury and Moss Side. The city took on responsibility for their housing, developing Levenshulme as a working-class suburban area within the industrial nature of Greater Manchester, highly populated by Irish immigrants. Private and speculative housing built brick-work terraced houses along the A6, organized in a grid layout intersected with back entries. Nevertheless, Levenshulme kept its independent character over the years, still architecturally visible in the former town hall, the Carnegie Library, the Public Baths and the railway station. There used to be two railway stations, the North railway station sited in the core of Levenshulme, which was rebuilt in 1959 and it is still in function with the adjacent car-park, and the South station, also called Fallowfield Loop railway.

Nov 15, 2013 14:53 Elena Pardo Manchester Metropolitan

1000 m

fallowfieldloop 1950s

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Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2013. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY.

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Fallowfield Loop 1950s

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Elena Pardo Manchester Metropolitan University

Previously the local Fallowfield Loop railway line used to run across the area since 1892, but the presence of alternative services such as the electric tram line caused the disuse of the railway and subsequently closed in 1988.The site remained derelict until 2000, when the area was reconsidered for housing. Volunteer inhabitants proposed a new use for the abandoned line, converting it into a traffic free cycle track, now run by Sustrans. On the other hand, as the leisure facilities provided were funded by the urban district council, frequent tensions have been aroused towards Manchester council government cuts policy within Levenshulme area. In the last few years, the city council has proposed the closure of Carnegie library, the Public swimming pool and the Arcadia leisure centre, only amenities of the suburb. The Carnegie library, gifted by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1903, would be substituted by a secondary school according to the plans of the city council, but intense protests by the citizens have taken place in the last year, including a sit-in, an e-petition and the residents occupation of the library. Furthermore, according to Manchester city council plans, the Library and the Baths would be moved to the Arcadia Leisure Centre site, a 100-year-old roller rink which would be consequently closed. For this reason, further disapproval has emerged among the local community, which has demonstrated strong sense of autonomy from the city council policy.

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07_ Use

of Site

Key Built up area Green area Demoliton area

Arcadia Land Use Map

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Mediterranean Eastern European White British White Other White Irish South Asian Chinese Black African Black Caribbean Black Other Black British Mixed Black White Mixed Asian White Mixed White Other Other Ethnicity

The current use of the sites appears to have a relationship to which different cultures use each site. The Arcadia site is made up of built up and green areas with an area of demolition. It is visible that the site is mainly used by the younger community. This is because the Arcadia Centre hosts activities aimed at young people such as roller hockey in which they hold a roller derby and Gaelic football. A mixture of cultures use the Arcadia site, situated on its South periphery is residential terraced housing to the East boundary where the site meets Stockport road there are lots of local businesses however this is mainly South Asian shops.

Arcadia Culture Map

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Key Built up area Green area Demoliton area

Library Land Use Map

10_ The library is managed by Levenshulme High school and is used as an educational hub, it is also opposite the Levy Baths which many children and parents use. The library site is utilised by all cultures, protests to shut down the library showed the union of all cultures coming together to save the site, and there are numerous events held at the Library such as fun-days.

Mediterranean Eastern European White British White Other White Irish South Asian Chinese Black African Black Caribbean Black Other Black British Mixed Black White Mixed Asian White Mixed White Other Other Ethnicity

Library Culture Map

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Key Built up area Green area Demoliton area

Fallowfield Loop Land Use Map

12_ The Fallowfield Loopline is an area of green space with a cycle track, situated in a residential area. The site has no significance to a specific culture or community in Levenshulme but is used as a shortcut by the locals and also the cycle route is used by cyclists passing by. In the past it has been worked on by the local civic society Friends of the Fallowfield Loop bringing together the community to plant and grow an orchard on the site in August 2012.

Mediterranean Eastern European White British White Other White Irish South Asian Chinese Black African Black Caribbean Black Other Black British Mixed Black White Mixed Asian White Mixed White Other Other Ethnicity

Fallowfield Loop Culture Map

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Key Built up area Green area Demoliton area

Car Wash Land Use Map

Mediterranean Eastern European White British White Other White Irish South Asian Chinese Black African Black Caribbean Black Other Black British Mixed Black White Mixed Asian White Mixed White Other Other Ethnicity

14_ The car wash site is also made up of a green area and a commercial area on the South of the site. Superwash Carwash which appears to be a South Asian run business and is mainly used by car owning inhabitants in their twenties but also non-locals passing through from Stockport to Manchester. A small yet colourful barbers shop is also situated on the site.

Car Wash Culture Map

15_ The land use of the station car park site is predominantly for car parking and houses a passageway to the train station. However it is surrounded by built up areas such as residential houses and shops. On a day to day basis the site is used by all cultures but mainly by the working community who make use of the car park and commute into Manchester by train. However, it is also the location for the monthly market which is the main reason all cultures and communities have come together to use the site. It was set up by Manchester City Council in 2012 and has been continued as an enterprise formed by residents and members of the local business community. Diverse local traders such as Spice Souk (Middle Eastern deli) and The Buttery (finest English pastries) come together to foster links and share skills.
Key Built up area Green area Demoliton area

Station Car Park Land Use Map

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Mediterranean Eastern European White British White Other White Irish South Asian Chinese Black African Black Caribbean Black Other Black British Mixed Black White Mixed Asian White Mixed White Other Other Ethnicity

Station Car Park Culture Map

17_ The church site has composite use as it is made up of developed area which includes the RC Church of St. Mary, a small commercial barbers shop, and an industrial area, there is also an area of demolition. The site is surrounded by residential buildings to the East and South. The spiritual heart of the site brings together people of all ages in the community as the church has links with St. Marys school and retirement groups. The site is used predominantly by the Catholic community however this includes an ethnic mix which has changed over the years. Through the 1850s to the 1980s the parish community was native English, recently arrived Irish immigrants, Polish and Italian war refugees. From the 1990s onwards it has welcomed the arrival of African and Eastern European immigrants.
Key Built up area Green area Demoliton area

Church Land Use Map

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Mediterranean Eastern European White British White Other White Irish South Asian Chinese Black African Black Caribbean Black Other Black British Mixed Black White Mixed Asian White Mixed White Other Other Ethnicity

Church Culture Map

19_ Geology

Geology Diagram

Due to the position of Levenshulme in the Southeast of Manchester near the South Pennines, the geology of the town is largely Upper Carboniferous sandstones and Millstone Grit shales. On top of this lies mudstones and thin coals which form the outcrop of the Coal Measures which run from the North to South of Greater Manchester. Each individual site has the same basic structure with shifting degrees of layer thickness in some areas. The diagram here shows the results of a borehole survey undertaken on Chapel Street in Levenshulme. The ground is largely clay and sandstones of varying colours which is indicative of the desert conditions and weaving rivers that crossed the land millennia ago. The ground and rock conditions inform the vernacular architecture of Levenshulme using red clay bricks to form the Victorian housing and high street buildings. The stone that underlies the town is also evident in some of the traditional church buildings although some of them are no longer standing.

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21_ Topography

22_ The Arcadia site has a simple topography and clear levels are used to distinguish between areas of parking and grass. The tall brick railway to the West of the site casts a shadow over the site and sits behind the copper clad roller derby building blending vernacular materials with non vernacular. The site has a slight slope to the South creating a sense of unease along the consequently dark pathway that runs by the housing.

Arcadia Topography Diagram

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24_ The library site makes use of levels to elevate the library from the land in order to promote higher thinking and intellectuality. The immediate ground around the library is flat to allow users to walk around unhindered and steps and a ramp lead up and down to the thresholds to the front and rear of the building. To the South of the site stretches a large grassed area which slopes down very gradually away from the school and towards the library building.

LibraryTopography Diagram

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26_ The Fallowfield Loopline has perhaps the most interesting topography of all of the sites due to its central high point and pathways leading away and downwards from it. The two railway arches to the East and West of the site allow the surrounding streetscape to continue on one level whilst the cycleway passes beneath them. The paths that run perpendicular are contrastingly flat and break the steep grassy embankments that led down to the old railway line in half.

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28_ The station car park is a largely enclosed site but with relatively even topography and groundcover. The two and three storey buildings create a solid boundary and cast shadows across the site to highlight entrances and exits without the use of topography.

Station Car Park Topography Diagram

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30_ The topography of the car wash site is largely flat although there are several inconsistencies in the groundscape due to the tree roots which spread throughout the site. There are traces of concrete lines to the South of site beneath the grass which perhaps indicate a previous function or higher standard of maintenance of the car park.

Car Wash Topography Diagram

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32_ The church of St Angels and Clare site uses a variety of ground materials to differentiate function rather than topography. However, Elbow Street on which the site sits has a relatively steep gradient as it passes by the church and housing opposite, elevating the church from the street to enforce its ecclesiastical function.

33_ Boundaries The A6 Stockport Road running through Levenshulme has been a major route between Manchester and Stockport. Levenshulme was bordered by Longsight to the North, Gorton to the North & East, Reddish to the East, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, to the South, Burnage to the South & West & Rusholme to the West. The boundary between the carwash site and its surroundings does not have a clear distinction other than material and texture on the ground. Trees and bushes were planted to separate the pavement from the site. The only function of the site is as a public pathway which often hidden from publics eye. The site is situated along Stockport Road, opposite to Crowcroft Park between Crowcroft Rd and Slade Hall Rd. It is also on the border between Levenshulme and Longsight which might explain why the site is really quiet. The Arcadia Centre site is situated along a branch of the A6 Yew Tree Ave and surrounded by residential housing to the South, train line to the West and Arcadia sport centre to the North. The site is a long narrow grassed area which was hidden by a building from the A6 and has now been demolished. The site entrance is being isolated from the walkway by using steel fences. There is a row of trees and bushes placed to the west of the site to protect from train.

34_ There are multiple entrances for the car park site, two along the A6, one from Albert Rd and the tunnel from Levenshulme train station. Despite this, the site is completely isolated from both the A6 and Albert Rd, surrounded by the railway viaduct to the West, housing units to the South, and business units to the West and North. The nature took over the faade of railway viaduct to the West of the site to protect from the train. The site itself is used as a car park for the local community. The Fallowfield Loop site is hidden from the public by a single floor business unit off the A6,and it is sandwiched by housing units to the North and South. It is an enclosed site for the general public and only used as a pathway for local residents crossing from Gordon Ave to Kersh Ave. In contrast to the enclosure, Fallowfield Loop is an open off-road cycle path which connects Fallowfield and Levenshulme to Gorton and Fairfield, acting as a corridor around Manchester City centre from the South West to the East. The church site can be reached from Elbow St and Chapel St. To the West the site is being hidden by 2.5 meters of hoarding boards along the A6 pavement. The site has prohibited access for the public due to the steel fences placed around the site. To the North East sits the church of St Mary of the Angels and St Clare.

35_ Site

Exposure and Weathering

The temperature in Levenshulme are ranged from lowest 2C in Dec to Feb to the highest 21C in Jul to Aug, The data suggests that residential house located in Levenshulme will have minor impact on snow fall in winter period. The climate in Levenshulme is cold and relatively wet due to the average rainfall days in Levenshulme in a month are approximately 20 days throughout the year, the humility in Levenshulme are therefore fairly high, and as result of this, the space organization can be planned differently to a residential house located in, for example Lyon, France. Emphasis is placed more on drainage and heating rather than cooling in residential housing, due to the climate condition in that area. The roofs on these houses are pitched roof, this is to redirect water or snow, thus, the degree of pitch is typically greater in Levenshulme due to high rain.

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37_ Solar

Paths

Solar Path Diagram

Car Wash Site, Station Car Park Site, Arcadia Site, Library Site

38_ The car wash site is very exposed to the sun int he morning as it is East facing, and so in the evening the terraced housing to the West cast long shadows over the terrain. Any passive solar technology to be designed on this site would be therefore best placed on the East facade or roofing system. The station car park is a largely enclosed site meaning that, with the exception of a summer noon, no matter what time of day or year shadows are cast across the site. Passive solar design would not be ideal for this site although rainwater run off could be collected from the surrounding buildings and non permeable surfaces and utilised. The Arcadia site is also quite enclosed but due to the recent demolition at the site opening it is now open to the East. This, similarly to the car wash site, brings the orning sun onto the site and in the evening the railway line behind casts shadows from the West over the sports centre and surrounding grassed areas. The library site is immediately shadowed by areas of tall vegetation on the road side and combination of both tall and short to the rear. The fields surrounding the library are very open and offer ample opportunity for solar gain as they experience sunlight throughout most of the day with the exception of the area adjacent to the treeline to the West of the site.

39_ Conclusion

Drawing on the research carried out in both this document and the filmed reportage we can deduce that a combination of attributing factors lead to the conclusion that Levenshulme is not simply a suburban space rather a place which is often dismissed by those that pass through it, but much loved by its community and residents. Beyond face value Levenshulme reveals a lively and strongwilled close knit community and the nature of the town is a far cry from the initial impressions of a decayed and run down forgotten suburb. It can be said that the architecture of Levenshulme is the driving power behind the community with a series of communal buildings and shared spaces dispersed throughout the neighbourhoods that branch off the A6 creating accessible social spaces for the community to meet and host activities. The range of architecture is largely Victorian, seen in the housing, the South station and the baths. Queen Anne style is present in the library whilst Arcadias coppper cladding suggests a later architecture but in fact disguises a century old structure that was once a cinema. This diverse assortment of styles could be reflective of the collection of cultures, ethnicities and ages living in the area. The shared use of these sites adds another layer to the interaction between social groups allowing different parties to meet and discuss new ideas. Along the high street there is an eclectic mix of shops selling a vareity of goods such as Polish foods, Irish pubs and Halal restaurants, expressing through architecture and function the nature of residents lives.

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