This is the area where Manchester was “born”. Castlefield (“Castle in a field”) was the site of the Roman settlement that grew following the construction of the Roman fort, Mamucium Link , in AD79. The location for the fort was chosen for its defensive position on the sandstone bluff that overlooked the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell.
The original rampart was where Duke Street is now and this area was outside the fort’s defensive walls. The Romans dug pits here to extract gravel. The area was used for defensive ditches from the late-1st to mid-2nd Centuries and the fort was later expanded westwards to include this area. New building were erected within this expanded fort, including the granary which was used to store grain and meat.
SJ8397 : Mills across the water Building on the right is a modern pastiche. I looked at this early in 2008 and realised it for what it was quite quickly. There is an excellent complex of converted mills in this corner. Just as important as Ancoats.