Editing Castlefield (section)

==History==
[[File:Romeinse ruines (2).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The part-rebuilt Roman fort]]
[[File:Mamucium wall section.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|The reconstructed Roman fort wall of [[Mamucium]]]]

===Roman period===
{{main|Mamucium}}
A [[Roman Britain|Roman]] [[castra|fort]] (''{{lang|la|castra}}''), [[Mamucium]] or Mancunium was established in what is now Castlefield around AD&nbsp;79 near a crossing place on the [[River Medlock]].<ref name=Gregory>{{Harvnb|Gregory|2007| pp=1,3}}</ref> The fort was sited on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the River Medlock and [[River Irwell|Irwell]] in a naturally defensible position.<ref name=Gregory/> It was erected as a series of fortifications established by [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola]] during his campaign against the [[Brigantes]], who were the [[Celts|Celtic]] [[list of Celtic tribes|tribe]] in control of most of northern England.<ref>Mason (2001), pp.&nbsp;41–42.</ref> It guarded a central stage of the [[Roman road]] (equivalent to [[Watling Street]]),{{Original research inline|date=February 2015}} between [[Deva Victrix]] ([[Chester]]) and [[Eboracum]] ([[York]]). Another road branched off to the north to [[Bremetennacum]] ([[Ribchester]]).<ref>Gregory (2007), pp.&nbsp;1–2.</ref> The neighbouring forts were [[Castleshaw Roman fort|Castleshaw]] and [[Northwich]].<ref>Walker (1999), p.&nbsp;15.</ref> Built first from turf and timber, the fort was demolished around 140. When it was rebuilt around 160, it was again of turf and timber construction.<ref>Gregory (2007), p.&nbsp;3.</ref> Around the year 200, the fort underwent another rebuild enhancing its defences by replacing the gatehouse in stone and facing the walls with stone.<ref>Philpott (2006), p.&nbsp;66.</ref> The fort would have been garrisoned by an [[cohort (Roman military unit)|infantry cohort]] of around 500 [[Roman auxiliaries in Britain|auxiliary troops]].<ref name="guide">{{cite web |title=A guide to Mamucium |author=Norman Redhead |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2008/04/10/100408_roman_manchester_feature.shtml |publisher=BBC |date=20 April 2008}} Retrieved on 20 July 2008.</ref>

Evidence of [[Celtic paganism|pagan]] and [[Celtic Christianity|Christian]] worship has been discovered. Two altars have been found and there may be a [[Mithraeum|temple of Mithras]] at the site. A [[sator square|word square]] was discovered in the 1970s that may be one of the earliest evidences of Christianity in Britain.<ref>Shotter (2004), p.&nbsp;129.</ref> A [[vicus (Rome)|civilian settlement]] (''{{lang|la|vicus}}'') grew in association with the fort, made up of traders and the soldiers' families. An area which has a concentration of furnaces and industrial activity has been described as an [[industrial estate]].<ref>Shotter (2004), p.&nbsp;117.</ref> The civilian settlement was probably abandoned by the mid-3rd century, although a small garrison may have remained at Mamucium into the late third and early fourth centuries.<ref>Gregory (2007), p.&nbsp;190.</ref>

A reconstructed part of the fort stands on the site and is open to the public.

===Medieval and early modern periods===
The village of Manchester later became established a kilometre to the north and the area around the ''vicus'' became known as "Aldport" or "The Old Town".<ref name="mcc-cca-history" /> A house and park here became the home of the Mosley family in 1601 but, in 1642, after being used by [[James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby|Lord Strange]] as a royalist headquarters during the Siege of Manchester, it was burned down by [[Roundhead|parliamentarians]].<ref name="mcc-cca-history" />

The River Irwell was made navigable in 1720s, leading to the construction of a quay in the area for loading and unloading of goods (vessels of up to 50 tons could dock here and ply between Manchester and Liverpool).<ref>Frangopulo, N. J., ed. (1962) ''Rich Inheritance''. Manchester: Education Committee; p. 33</ref>

===Industrialisation===
[[File:Castlefield Grocers4652.JPG|thumb|Bridgewater Canal & Grocer's Warehouse Ruins]]

The [[Bridgewater Canal]] arrived in Castlefield in July 1761, around the time the [[Industrial Revolution]] is considered to have started.<ref name=et376>{{cite web|url=http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=376|title=Engineering Timelines - Bridgewater Canal, Castlefield Basin|website=www.engineering-timelines.com|access-date=30 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1-JiCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT147|page=147|title=Manchester to Bugsworth|author1=Phil Page|author2=Ian Littlechilds|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|date= 15 June 2015|isbn=9781445640938}}</ref> The [[Rochdale Canal]], and a network of private branch canals joined the Bridgewater at Lock 92 in Castlefield. The Bridgewater Canal company hesitated in connecting their canal the adjacent [[Mersey and Irwell Navigation]] until the Rochdale Canal Company had almost constructed its [[Manchester and Salford Junction Canal]], and the railways had arrived in the 1830s.  As the century progressed the canals gave way to the railways and the area became dissected by a network of railway lines carried on a series of multi-arch viaducts. Though Castlefield did have [[cotton mill]]s, it was the [[factory|engineering work]]s and [[warehousing]] that was more noticeable. The first [[canal warehouse]], built in 1771 on Coal Wharf, was used to raise coal from the barges to street level, and store other goods. In the nineteenth century the warehouses assumed other functions such as [[trans-shipment]] which involved receiving trains or barges, and reassembling their loads to be shipped to other destinations. Other warehouses received raw materials such as yarn, which was collected by [[outworker]]s who then returned woven cloth. The later warehouses acted as [[showroom]]s on the ground floors, with offices and storage above and behind.<ref name="Parkinson-Bailey 2000 16">{{Harvnb|Parkinson-Bailey|2000|p=16}}</ref>

===20th century===
During the 20th century both canal and railway transport declined and the area became somewhat derelict. The railway complex in Liverpool Road was sold to a conservation group for a nominal £1 and became the [[Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester)|Greater Manchester Museum of Science and Industry]]. In 1982 the area was designated as an urban heritage park and a part of the fort was reconstructed on the excavated foundations.<ref name="mcc-cca-history">{{cite web|url=http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=511&documentID=972&pageNumber=2|title=Castlefield Conservation Area|access-date=26 August 2008|publisher=Manchester City Council|at=History}}</ref>