When the Romans came to England in 79AD. They established the their first fort in an area later to become known as Castlefield, Manchester, known by its Roman name of Manucium. This fort was built entirely of wood from the vast forests that surrounded the area. The site of Castlefields was chosen for many reasons, it was a focal point of four rivers that converged into one. The Rivers, Medlock, Irk, Irwell and the Tib that runs under Manchester. Manucium was the embryo, the unborn City, that would one day become the birthplace of the industrial revolution.

During the 330 years of their occupation, the industrious Romans built four forts at Castlefields, the last being built from the stone quarried in an area called Colehurst, later to be known as Collyhurst, evidence of these Roman diggings is still visible next to St. Malachy’s School, not quite obliterated by the slum clearance or the passing of time, nestling behind the Swan public house on Rochdale Road is a deep depression in the land resembling a giants footprint, a Roman inheritance now reclaimed by nature, all that is left of Jane’s Hole or to give it it’s proper name Jane’s Place, which will take it’s place in the history books.

No longer shall they run barefooted, over those cobbled streets,
or hear their mothers cry,
or look up to heaven and it’s clear blue sky,
no longer will they hang around the lamppost with the rope,
of their childish dreams or their futile hope,
they will remember their childhood friends, and those who passed away,
who lie beneath the soil, and moulder in the clay,
the girl who kissed the boy next door,
more than likely is no more.
Fitzgeorge, Rockingham, Buckingham Windsor and Brydenvilla Street,
those early risers with clog shod feet,
off to the mill, to earn their crust,
now it’s gone and gathering dust,
our childish dreams of yesterday are long since gone its sad to say,
but in our thoughts those memories stay,
in those cobbled streets where once we played,
and on the sandhills those castles we made
and now it’s gone and in the past,
those childish dreams will always last.
A.J. Shannon
Sadly AJ Shannon died in February.