Trafford Park

[b4mmy]

There's a lot of stuff going on, up, and coming down in Trafford Park. Amongst them is the potential new Trafford Town Hall, Peels extensions to the Trafford Centre, warehouse developments and smaller but interesting schemes. There's a few developers based in Trafford Park as well. The MD of MDA just had a full page editorial in the MEN, and next door to them are Alliance.. amongst other interesting bits and bobs.

I think this would be a nice thread to provide historical reference, and future developments, so I'll copy the Merlin 310 one over to get it started.

Merlin magic at £19m warehouse: A MASSIVE warehouse is to be built in Trafford Park.

Financial backers have agreed a deal with Wilmslow-based developer Quorum Estates, paving the way for the scheme.

Investors have signed a £19m forward funding agreement which means it can now build a 310,000 sq ft warehouse.

The deal, with Morley Asset Management/Norwich Property Trust, will fund the speculative development of a high-bay warehouse on Barton Dock Road.

The funding package is one of the largest for industrial space in the north west.

Pochin has been awarded the contract to build the unit, which will be called Merlin 310. Completion is due in early February.

Quorum Estates Director Paul Wardle said: "It is certainly the largest transaction we have concluded, although we are now looking at other opportunities to bolster our development programme."

Steve Johnson, of King Sturge, which is advising Quorum, said: "Merlin 310 is well-placed to fill a gap in the north west industrial market for larger occupiers, who are currently not well provided for, so we expect to see early interest in the scheme.

"Although there is stock available around 200,000 sq ft there is very little in the 200,000-400,000 sq ft bracket, which is where a large proportion of inquiries are coming from.

"In addition, Trafford Park itself is lacking supply at this level and there are no big sheds available - or planned - for big, indigenous occupiers such as Kelloggs."

Originally acquired in 2004 by Merlin Trafford Park, a joint venture between Quorum Estates and Rochdale-based Beva Investments, the 29-acre site was previously owned by Fermec Industries where Massey Ferguson Tractors and diggers were manufactured.

The site was also used for the manufacture of the Merlin Engine that powered a number of second world war planes including the Hurricane and Spitfire.

Merlin 310 was one of the Squadrons operating in the battle of Britain from Duxford.

Davies George acted for Morley. Both Davies George and King Sturge have been retained as letting agents on the scheme.

[The Longford]

I love Trafford Park and may do a 'photo essay' of the place to post up here so those not familiar with the place can get so.
TP is so ruthless - it has no respect for the past. If something is no longer functional it will just get rid and something new will appear in its place. the heritage nazi in my shudders at this but on the other hand it means it stays a working, functioning mass of industry.
There have been a couple of really fine buildings that have come down in the past few years but no one seems to care about the past - cant really argue with that can you.
Lots of the older, dirty industries are shipping out and its becoming more about light industry and warehousing.
If we ask b60mmy nicely he might scan some nice pics out of his Trafford Park book that i know he has!
Can i put in my request now? The pics of Trafford Hall with the factories looming and anything to do with Metro Vicks please!

Heres my contribution - the much missed Turners Asbestos head office.

[SleepyOne]

an interesting link here

http://www.canalarchive.org.uk/stori...&pnum=0&maxp=9

[jrb]

Two famous TP landmarks. One sadly gone.

[b4mmy]

Originally Posted by The Longford

...scan some nice pics out of his Trafford Park book that i know he has! Can i put in my request now? The pics of Trafford Hall with the factories looming and anything to do with Metro Vicks please!

Ha ha! I'll certainly do that Longspotted... I must admit I didn't realise it had any interesting stuff in it, but I'll do that asap... hopefully Thursday am.

I was actually disurbed to hear that Carborundum was being pulled down though. My last job as creative director at the ad agency was to redevelop their corporate identity and it was good work... I didn't realise they were shutting up shop now. The whole Carborundum industry was very important to Trafford Park and employment in Manchester ....I'm sorry to see it go.

And you're right about the architecture in the Park. Its not something we should set about saving as we need the industry, and the jobs but a record of what the Park looked like should be passed on... there's plenty of books I guess, but your pic looks the business so more of them would be good.



Of not great architectural merit is the Venus Building, but it looks nice from a few angles and I think there will be more like it in the future - though I hear it was a bitch to sell on.

[The Longford]

Originally Posted by b4mmy

Ha ha! I'll certainly do that Longspotted... I must admit I didn't realise it had any interesting stuff in it

I think we may have different ideas of what 'interesting' is!
Lap dancers and 5 litres of Mannheim's finest are your interesting where as mine is close boarded concrete and the different types of street lights seen throughout the country.

[The Longford]

Here, as promised, is my Trafford Park Travelogue.
There are quite a few so i'll ration them.

[b4mmy]

nice pix dude. I couldn't find anythin interestin in my books

[The Longford]

[TheGrand]

Originally Posted by The Longford

Ahhh my local

[Local Lad]

Heres one i took at work today

Kinda reminds me of being in the USA with the train running down the road

[rolybling]

OMG! They've put Tony the Tiger on the wall. When did that go up? Whats happened to the big K?

Top pics longboat.

[The Longford]

Originally Posted by rolybling

Whats happened to the big K?

Its on the other wall isnt it?
Before Dumplington Precinct was built it was a proper landmark you could see from the motorway and i'm sure in the 70's there was a big K on the roof.

[Local Lad]

The big chicken is just behind the tree on the left

[dirtyred619]

Originally Posted by TheGrand

Ahhh my local

Is Tommy still in charge there, and has he got rid of the mice!!

[Architecty]

Originally Posted by The Longford

Heres my contribution - the much missed Turners Asbestos head office.

That’s rather splendid, where abouts was it and when did the bastards pull it down?

Very nice pics in general Longford.

[sjwmoore]

Do any pics exist of the old Trafford Hall? I presume it was still standing 100 years ago or so, what with the insistence on a wall/bank by the Ship canal not to ruin the views

I have mixed feelings about TP, had a crap job on Westbrook Avenue on a production line (raisins- picking out stones from consignments from Turkey on a conveyor belt) for 6 months some years ago- hell on earth. also a brief stint at Trafford Park bakeries, the crap some people have to endure to make a living. A low point in life!!

[The Longford]

Originally Posted by Architecty

That’s rather splendid, where abouts was it and when did the bastards pull it down?

Very nice pics in general Longford.

It was on Ashburton Road just on the s bend and was rather splendid - so splendid in fact that the lobby doubled for the Savoy Hotel in Brideshead Revisited!
They pulled it down only about 5 or 6 years ago and there are some rather charming blue and yellow corrugated steel sheds on the site.

[The Longford]

Originally Posted by sjwmoore

Do any pics exist of the old Trafford Hall? I presume it was still standing 100 years ago or so, what with the insistence on a wall/bank by the Ship canal not to ruin the views

It actually survived well into the 1930's and there are strange photos of it surrounded by factories and trains. This is the best i could find on the web.

[The Longford]

Final instalment.