River Irk

The River Irk is a river in Greater Manchester in north-west England that flows through the northern suburbs of Manchester before merging with the River Irwell in the city centre.

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Rising to the east of Royton north of Oldham and running west past Chadderton (where it passes under the Rochdale Canal) and Middleton, its course has been extensively altered as the Industrial Revolution took its toll on the city's landscape, and the Irk has been labelled 'the lost river of Manchester'.

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The river's name comes from 'Iwrck' meaning 'swift', but by the start of the 20th century the Irk Valley between Crumpsall and Blackley had been left a neglected river, "not only the blackest but the most sluggish of all rivers". Recently a project has been set up to rejuvenate the river and remove the pollution.

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The river has long since been culverted as it reaches the city centre, and the final yards before the point where it merges with the Irwell under the CIS tower are still marked by the alleyway named 'Hanging Ditch' near Manchester Cathedral where textile manufacturers would hang their wares to dry. The remains of 'Hanging Bridge' that crossed the ditch in medieval times can still be seen alongside the cathedral.

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On August 15 1953 the front coach of a Manchester to Bury train fell from the viaduct over the River Irk after colliding with a local steam train. Ten people were killed and 58 injured in what became known as the 'Irk Valley Junction disaster'.

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River: :For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate. For the state of Nigeria, see Rivers State....

Greater Manchester: Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in England established in 1974 which covers an area roughly encompassing the conurbation of Manchester. It is situated in North West England....

England: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....

River Irk related Images and Photos (experimental)

River	River IV	River Run	River Café
River Boat	River View	River Edge	River Path
River Rocks	River Scene	River Wild (U.K. Quad)	River Sunset