Cotterill Clough Nature Reserve

Cotterill Clough is a 5.6-hectare (14-acre) nature reserve near Manchester Airport. It is managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and lies within a larger Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Cotterill Brook, which flows through the reserve, is a tributary of the River Bollin. The reserve was purchased in 1934 by public subscription as a memorial to T. A. Coward (1867–1933), a famous Cheshire naturalist. It is 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) south of Manchester city centre and adjacent to Manchester Airport.

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625 m

Ullerwood Castle

Ullerwood Castle is an early medieval castle, possibly a shell keep, in Ringway, a civil parish on the southern border of Manchester, England. The castle is first referred to in 1173, in a document stating that Hamon de Masci held the castles of Ullerwood and Dunham. There is no other contemporary documented reference to the site. Ullerwood Castle has been confused with Watch Hill Castle in nearby Bowdon, but the two are separate sites, though both were probably owned by the de Masci family. The castle site lies beneath a house and is surrounded by trees. It is possible that the castle stood at the top of Castle Hill at 53°20'57"N, 2°17'32"W. Examination of aerial imagery on Google Earth indicates a circular feature with less well-defined adjacent structures to the south-east. The site is very close to a runway at Manchester Airport and lies within a restricted area.

Castle Historic Site

1985 Manchester Airport disaster

The 1985 Manchester Airport disaster occurred when British Airtours Flight 28M (also known as Flight 328), an international passenger flight, was en route from Manchester Airport to Corfu International Airport. It caught fire on takeoff on 22 August 1985, resulting in 55 fatalities. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-236(A), named River Orrin, was flown by British Airtours, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways. It had 131 passengers and 6 crew on the manifest. During the takeoff roll, a loud thump was heard, and takeoff was aborted. An engine failure had generated a fire and the captain ordered evacuation. The engine failure was later traced to an incorrectly repaired combustor can, causing it to rupture and its dome to puncture the left wing fuel tank. Most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, not burns; 82 people survived. The accident was described as "a defining moment in the history of civil aviation safety." It brought about industry-wide changes to the seating layout near emergency exits, fire-resistant seat covers, floor lighting, fire-resistant wall and ceiling panels, more fire extinguishers and clearer evacuation rules.

Airport Event

History of Manchester Airport

The origins of Manchester Airport in England, UK, date back to the 1930s. Construction started on Ringway on 28 November 1935 and it opened partly in June 1937 and completely on 25 June 1938, in Ringway parish north of Wilmslow, from which it derived its original name Manchester (Ringway) Airport. Its north border was Yewtree Lane. Its southeast border was a little northwest of Altrincham Road (Styal). Local roads relevant to this account, on the map below: Yewtree Lane: the lane from the junction by Firtree Farm west to The Grange (east of the crossroads marked "Ringway"), and continuing northwest past Manor Farm to the next junction. Altrincham Road (Styal): the lane from Oversleyford running northeast then east into the Styal area. In World War II, it was the location of RAF Ringway, and was important in the production and repair of military aircraft and training parachutists. After World War II, it gradually expanded to its present size, including massive expansion of aprons, runways, and car parking areas. Among the first expansions were car parking and service buildings north of Yewtree Lane. From 1958 to late 1962, Terminal 1 was built: this was the first of Ringway's modern large terminals and the first major public building north of Yewtree Lane. In 1997, the second runway was planned and construction on it started, with protests about it intruding on woodland in the Styal area.

Airport Landmark

Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN, ICAO: EGCC) is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England; it lies 7 miles (11 km) south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2024, it was the third-busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passengers (the busiest outside London), and the 19th-busiest airport in Europe in 2024, with 30.9 million passengers served. The airport comprises a cargo terminal and three passenger terminals – although a £1.3 billion redevelopment programme will merge Terminals 1 and 3 in 2025. It covers an area of 560 hectares (1,400 acres) and has flights to 199 destinations, placing the airport thirteenth globally for total destinations served. Officially opened on 25 June 1938, it was initially known as Ringway Airport. During the Second World War, as RAF Ringway, it was a base for the Royal Air Force. The airport is owned and managed by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), a group owned by the ten metropolitan borough councils of Greater Manchester, with Manchester City Council owning the largest stake, and the Australian finance house IFM Investors. Ringway, after which the airport was named, is a village with a few buildings and a church at the western edge of the airport. In 2017, an eight-year redevelopment programme commenced which will culminate with the closure of Terminal 1 and enlargement of Terminal 2 to better facilitate transfers. The new terminal, due for completion in 2025, will take 80% of all passenger traffic. Terminal 3 will remain with a focus on low-cost, short-haul airlines.

Airport