Sidedraft - Manchester

History

Sidedraft is the unofficial name used by Manchester’s urban exploration community for a culverted section of the historic Gore Brook drainage system, believed to date from around 1914. Built during a period when many of Manchester’s natural streams were being enclosed to support urban expansion, the tunnel combines Edwardian brick engineering with later concrete modifications. Originally designed to carry the waters of the Gore Brook beneath growing residential and industrial districts, it later became integrated with the city’s wider stormwater and combined sewer infrastructure. The drain is notable for its large brick-lined passages, split channels, vertical access shafts, railway crossings and a distinctive multi-level inspection chamber that has become one of the most photographed underground locations in Manchester. Explorer reports from 2009 onwards describe Sidedraft as both a brook culvert and storm overflow route, with evidence of sewer connections and flood-management features added over time. As part of the hidden Gore Brook network beneath Gorton and surrounding areas, Sidedraft survives as a rare example of early twentieth-century municipal engineering, illustrating how Manchester adapted its natural waterways to accommodate rapid industrial and urban growth.