Manchester Photo Gallery - Salford Quays From the Air (Part 1)

Queen Victoria opened the Manchester Docks in 1894, which went on to become the country's 3rd biggest port. A significant part of the Manchester Ship Canal goes through Salford, which was granted city status by Royal Charter on April 21, 1926. Shipping and textiles have long powered Manchester through the Industrial Revolution into the modern era. However, as container shipping took hold, the ships got larger by the 1970s, and trade patterns changed, Manchester's role as a port city became obsolete. By the early 1980s, all the docks have closed and this area became derelict and contaminated. Salford Quays is a good example of urban regeneration. The former docks have been transformed into a neighbourhood of new homes and offices for large media companies such as the BBC and ITV, as well as a branch of the Imperial War Museum. The Eccles tram line that connects the area to the city centre opened in 1999 with a spur to MediaCity opening in 2010.