Historic Salford control tower up for auction with guide price of £100k - what will it be?

Going, Going.....

An historic road bridge control tower in Salford is to be auctioned off next month, with a guide price of between £50,000-£100,000.

Salford’s Trafford Road Bridge Control Tower is a three-storey building that was once the control centre for the iconic Trafford Road swing bridge.

Despite being considered a key part of Manchester’s history, it is now disused, and will be sold to the highest bidder in an online auction hosted by Auction House North West, on September 6.

The Grade II-listed control tower is advertised as an exciting opportunity for any investor looking to take on a unique development - and it boggles the mind just what it could be used for.

It was first used in 1894 when Manchester Ship Canal opened and it linked Salford Docks with Trafford Park Industrial Estate by road. It was one of seven swing bridges that once spanned the Manchester Ship Canal and was regarded as a masterpiece of Victorian engineering.

The Trafford Road swing bridge was the largest, heaviest, and widest of the swing bridges on the Ship Canal. It was 64m (211ft long) and allowed ships to pass to the docks at Pomona.

As horse-drawn carts were replaced with cars, the swing bridge was permanently opened to vehicles in 1992, and in 1998 it became a permanent fixture as part of the scheme to widen the road to a dual carriageway and improve the flow of traffic.

The unique building is in the heart of the redeveloped Quays, less than a 15-minute walk from some of North West England’s most popular tourist attractions, including The Imperial War Museum North and The Lowry.

It is also neighbours with MediaCity - home to BBC and ITV as well as other media companies.