Workers’ Housing at the Former BBC Site in Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Manchester

Abstract

ABSTRACT Numerous archaeological excavations across Manchester have exposed 19th-century workers’ housing, with each new investigation enhancing the understanding of urbanised industrial living and domestic life. This paper examines the excavated remains of workers’ housing and other structures exposed during excavations at the former BBC site in the Chorlton-upon-Medlock area of Manchester. A variety of workers’ housing was excavated across the site, with back-to-backs the dominant type. These physical remains are important for understanding the differences in housing and living conditions across Manchester. By supplementing the archaeological and cultural material with documentary and cartographic sources, however, the social history of the site can be uncovered, adding to an overall knowledge of 19th- and early 20th-century urbanised industrial living and domestic life in Manchester.