For descriptions of the watercourses of Manchester, see "The Lost Rivers of Manchester" by Geoffrey Ashworth (Willow Publishing, 1987). For an interactive map of the watercourses in Greater Manchester, both those open and those culverted, click here.

Shaw Brook and Red Lion Brook, Ball Brook and Fog Lane Brook

"Shaw Brook proper rises in Shawfield, Heaton Moor, adjacent to Shawfield School, and is fed by two other small streams from the south in the direction of Heaton Moor Golf Course. Nearby is a mysterious earthwork called Peel Moat... This is likely to be a surviving structure from a medieval defended manor house like Clayton Hall. This area of Burnage was once known as the Shaw, an ancient word for forest, and it would appear that this is where the brook takes its name. The stream flows along the south side of Shawbrook Road to Green End, under the playing fields to pass under Kingsway at Brookdene Road. It continues under Brierfield Road to Parrs Wood Road where it turns sharply north to pass along the north of School Road, through the gardens along Arnfield Road and passes by St. Paul's Church to turn south again at Wilmslow Road. This area was known as the Cottonfield - hence Cottonfield Road - and here stands the Red Lion Hotel which is the oldest hostelry in Withington. It was the focal point of the Rush Cart procession on St. Oswald's Day as well as being the meeting place of the ancient Court Leet of Withington until 1841.

On some maps the remainder of Shaw Brook is shown as the Red Lion Brook. Under the Christie Hospital, a small tributary is met which flows from Parkville Road, under Wilmslow Road, and along Oak Road. The main river continues a little to the south of  Everett Street [Road] to Burton Road where it meets a large stream entering from the south, the Ball Brook or Fog Lane Brook. As the name suggests, this waterway comprises two branches, Fog Lane Brook, the more northerly and larger, which rises near Burnage Lane/Barcicroft Road and continues south along Burnage Lane to Lane End, thence across Kingsway to flow along the northern side of Fog Lane to emerge in the Park named after it. It can be seen in the gardens of Brooklawn Drive up to Wilmslow Road. Ball Brook has its source in Heaton Mersey near to the Golf Club in a place known as Heaton Villa and crosses under Kingsway at Withnell Road, where it is joined by a small streamlet from the Redstone Road, Burnage Lane area. After passing under the railway, it flows under Parrs Wood Road at Willow Way, under Catterick Road to Willoughby Avenue and follows the more westerly part of Fog Lane to Wilmslow Road where it joins Fog Lane Brook. Here stood Ball Brook House, adjacent to Ballbrook Avenue, and the flats occupying the site are also called Ball Brook House. Ball Brook itself flows under the northern side of Ballbrook Avenue, and crosses Palatine Road at Sandleigh Avenue. It continues northwards, past Goulden Road, Rutland Avenue and joins Shaw Brook at the Everett Road/Burton Road junction.

The combined rivers continue through West Didsbury to pass under Meltham Avenue at Golbourne Avenue, under Whitchurch Road to Doncaster Avenue, under Dovedale Avenue, Saltney Avenue, Wrenbury Avenue, to emerge in Houghend Park under Princess Road. It is still a clear, clean stream, although it vanishes under Houghend Crescent to emerge as Chorlton Brook on the opposite side... the actual union of Chorlton Brook and Gore Brook being directly under the bridge... Shaw Brook in Houghend Park is often called Chorlton Brook(!) or the Red Lion Brook, and this area was once a housing estate which was flattened by a Nazi land-mine. The bridges that once were suburban roads can still be seen in the sea of rugby and soccer posts."

"Cringle Brook has its source in South Reddish and is called Black Brook, giving its name to Black Brook Road where it rises in Springfield Road (named after the spring?). It flows south west to be joined in Heaton Chapel by a large tributary which probably has its source near Broadstone Hall Road, Reddish, and takes a meandering course, first south to near the recreation ground at Ash Grove, turning north to Downham Road, past Brook Avenue. Under School Lane by our familiar Nelstrop Road, past Heaton Primary School, it traces its course to join Black Brook near the end of Langdale Road. Here the river marks the border of Stockport and Levenshulme, and probably becomes Cringle Brook after passing under Stockport Road. The name 'Cringle' is Anglo-Saxon from 'cringan' - to die - because in its winding, twisting course it resembles the death-like writhing. The words 'cringe' and 'crinkle' are modern derivations of the same word. In the survey of the Manor of Manchester in 1320 'Mere-Clou between Reddish and Heton, Kryngel-broke between Leavens-Hulme and Hetone' are mentioned and it is possible that the township of Burnage - Burn Edge - takes its name from the burn or brook of Cringle.

The brook can be seen in Cringle Fields which were once known as Brook Flat and were the gardens of Cringle Hall, and passes under Milwain Road, under Slade Lane past Cringle Hall Road, beneath Kingsway and Santon Avenue to emerge briefly under Kingswood Road. Here is meets Willow Brook, a tiny river which rises in Cringle Fields and flows directly under Crossley Road and Grangethorpe Road where it meets a small stream from the south at Hoscar Drive which flows from Arbor Drive, under Burnage Lane and South Avenue.

The combined streams run under Kingsway a little to the north of Grangethorpe Road to join Cringle Brook near Hore Grove [Hove Drive?]. Cringle Brook is lost again under Ladybarn Lane and turns north under this road to just opposite Kingswood Road where it continues west along Brook Road to Wilmslow Road. Here once stood a building known as Cabbage or Cribbage Hall, also called Fallowfield Lodge, so named because it was once owned by a taylor who cut his coats shorter than his cloth! Under the corner of Wellington Road and Victoria Road, Withington, a small stream joins the main stream but gives the large river its name, Ley Brook. This flows under Mauldeth Road and Parrs Wood Road and up to Wellington Road. The combined waters flow under Brentbridge Road and Delacourt Road to join Gore Brook near the railway line. Adjacent to this spot once stood Withington Hall... Old Moat Lane is probably a memory of this hall.

Apparently, this old Hall was once the home of the Mosleys, who bought the manor of Withington in 1597, but built a new manor house, Hough End Hall, in Chorlton."

* Kenneth Whittaker (in A History of Withington) describes the history of Wellington Road: "The road was previously called Raspberry Lane but John Baird, writing in the 1896 Bazaar Handbook, suggested that this was a corruption of Raspere' Lane. The name Raspere' had been taken from a Frenchman who resided there. Whatever the correct explanation, the Ordnance Survey sheet of 1848 gives an added twist by naming it Rassbeaur's Lane."