Looking south-west down the River Irwell from New Bailey Street
“the former Mark Addy pub … was named after the Victorian swimmer and lifesaver Mark Addy”
This Flashback Friday was a last minute decision when walking from Salford Central into Manchester on a grey Thursday!
The top photo was kindly provided by Steve Welsh and is from 1991 looking south-west down the River Irwell from New Bailey Street (Salford on the right, Manchester on the left).
The building in the centre of the top photo is Ralli Quays - an office development built between 1991 and 1993 on the banks of the River Irwell in Salford. Designed by Fairhurst Architects for HM Customs & Excise, the complex consisted of two blocks—East and West—and was notable for being one of the first office schemes in the area to face the river rather than turn away from it.
The bottom photo was taken in January 2026 and shows the incredible change that has been delivered over the past decade or so with, on the Salford side, the introduction of New Bailey: a mixed use development which forms part of the 50 acre Salford Central Masterplan delivered by ENGLISH CITIES FUND - a strategic partnership between Muse, Homes England, and Legal & General - in collaboration with Salford City Council.
Buildings in the photo include (from right to left):
One New Bailey, designed by AHR.
Two New Bailey, designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.
Three New Bailey, designed by Make Architects.
Riverside House, designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.
Slate Yard neighbourhood, designed by AHR.
On the left and just out of shot is the Leftbank apartment scheme, which forms part of Spinningfields on the Manchester side, designed by Aedas.
The 44 metre footbridge connecting Spinningfields with New Bailey was installed in 2012.
It is also worth mentioning the former Mark Addy pub on the right hand side of the photo. It opened in 1981 and was named after the Victorian swimmer and lifesaver Mark Addy. The building was subsequently severely damaged by flooding from the River Irwell in December 2015, and it has not reopened to the public.