The Giants Basin is a Grade II listed building in the Manchester local planning authority area, England. First listed on 6 June 1994. Weir. 3 related planning applications.

The Giants Basin

WRENN ID
salt-rotunda-yarrow
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Manchester
Constituency
Manchester Central MP: Lucy Powell (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
6 June 1994
Type
Weir
Address
The Giants Basin, Potato Wharf, M3 4NB
OS grid reference
SJ 829 976
Coordinates
53.47558, -2.2579
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: sale history · EPC · related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Giant's Basin is a circular weir, likely built in 1765 by James Brindley for the Duke of Bridgewater. It is constructed from coursed squared sandstone. The structure is approximately 10 metres in diameter and features a two-course sloped lip. It was part of a hydraulic system designed to exploit the course of the River Medlock, which was diverted through a culvert running from east of Deansgate at Knott Mill to Potato Wharf. Canal overflow was returned to the river via this weir. The design is simple but of national historical importance. The basin forms a group with the canal basin at Potato Wharf, the Castelfield Railway Viaduct, the culvert arches on New Elm Road, and associated features including the Floodgate on Deansgate.

Local climate

The Giants Basin sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 1,060 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 85% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 77% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 43 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 81% of listed buildings. Of these, 23 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
  • Sale history — 2 transactions since 2009
  • Related listed building consents — 3 applications
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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  1. Pair of Culvert Arches Over River Medlock and Associated Overflow Channel Grade II 48 m
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  5. Rochdale Canal Lock Number 92 and Castle Street Bridge Grade II 177 m
  6. Former Liverpool Road Railway Station Station Masters House Grade I 190 m
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