Castlefield later became an area of huge importance during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th Centuries- its rivers, canals and viaducts providing links for raw materials and trade. The first bridge crossed the Bridgewater canal in 1849, followed by further bridges in the 1870’s and 1890’s, linking Manchester with Liverpool to create the world’s first passenger railway.
The building of these railway viaducts destroyed any remaining evidence of the Roman fort. Striding defiantly over the historical site, giant cast iron legs march alongside great brick arches, as three bridges combine to form one mega-structure of mechanical engineering. Atop the bridges, in belated recognition of the history they have demolished, sit decorations of battlements, turrets and arrow slits.
My jewellery
has evolved from this entanglement of brick and history.
‘Mamucium’ is a ring worn over two fingers, the railway viaducts’ arches forming a perfect space for them. Constructed from sheet sterling silver, this structure carries a track, along which run movable carriages containing symbols from Manchester’s Roman past. Their cargo of carved turquoise, red coral and reindeer antler were materials widely used by the Romans for use in jewellery and everyday items. Moving freely along the track, the carriages at once reflect Castlefield’s industrial past and the battlements of Mamucium.
