An untouched area close to the city centre with cobbled roads and ‘magical’ woodland holds fond memories for Salfordians who grew up in the ‘60s.
The Cliff, or The Landslide, or as it’s known among locals, Lanny, along the top of Lower Broughton Road, was once ‘the place to go’ in its heyday as a popular recreational spot.
It overlooks a bend in the River Irwell, as part of Kersal Dale nature reserve.
The area suffered multiple landslides in the late 1800s and early 1900s, which is where it got its name.
And on July 15, 1927, the worst landslip happened, causing part of Great Clowes Street, which meets with Lower Broughton Road, to fall away, taking with it part of the main road and tramlines.
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Salford historians say the event seems to have been the cause of the abandonment of Sycamore Cottage, Kersal Lodge, Willow House and Kersal Dale Villa - which were listed in the 1927 directory, but absent in 1928’s directory.
Fortunately, the slip was expected and trams and other vehicles had been diverted from the road.
The old tramlines still remain today, along with a few streets still cobbled.
Dog walkers and nature lovers frequent the woodlands now, but it’s not as busy as it once was, and remains unknown to many.
Deborah Winters, who runs a Facebook page dedicated to the site, where people share their memories of The Cliff, says it’s still a magical place to venture, though.
However in recent times, she and others have had to report incidents of flytipping to the council.
The 64-year-old, who now lives in Higher Crumpsall, grew up in a big family Arts and Crafts house halfway up Lower Broughton, and has fond memories of summers spent at the Lanny.
“We were always on the Lanny, it was fascinating,” Deborah said, who used to head there with her older brother John.
“You could see the cobbled street at the top where the old tramlines went along, and you can see where the land gave way now.
“It’s right near the River Irwell, it’s a lovely wood.”
Reflecting on her childhood, Deborah says she would have family picnics down The Landslide, where she played outdoors and made rope swings.
“There weren’t many places to go back then, but Lanny was the place to go.
“You were told not to go there [without adults] because the river is at the bottom, but every kid went, especially in the summer, it was just so exciting.
“When they were older, courting couples used to go to the Lanny.”
On the other side of the river stood Manchester Racecourse, which closed in 1968, with parts of the course still visible today.
People also used the hilltop area as a good vantage point to watch the races from afar.
“My grandma let me sit in the back bedroom with her to watch the races,” Deborah continued.
“People would sit at the top of the Lanny, put bets on, and watch across the water.”
Once Deborah turned 10, her mum allowed her to play out there alone, where she and friends would climb what visitors called the ‘red rock’ - a large rock formation down toward the river.
“If you were able to climb around it, it was something a bit special,” she said.
“You’d say ‘we climbed red rock today’. You would get covered in red soil. I used to go home covered and my mum would say ‘I know where you’ve been.’
“There were no rules or regulations back then, but we always came home for our tea, we were always okay.”
The Manchester Geological Association says The Cliff is composed of glacial sand and gravel on top of boulder clay, part of a ridge of glaciofluvial outwash sands extending from Swinton through to Pendlebury and across the Irwell valley to Prestwich and Cheetham Hill.
Where the Irwell meanders at the site, against the ridge between Lower Kersal and Higher Broughton, "it has undercut a steep slope in these sands and gravels resulting in an unstable area of landslips and erosion", geologists report.
In a group visit in 2010, they said “more landslips are to be expected, especially after heavy rain, as water moving down through the sand to the impervious clay, causes slip and movement sideways.”
They added to their observational report: “Interestingly, the edge of the remaining pavement still has its metal studded safety kerb to protect the stone from wear and tear by horses' hooves.”
Deborah says that while they used to jump down to the site, there are now walkways and footpaths to reach the scenic spot, just before Bury New Road.
Although she left the area in 1989, her daughter Emma, who attended Bentall Primary just across the way, would play out there, and Deborah visited her parents on The Cliff until 2010.
“It’s still just as lovely and magical,” she added.
Visitors can also stop off for a tipple at the Star Inn, just around the corner from The Cliff, which also has a rich history.
The pub, which dates back to 1867, is owned by regulars who bought it as a collective to save it from closure in 2013.
It became Britain's first urban co-operatively owned pub.
At the time of the reopening, member of the co-operative, Margaret Fowler told the M.E.N: "The Star Inn has been part of the community since 1867.
“People really missed it when it was closed down and that brought us all together to invest our own cash to re-open the pub.
"It really was easy to set it up as a co-operative and now we have got our pub back, it’s the most fantastic feeling in the world."
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