In the top image it’s the time of the Civil War and Manchester’s population is no more than 10,000 people. The parish church is central to their lives and you can see it here at the centre of the map. The next map dates from 1800. Manchester’s population has increased rapidly over the preceding years to around 90,000, largely due to the developments in the textile industry. The city is expanding to the south and east, though you can see that Oxford Road is still undeveloped. Today it is one of the main southern arteries from the city lined with university and hospital buildings. The the third map shows the city’s green spaces and transport infrastructure at the turn of the twentieth century. The Ship Canal and Salford docks have opened up a new route from Manchester to the world.