Rise and fall of Castle Irwell and 'The Pav': An 'iconic' part of Salford University
manchestereveningnews.co.ukFor many students in Salford, Castle Irwell and 'The Pav' were an "iconic" part of the university experience. A former horse racing track, in the 1960s Castle Irwell was sold to the University of Salford and Salford council.
It was turned into playing fields. But by the early 1970s, it became a student village - welcoming an estimated 40,000 students over half a century. Read More: An open-air mass at Heaton Park and the Popemobile on Manchester's streets in 1982 photos Many memories were made on the site as well as the old racecourse members stand, which was converted into the infamous Pavilion bar and nightclub, known as ‘The Pav.’ Operated by the students’ union, it closed in 2009.
But on its website, the university said that the Pavilion was a "huge part of our identity and history’ and ‘the catalyst for many student memories." After almost 50 years, Castle Irwell closed in June 2015.
That year, a huge farewell party was thrown to mark the village’s closure, with more than 600 former and then current students attending.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk
