MATTHEWS LANE meets Stockport Road at the Midway Pub. On the right we see the end walls of several rows of terraced houses. Matthews Lane follows the line of Nico Ditch, a pre-medieval earthwork feature of unknown origin which runs across south and east Manchester. This is also the former parish boundary between Levenshulme and Gorton. The houses must have been built in this way as the boundary runs along the right hand side of the street.

Rich says: " I like this photo because the colours of the houses come up really well. In real life I'm sure the colours wouldn't be as vivid as they are in the photograph. Your adjustments help you to see the beauty of the form that's there. Open your eyes and you'll see things you don't normally see every day."

EWM says: This scene illustrates to me the beauty and fascination of a late 19th century urban environment which remains substantially unchanged today.

HORNBEAM ROAD, off Matthews Lane, is here lit up by afternoon sunbeams. The rays of light are reflected off the the gloss-painted brick facade. With their small front gardens and protruding windows, the houses on this road are a little grander than houses the ones closer to Stockport Road.

Long straight streets like this one, laid out in a grid pattern, are typical of late 19th century urban development.

EWM says: I prefer long straight streets like this to modern developments with their cul de sacs, which I think encourage crime.

MELLAND PLAYING FIELDS is a wide open space to the east of Levenshulme, bordered on the south side by Nico Ditch. Large trees line the boundary of the field, which is about a quarter of a mile square.

EWM says: We are only a few miles from the city centre and yet this field has the appearance of the countryside. It's a reminder of how most of south Manchester looked before the housing expansion of the 20th century.

MELLAND PLAYING FIELDS are seen here in zoom view, bringing the goal posts in the centre of the fields closer to us. Birds stand on the soft moist grass. Straight ahead is the spire of Brookfield Unitarian Church on Hyde Road Gorton. To the left is a development of council flats built in the 1920's or 30's which has been disused for some time. The windows are blocked up with metal sheeting. On the right are the houses along Wembley Road, Ryder Brow.

We are standing next to Nico Ditch, which marks the ancient parish boundary between Levenshulme and Gorton.

EWM asks: Does anyone know anything about the flats and why they are standing empty?

THIS IS NICO DITCH, an earthwork feature which runs across south Manchester from Platt Fields to Audenshaw and beyond. This is the only part of the feature which is actually a ditch. Melland playing fields are on the left. Two smaller playing fields are over the fence on the right.

The footpath runs from Mount Road alongside the ditch towards Ryder Brow. This is the continuation of Matthews Lane, which is directly behind us.

The origins of Nico Ditch are unclear - Perhaps it marked the outer boundary of the estate of a nobleman named Nico.

EWM says: Co-incidentally, the tragic and legendary singer Nico - formerly of New York's Velvet Underground - lived in Stockport, not far from here. In the late 80's I saw her perform at the Carousel on Plymouth Grove.

WE ARE STANDING ON THE LINE OF NICO DITCH at the junction of Wembley Road and Holmcroft Road, Ryder Brow. Levenshulme is off to the left, down the footpath.

We think of Manchester as a continuous built-up area, but there are many open spaces, including several to the east of Levenshulme. In certain areas you'd almost think you were in the countryside.

EWM says: Those trees look very striking, like giant hands with fingers spread. Can anyone tell me the species of tree?

MANOR ROAD runs parallel to Matthews Lane from Mount Rd in the east towards Stockport Road the A6. Here, the terraced houses on the right overlook another of Levenshulme's attractive open spaces, marked on an old map as Green Bank Fields

This picture was taken in October 2001, the autumn leaves are lying on the grass next to the road

Rich says: "We often use Manor Road on the way to the tip. Often you see learner motorcyclists coming there, also people learning to drive cars. When you look at it it looks like a quiet road. You've made it look very attractive!"

EWM says: Well, I've only captured what's there in front of me!

LOOKING SOUTH ACROSS THE FIELD from Manor Road Levenshulme, with the autumn leaves on the ground. The sun is directly ahead of us, there are white fluffy counds in the sky.

EWM says: I have given a vignetting effect to this photograph to give it atmosphere and accentuate the effect of the daylight

Rich says: "I don't think I like the vignetting effect, I'd prefer it just as it is."

THE FIELDS NEXT TO MANOR RD Levenshulme, marked on an old map as Green Bank Fields, are one of Manchester's many open spaces. Here we see it in panoramic format - Manor Rd runs eastwards on the left - the line of houses on the right runs to the south. On the left is the former swimming baths and in the distance we can just make out the chimney of the former Levenshulme Finishing Works. In the centre right of the picture we can see the Manchester City Council block of flats, Cundiff Court, in south east Levenshulme.

EWM says: I deliberately avoid including people in photographs, to give the scenes a timeless quality. On an earlier shoot I saw some youths loitering in front of the building on the left. This photograph was taken on another day.

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