Secret Lake Stories cover art

Secret Lake Stories

Secret Lake Stories

Written by: Levenshulme Old Library
Listen for free

About this listen

 Secret Lake Stories is a standalone immersive audio project created by sound designer and composer Emily Zurowski for Levenshulme Old Library. The work focuses on the Secret Lake, a small, enclosed body of water between Levenshulme and Reddish that is largely hidden from view and reached by footpaths through surrounding woodland. Using field recording, binaural sound and the voices of those who use the space every day, the piece builds an intimate acoustic portrait of the site and its immediate environment. The project sits alongside the place-based podcast You Are Here and is designed for headphone listening, in stillness or on the move.Copyright 2026 Levenshulme Old Library Art Biological Sciences Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Secret Lake Stories

    Secret Lake Stories
    Dec 20 2025

    Secret Lake Stories is a soundwork created by sound designer and composer Emily Zurowski, recorded on and around a small, enclosed body of water known locally as the Secret Lake, on the border of Levenshulme and Reddish in Greater Manchester. Largely hidden from surrounding streets and reached by footpaths through scrub and woodland, the lake sits within a patchwork of former industrial land, housing, railway edges and informal green space.

    The piece is centred on the voices of people who know the lake well and spend time there: walkers, neighbours and those who return to it regularly. Their reflections, memories and observations are interwoven with field recordings made at the site, capturing water movement, birdsong and distant human activity.

    The lake itself originated as part of an industrial-era water system, later falling out of use and gradually becoming rewilded. Over time it has developed into a quiet, unofficial local landmark, shaped as much by neglect and chance as by design.

    Best experienced on headphones.

    1. Composed and created by Emily Zurowski
    2. Produced for Levenshulme Old Library
    3. Executive producer - Richard V. Hirst
    4. Recorded on location in 2025 at the Secret Lake

    To find out more, visit levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk.
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
No reviews yet