Heyrod and Millbrook

Today's Sky Watch photo shows the scene looking across the Tame Valley at from Heyrod. Above the rooftops of houses in Heyrod, we see Millbrook on the other side of the valley, near the entrance to the Brushes Valley.

Near the centre of the photo is the chimney of Oakwood Mill, seen here in 2009. To the right of that, beside a pylon, Staley Hall can just be seen.

The rounded outlines of Harridge Piker and Hollingworthall Moor shape the boundary between land and sky in a satisfying way.

Heyrod is on the fringe of Stalybridge about four miles east of Ashton.

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See Google Street View of this location.

Sky Watch is a regular weekly feature on this photo blog. It links with websites all over the world with the general theme each week of looking upwards. Please take the opportunity to visit some of these other sites. I hope some new visitors have found their way here today, watching the skies!

Stamford Park Conservatory

Today's view of the world of Ashton under Lyne shows the "Conservatory" in Stamford Park, on the border between Ashton and Stalybridge.

This is not your average conservatory added on to the back of a house. This is the John Nield Conservatory, which is effectively a hothouse in which exotic plants grow. A sign over the entrance tells how it was "erected and furnished with plants from the legacy left to Stamford Park by the late John Nield Esq. J.P. Apsley House, Ashton under Lyne, Opened 3rd Oct 1907."

I showed you a photo looking up at the roof structure inside the conservatory three years ago.

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"Stamford Park Conservatory" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.

Sky Watch: Heyrod

The village of Heyrod is on the side of the Tame Valley, halfway between Stalybridge and Mossley, just over the hill from Ashton.

The photo shows the houses on John Street, with Wakefield Road just visible running behind them. On the skyline are the hills overlooking Mossley and Greenfield, with Noon Sun Hill in the centre of the photo, the Buckton Castle hilltop to the right and Wharmton to the left.

The hills draw the eye upwards, making the sky a part of the landscape of the valley. Although a fairly sunny day, a dark cloud casts a shadow over Buckton Castle and Carrbrook to the right.

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See Bird's Eye View of this location.

Sky Watch is a regular weekly feature on this photo blog. It links with websites all over the world with the general theme each week of looking upwards. Please take the opportunity to visit some of these other sites. I hope some new visitors have found their way here today, watching the skies!

Victoria Market Hall

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"V" is for "Victoria Market Hall" and today's photo shows the building of that name in Stalybridge, two miles east of Ashton under Lyne.

It is a little while since any photos of Stalybridge appeared on this blog so I thought it would be a good opportunity to see this fine building. A close-up of the clock tower appeared here almost two years ago.

The hall was opened in 1868, superseding the 1831 market, and was named after Queen Victoria, the monarch at that time. The market hall was a focus for shoppers from around the town. However, in recent years, as shoppers could easily transport themselves to nearby Ashton or to out-of-town shopping facilities, Stalybridge has become less busy as a shopping centre.

The building was re-furbished around ten years ago but unfortunately is no longer used as a market hall. It is now referred to as Stalybridge Civic Hall. There are offices and meeting rooms in the rear part of the building while the main part is used occasionally for exhibitions, functions, large meetings, etc.

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"Victoria Market Hall" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "V" posts from around the world please follow this link.
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Shadows: Bowling Green

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The spectators on the benches watching the game of bowls cast their shadows onto the ground behind them.

The bowling green is in Stamford Park, straddling the border between Ashton under Lyne and Stalybridge.

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"Bowling Green" is a contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday. Please click the link to Hey Harriet to see more Shadow Shot Sunday posts.

Stamford Park Flower Beds

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For this week's My World feature we pay another visit to the splendid flower beds in Stamford Park, on the border of Ashton and Stalybridge.

The colours have completely changed since I posted the photo of primroses in these beds in May. This photo was taken on Sunday during a history walk around the park as part of the Heritage weekend. I was amazed at how much colour these still is in the park half-way through September!

"Stamford Park Flower Beds" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


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Air Ambulance Drama in Stalybridge

There was a spot of drama in Stalybridge on Saturday when the air ambulance was called in.

Rory Lees-Oakes was nearby and noticed police cars, ambulance and fire engine in Portland Place at the junction of Stamford Street and Corporation Street and saw the helicopter circling overhead.

"They were attending a woman wearing riding apparel, who was lying on the pavement," reports Rory. "No evidence of another vehicle being involved, which leads me to believe that she may have fallen off a horse.

"The airborne medic attended and after some deliberation with the ambulance crew returned to the helicopter without the injured woman who was transported by ambulance."

The helicopter had landed on waste ground at the end of Alma Street, behind Knowl Street. Although it was not needed for the patient, its presence was of great interest to people living in the area.

These photos are copyright of Rory Lees-Oakes, to whom many thanks for permission to show them here.

See Google Aerial View of the site where the helicopter landed. See Birds Eye View of this location.

Stamford Park

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Today's photo shows the duck pond in Stamford Park, on the border between Ashton and Stalybridge.

The park was originally the grounds of Highfield Hall, which was situated at the top of the grassy slope, just left of the centre of the picture. In 1873 the grounds were opened as a municipal park shared between Ashton and Stalybridge. Highfield House itself was demolished in the 1950s. The park is shortly to have a major facelift.

"Stamford Park" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


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Yellow

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"Y" is for "Yellow" and there is certainly plenty of yellow to be seen in today's photo.

This is one of the flower beds in the formal part of Stamford Park, on the border between Ashton and Stalybridge

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"Yellow" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "Y" posts from around the world please follow this link.

"X" Marks The Flower Bed

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"X" is for, er... well, an "x"-shaped cross formed by miniature hedges! This design appears in the flower beds in Armentieres Square in Stalybridge, two miles east of Ashton.

Interesting though this botanical feature might be, also of interest is the iron beam in the background. It bears the words "Stalybridge Armentieres, 1955 - 2005, 50 Years of Friendship" and celebrates the twinning of the two towns. The beam was salvaged from the demolition of part of nearby Longlands Mill. It is an inverted T-shaped fish-backed beam which, at 8.8 metres long, was pushing the boundary for the maximum span for this type of material in the mid 19th century.

Stalybridge and Armentieres both have wartime musical associations. Armentieres features in the song "Mademoiselle from Armentieres", which was popular in the First World War. Stalybridge was where Jack Judge wrote the music hall song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" which was also popular in the First World War.

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"X Marks The Flower Bed" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "X" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Duck Pond

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Another visit this week to Stamford Park, on the border of Ashton and Stalybridge, where today's photo shows the duck pond.

Just three mallards to be seen in this picture, I'm afraid. There are more around, as well as a number of geese, but they were being camera shy on this occasion.

"Duck Pond" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


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Primroses

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My World at the moment is filled with lovely flowers, like this marvellous bed of primroses in Stamford Park, on the border of Ashton and Stalybridge.

It's a shame I couldn't get to the park on Sunday to see the Tulip Sunday display, but, as you can see, the usual formal flower beds were glorious in the park a few days before the tulip event.

"Primroses" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


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Sunday Stroll: The Dingle

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As we got the first really warm days this year, people enjoying a stroll around Stamford Park, between Ashton and Stalybridge, were able to enjoy the partial shade of a stroll through The Dingle.

This is a small wooded valley running along the western side of the park.

Many of the trees are still bare but later in the summer the leaf cover on the trees will stop much of the sunlight from reaching the path here.

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Sky Watch: Stalybridge Wharf

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This week's Sky Watch is a dramatic evening view of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Stalybridge Wharf.

This is just two miles from Ashton and makes an interesting contrast with the canal scene at Portland Basin shown earlier this week.

The canal to the west of Stalybridge, re-opened after having been filled in, does not have the character of Portland Basin, being lined now with modern industrial units, but the drama of the fiery clouds, reflected on the water, adds more than enough interest.

See Birds Eye View of this location.

Sky Watch is a regular weekly feature on this photo blog. It links with websites all over the world with the general theme each week of looking upwards. Please take the opportunity to visit some of these other sites. I hope some new visitors have found their way here today, watching the skies!


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Stalybridge Saturday - Cheese Shop

One of the things that Stalybridge can boast is a cheese shop! The town has had a specialist cheese shop for quite a few years. I seem to remember it being on Market Street some years ago, but it is now on the pedestrianised part of Melbourne Street.

As well as cheese, it sells cooked meats and other delicatessen products, along with a whole range of fresh sandwiches.

Unfortunately, when I went in to ask for my favourite, Sage Derby, I was told that they don't sell it, which was disappointing as it is a fairly well-known cheese.. For one moment I thought I had stepped into a Monty Python sketch!

They did have an interesting range of other cheeses, though.

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Sunday Stroll: Stamford Park

You don't have to go far to enjoy a pleasant stroll. Stamford Park is a favourite for many people. It is sandwiched between the houses of Ashton and Stalybridge but provides a tranquil oasis where you can slow down from the world outside!

This leafy path runs up the east side of the park, alongside Astley Road, leading towards the play park.

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Stalybridge Saturday - Astley Cheetham Public Library

This is the frontage of the Astley Cheetham Public Library on Trinity Street in Stalybridge. The name appears in carved lettering in the stonework above the doorway.

The lettering fashioned into the gates says "Read Mark Learn and Inwardly Digest". Unfortunately, you couldn't do that on a Thursday, which was when I went there, as the library is closed on Thursdays.

The building also houses the Astley Cheetham Art Gallery. The building was opened in 1901 and was a gift to the town from local mill owner and MP John Frederick Cheetham and his wife Beatrice Astley. The upper floor was originally a lecture room but was made into a gallery in 1932 to house the Astley Cheetham Art Collection, which has been expanded over the years.

This was my runner-up for last week's Doorways theme day, but I though that the fact that the building is shut in the photograph counted against it!

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November Theme Day: Doorway

For our contribution to the Doorways theme day, we visit Stalybridge, two miles down the road from Ashton, to find this doorway with the carved inscription "BOYS".

The explanation is that this was originally a school - Waterloo Road School (but not the one in the recent TV series!). Opened in 1910, it clearly started life as a mixed-sex school. This doorway, on the east side of the building, was where the boys entered the building, whereas the girls would enter by the door on the west side, which has a corresponding inscription saying "GIRLS".

Later on, the school became Waterloo Road Girls' School, so the girls would have had to use both entrances!

When Copley High School was built a mile or so away, Waterloo Road school closed and became a Teachers' Education Resources Centre.

The building now houses local offices for Tameside Council, along with the local Police Station. This side door is now the main entrance to the building.

The building first appeared on this blog in February. It is a handsome building of Accrington Brick with stone banding, with the town's coat of arms above the doorway.

Lots of other blogs are also taking part in the Doorways theme day. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

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Stamford Park in Autumn

Stamford Park is an enjoyable place for a stroll or a quiet sit down at any time of the year, but in the Autumn there is the added pleasure of the rich colours of the leaves on the trees and on the ground.

Stamford Park was originally the grounds of mill owner's home Highfield House. It lies on the boundary of Ashton and Stalybridge and became a park for the two towns in 1873.

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Sky Watch: Carrbrook

For today's Sky Watch image, we take a short trip to Carrbrook, nestling below the steep Pennine hillside on the border of Stalybridge and Mossley.

The photo is looking up Carr Rise from outside Buckton Vale Institute. On the hilltop to the left can be seen the outline of the earthworks of the 12th-century Buckton Castle. To the right of that is the scar that shows the location of Buckton Quarry.

Autumn has arrived and the trees to the right have started to shed their leaves.

Although the sun is shining, the sky over the hill tells a story as the blue sky starts to be edged out by the looming grey clouds that were to bring rain a little later.

See Birds Eye View of this location.

Sky Watch is the regular Friday feature on this photo blog. It will link with websites all over the world with the general theme each week of looking upwards. Please take the opportunity to visit some of these other sites. I hope some new visitors have found their way here today, watching the skies!