Greenfield

For today's photo we open the world of Ashton a little wider with a visit to nearby Greenfield in Saddleworth.

If you take a train eastwards from Ashton, towards Huddersfield, the third stop (after Stalybridge and Mossley) is Greenfield. The railway here is winding along the side of the valley as it clims into the Pennines, so it is not surprising that this view, from just across the road from Greenfield Station, is looking down over the village of Greenfield itself.

The photo is looking along Chew Valley Road, running towards the distant steeple of St Mary's Church, with the steep hills surrounding Dovestones Reservoir in the background.

To the right, the modern building facing this way is The House That Isn't, featured on this blog three years ago..

See Bird's Eye View of this location.

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

St George's Church

Today's Sky Watch image shows St George's Church in Mossley, with its tower and steeply pitched roof reaching for the sky.

The first church here was built in 1757 for just £600! They got quite good value for money as the church lasted 120 years before it began falling apart.

It was replaced by the present church, which was opened in 1882, with the tower being completed 5 years later. St George's parish covers the part of Mossley that was historically in Lancashire. The church is situated in Top Mossley, close to the road coming over the hill from 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!

Ashton Market

Today's glimpse at the world of Ashton under Lyne shows the Market Place. In the foreground is Ashton's large open market. In the background on the right is the tower of Ashton's Market Hall. On the left is the Victorian Town Hall.

Ashton has had a market since 1284. it was originally located around the Old Cross where St Michael's Square now stands. The market has been in its present location since 1829.

The market ground is open for business six days a week, plus a Farmers' Market every fourth Sunday.

See Bird's Eye View of this location.


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

"Ashton Market" is also my contribution to the City Daily Photo theme day for August. This month's theme is "Postcard-worthy". Click here to view thumbnails for all participants. Perhaps some of you would have liked to see an image of some of our nearby pleasant rural scenery but what better subject for a postcard from Ashton than the Market which is at its heart?

White Horse

Today's glimpse at the world of Ashton under Lyne shows the White Horse pub at Cockbrook.

The White Horse opened in 1868 as a beer house but its licence was upgraded to allow it to sell wine four years later. It didn't get a full licence (i.e. to sell spirits as well) until 1956.

It would be an unremarkable building if it were not for the splendid glazed tiles that embellish the lower storey.

See Google Street View of this location.



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

I apologise to regular followers of this blog that I have not been able to post many images in recent weeks.

Hartshead Inn

Today's Sky Watch image shows the Hartshead Inn, situated off Mossley Road in Ashton, with Hartshead Pike on the skyline in the background. The pointed tower which sits atop the pike is echoed by the picture on the pub sign. The tower and the chimney both draw the eye to the cloudscape above.

For most of its life the building was known as Tongue Bottom Farm and this name is inscribed on the stone mill wheel seen below the sign. The original Hartshead Inn, on Lees Road, was always known as The Red House and changed its name to just that. Tongue Bottom Farm was converted into a pub with large dining areas and it is a popular place for Ashtonians to drive up to for a meal.

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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!

Bank Top

Followers of this blog may be surprised that today's photo is of a location in Ashton. Not only that, but the location is only a quarter of a mile from the Parish Church!

Bank Top is a little oasis of green sandwiched between the residential area of Currier Lane and the industrial area of Whitelands Road.

The area was known as Bank Top because to one side it dropped away steeply towards the River Tame. It was in between two sets of railway tracks (one of which is longer there) which separated it from developments on either side, so that the area was not built on. For some years the land was used as playing fields by the nearby Parochial School (the primary school of the Parish Church).

In recent years the area has been planted with trees and has completely changed in appearance.

It is hard to believe that this island of greenery is so close to the houses of Currier Lane and to Ashton's busy town centre.

See Bird's Eye View of this location.

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

Whit Walks

"W" is for "Whit Walks" and today's photos show scene's from Ashton's Whit Walks, which took place on Sunday afternoon.

Members of churches from different parts of Ashton process to the town centre, each accompanied by a band. The churches assemble for a united service of witness. Then all the churches walk together around the town centre before splitting and and returning to their starting points.

Other townsfolk turn out to watch the walk and listen to the bands. It is not at all a solemn religious procession - it is a very jolly affair, with the bands playing bright marches and people waving and calling out to other people they know.

In the past, when money was even more scarce than it is now, Whitsun may have been the only time in the year when people got to wear new clothes. This custom actually did have a religious origin, as Whitsun celebrates the time when the Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, went out and recruited the first Christians. The new clothes are symbolic of starting a new life.

This year, for a change, Ashton's Whit Walks once again took place on the traditional date of the Sunday after Whit Sunday - but only because that coincided this year with the third Sunday of June, which is now the fixed date for the walks. Nearby Mossley and Saddleworth still have their Whit Walks on the traditional Whit Friday, as reported here yesterday.


Above: Walkers from St Gabriel's Church, Cockbrook. Below: Dobcross Band


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"Whit Walks" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "W" posts from around the world please follow this link.
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Whit Friday Band Contests

Whit Friday is a bit special in this part of the world. Many of you have probably never heard of Whit Friday but in the areas around Saddleworth and Mossley it is one of the highlights of the year! Traditionally for many people it is a day off work. In the morning, the churches of the area hold services of witness and then parade through the streets accompanied by brass bands. This is still an important event in Mossley although it is even more spectacular in nearby Saddleworth.

Then, in the evening, hundreds of brass bands from around the country, along with some from overseas, tour round as many of the band contests in the area as they can manage. There are a number of contests throughout Tameside, including at The Broadoak Hotel and at Hurst Cross in Ashton, and in Mossley, as shown in these photos. There are even more contests in the various villages of Saddleworth. Some people like the crowds in the popular venues, such as Uppermill and Delph, while others prefer the more intimate atmosphere of the smaller contest venues.

Each contest sees at least 40 bands during the six hour event, while some see as many as 80! It is also a good evening out for anyone keen on coach-spotting!

The photo at the top shows the superb band from Wardle High School in Rochdale playing and marching along Market Street in Mossley towards the contest venue.

The photo below shows Mossley Band on home turf performing their set piece in front of the adjudicator's caravan on St Joseph's School playground. Not a very colourful photo, I'm afraid, but Mossley Band's uniform is black and the evening was a little grey!


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

Please look back in tomorrow for another "Whit"-related post.

Volunteer Inn

"V" is for "Volunteer Inn" and today's photo shows the door of Ashton's former Volunteer Inn. The Volunteer Inn stood on Old Street, opposite the Armoury, which was a drill hall for the volunteer regiment, which is how the pub got its name.

The pub has now closed and is used as the offices of a funeral director. The Armoury is now home to Ashton's Territorial Army. However, the glazed door of the pub, showing the words "Volunteer Inn" has been re-located in the mess bar inside the Armoury building.

A photo of the former Volunteer Inn featured as a "V" post a year ago.

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"Volunteer Inn" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "V" posts from around the world please follow this link.
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Ugly Face

"U" is for "Ugly Face" and today's photo shows a stone carved with an ugly face, which can be found in the Dingle in Stamford Park (see photo below).

Ashton Parish Church was partly rebuilt several times in the Victorian period and it is thought that some of the old stones that were not re-used found their way here and were used to build rustic walls in the valley known as the Dingle when Stamford Park was being created.



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See Bird's Eye View of this location.

"Ugly Face" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "U" posts from around the world please follow this link.
Please leave a comment below.