Sky Watch: Down the Line

Today's glorious evening sky view is looking along the railway line from Ashton eastwards towards Stalybridge.

It is looking from the bridge where Cowhill Lane crosses the railway. The next bridge carries Romney Street. To the right of the bridge you can just make out the former Albion Sunday School.

On the far right of the picture is the Markazi Jamia Mosque in Newton Street, situated in a building that was formerly the old St Mary's School. The mosque will soon be moving to a new site in Hillgate Street so that Ashton's northern by-pass road can bludgeon its way through.

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!

See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

Canalside Apartments

These attractive new apartments overlook the Ashton Canal close to Portland Basin in Ashton.

Forty years ago the canal here was an overgrown rubbish-filled eyesore and the idea of building homes looking over it would have been unthinkable! Fortunately our canal heritage is now appreciated far more and there are people passing by on boats they have hired for their holiday.

The neat homes in turn help to improve the appearance of the area which had previously had a run-down feel.

The apartments stand on the site of the old Junction Mill, but its unusual octagonal chimney has been retained for posterity.

See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

Up The Junction

Today's photo shows the Junction Inn on Mossley Road at Hazelhurst.

There have been three Junction Inns in Ashton - this one, the one on Turner Lane and one on Portland Street whose site is now part of the Ashton Bypass.

The Junction at Hazelhurst dates from 1835. In 1861 the landlord was charged with keeping a disorderly house after a visit by a plain-clothes policeman following complaints of after hours drinking on a Sunday!

The reason for the name of the pub is clear - it stands at the meeting of roads radiating in five directions! The modern A670 Mossley Road was the newer turnpike road, built around the 1830s, cutting across the older route (Old Road, Luzley Lane) at its junction with Gorsey Lane, as can be seen clearly on the Google aerial view.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
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Mossley on Monday: Off Licence

There was still a hint of frost on the roof slates when this photograph was taken. It shows the Off Licence at the junction of Carrhill Road and Stockport Road in Top Mossley. For those viewing from overseas, I should explain that it is a sort of corner shop that is licensed to sell alcohol.

The shop and adjoining cottage are set in an area of other stone-built houses. They are older than some of the other buildings nearby, having stone mullioned windows. To the left, a gap in the buildings leads to a yard surrounded by cottages that is known as Wild's Square.

The photo is looking from the steep and cobbled lower section of Sandbed Lane.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
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Sunday Stroll: Park Bridge

Even a dull day doesn't diminish the attractiveness of the Medlock Valley near Park Bridge.

Up until around fifty years ago this valley would have rung out with the sounds of the Lees family's iron works. The viaduct carrying the Ashton to Oldham railway would have been visible just down the valley. Even this gently rising riverside path was originally the track of a narrow-gauge railway that transported coal and iron down to the Hollinwood Canal at Fairbottom.

These days, however, the loudest sound you will hear at this spot is the rushing of the river beside you. A few of the iron work's buildings survive and are used for other purposes but large areas of the former works have now reverted to part of the landscape.

Behind the camera the path continues along the valley to the remains of the coal mine at Rocher Vale.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
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Sky Watch: Council Offices

It is quite difficult (in my opinion) to argue that Tameside Council's offices on Wellington Road are situated in an attractive building. In fact, when it was first constructed it was widely referred to as "The Dustbin"!

So how do I take an attractive-looking photo of the building? My answer was to show it in silhouette against a colourful evening sky. It doesn't make the building look any prettier but it does distract the eye!

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!

See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

St Ann's Church

St Ann's Roman Catholic Church on Burlington Street was opened in 1859 replacing a temporary chapel opened in 1852.

Much of the money for the building of the church was raised by Father William Crombleholme but, as Ashton fell victim to the effects of the "Cotton Famine", he was left with huge debts. The "Murphy Riots" of 1868 had resulted in considerable damage being done to the building, adding to the financial disaster.

There was no way the impoverished parishioners could raise the money needed, so in 1873, Father Crombleholme was given permission by the bishop to go on a five-year missionary tour of America to raise funds. Sadly, he died during his second missionary trip in 1884.

It was intended that the church should have a tower and spire (on the right hand corner, as seen in the photo) but the lack of money meant that these were never built. In 2003 the parish was amalgamated with that of neighbouring St Mary's when that church was demolished.

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The Ladysmith Centre

The Ladysmith shopping centre has had another facelift. The new look is tied in with major work such as the refurbishment and re-opening of the multi-storey car park, and the building of small sales booths along the side of Marks and Spencer. I showed a photo of the new-look Warrington Street entrance last month.

Compare today's photo of the entrance from Old Street with last year's photo of the same location. Personally I prefer last year's appearance, which looked smart and modern. However, both are better than the faded sixties look the centre had back in the days when it was simply referred to as "The Precinct".

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Mossley on Monday: Lych Gate

This picture shows the Lych Gate at the entrance to St George's Church in Mossley. Behind it, across the road, is St George's Vicarage.

Compare this photo with the more urban setting of the Lych Gate at Christ Church in Ashton.

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Sunday Stroll: Woodland Wander

Last week's stroll took the footpath from Mossley Cross to Knott Hill Reservoir. We saw a photo of the stile from the golf course into an area of woodland called New Covert.

Today's photo takes you further along that path into the wood, looking back in the direction the stile, which can no longer be seen through the trees. On the left is the stream that flows into Knott Hill Reservoir and then Greenhurst Clough.

In future weeks we shall see photos of the path that runs around Knott Hill Reservoir.

See Google Aerial View of this location.