Monochrome Moment: Ryecroft Mill

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The bulk of Ryecroft Mill dominates the view along Hamilton Street in Ashton's West End.

Ryecroft Mill was built in 1837 as a cotton spinning mill. It was the second of a complex of four mills built close together in the area. It now produces Weetabix and other foods.

The neat terraced houses are typical of many such rows built in Ashton to house the mill workers.

See Birds Eye View of this location.

This image is a contribution to Monochrome Weekend. Please follow the link to visit other sites taking part.

Sky Watch: St John's Church

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St John's Church in Hurst is one of the churches within the boundaries of Ashton to have a steeple. Its position on the ridge that runs from Hurst Cross to Hurst Knoll means that the spire is clearly visible from miles away.

The church is set back from Kings Road in a grassy churchyard. The building to the right is the thriving parish centre.

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!

Brickwork

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"B" is for "Brickwork" and there are plenty of examples of interesting brickwork around Ashton.

When these basic terraced houses were constructed on Kings Road, Hurst, a hundred years or so ago, the builder decided to distinguish them by including this banding of decorative brickwork. The photo below shows that the band runs around the tops of the doors and windows of all three houses in this terrace.



Rows of terraced houses were built in all parts of Ashton during the Victorian period to house workers for the cotton mills and other factories of the town.

See Birds Eye View of this location.

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

Warrington Street

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Looking northwards along Warrington Street towards Bow Street and the Open Market ground. Only a few decades ago this was a busy bus route and cars parked along the side of the market. There are usually far more pedestrians milling around here but the cold weather must be keeping some away.

"Warrington Street" 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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Monochrome Moment: Dukinfield Town Hall

Only a mile away from the centre of Ashton is the Town Hall of Ashton's near neighbour Dukinfield.

Dukinfield, across the old county boundary in what was Cheshire, developed much later than Ashton. Its late Victorian Town Hall was opened in 1901. The tower has five bells from the famous bell-makers Taylors of Loughborough and the clock was made by Joyce of Whitchurch, the same manufacturer that made the clock at Stalybridge Station.

The Town Hall is built of Accrington Brick with stone banding, the colours of which can be seen in this photo which appeared earlier.

See Birds Eye View of this location.

This image is a contribution to Monochrome Weekend. Please follow the link to visit other sites taking part.

Sky Watch: Communications Centre

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Look up towards the sky at Hurst Cross and you see the centre of communications here - this telephone pole! It has an array of cables radiating out to the houses on both sides of the road.

It is situated on Kings Road, close to the junction with Queens Road at Hurst Cross, in the north-eastern suburbs of Ashton.

The moody clouds somehow form a satisfying backdrop to the image.

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!

Ashton Moss

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"A" is for Ashton Moss. This was a large area of peat moss that extended almost to the centre of Ashton. Since Victorian times much of the Moss was used for market gardening, with many smallholdings.

In recent years the M60 motorway cut through the middle of the Moss and huge areas have been developed as retail, business and leisure areas. Yesterday's post shows the new hotel that has been built.

Today's photo was taken only a short distance from yesterday's, looking north across an area of derelict land and a few of the smallholdings that survive. Beyond the radio masts, a train can be seen heading from Ashton to Manchester.

On the extreme right of the photo you can see the signal box that appeared in this post. I wonder if that is the same train?

Ashton Moss was like a big sponge that would soak up water. Apparently, the residents of Littlemoss had a clear view of the buildings in Ashton across the Moss, except after heavy rain, when the saturated ground would rise and hide Ashton from view!

See Birds Eye View of this location.

"Ashton Moss" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "A" posts please follow this link.

Black Box

After all the whiteness of recent weeks, here, for a change, is something black. Or is it grey?

It's the new Village Hotel on Ashton Moss, just off Lord Sheldon Way and almost alongside the motorway.

I'm sure it is really nice inside but I can't help thinking it looks rather grim from the outside.

If anyone staying at the hotel gets bored in the evening, it is only a few yards walk to Cine World, Hollywood Bowl and assorted eateries. Or they could always go and look at the statues that line Lord Sheldon Way!

In the background, to the left of the hotel, you can see the tower of St Peter's Church in the West End of Ashton.

See Birds Eye View of this location. It doesn't look quite as black from the air.

Market at Twilight

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Now that the Big Thaw has taken place it's a good time to be reminded what Ashton looks like without a covering of snow!

In the depths of Winter, darkness falls before the shops and market close so, towards the end of the day, you find scenes like that in today's photo, in which shoppers are finishing off their tour of the shops and market before making their way back to the bus or car.

As you can see from the sky, it is not quite dark yet but dark enough for aall the lights to make this image quite dramatic.

The photo shows Ashton's open market, with the Market Hall in the background.

"Market at Twiglight" 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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Monochrome Moment: Market Street

The Great Thaw is definitely under way and most of our recent snow is now disappearing. However, as a further reminder of the magic that snow lends to a scene, here is a photo of Market Street and the Market Hall in Ashton from a couple of weeks ago.

The fresh snow coats the evergreen bushes, the head and shoulders of The Pieman statue, the ledges of the Market Hall's walls and the branches of the trees. The scene looks striking as a black and white image. A case of less is more?

See Birds Eye View of this location.

This image is a contribution to Monochrome Weekend. Please follow the link to visit other sites taking part.