Pie Stall

Who can fail to find their mouth watering when they see the delicious pies on the stall in Ashton Market Hall?

They've got meat pies, meat and potato pies, steak and kidney pies, steak and ale pies, pork pies, cheese and onion pies, mince beef and onion pies, apple pies and blueberry pies.

Market Hall Re-opens

It's open at last! After four and a half years, Ashton's Market Hall once again thronged with shoppers.

Every stall was occupied by traders and it seemed as if every inch of floor space was occupied by shoppers! The bareness of the modern decor seen in the preview photos a couple of weeks ago has been replaced by a mass of colour and life.

Although it is in effect a brand new state-of the art building constructed within the walls of the old market hall, the designers have tried to bring to it some of the character that the old market had. Instead of the broad, straight aisles found in modern market halls elsewhere in the region, Ashton's new market hall still has some nooks and crannies. There are curves and angles with some passages narrower than others. But the place has a feeling of lightness and openness brought about by the removal of the old internal walls and the design of the high vaulted roof with its rows of windows that let the light flood in.

There are two new web pages with more than 30 photos of the inside of the Market Hall to be found here.

I will post further photos of the market on this blog. Don't forget that you can see larger versions of the photos on this blog by clicking on them, although you will need to use your "back" button the return here.

See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location while the Market Hall was still being re-built.

Alphabet Friday - Waterworks

"W" is for "Waterworks" and this building on Henrietta Street was once the offices of Ashton's water supply company. The stone on the roof parapet above the door bears the words: "Ashton under Lyne Waterworks AD 1838".

The Ordnance Survey map of 1848, just 10 years after this building was constructed, shows that there was a small circular storage reservoir just behind the building. This site was presumably chosen as it is on the top of the closest hill to the town. The storage reservoir was fed from Knott Hill Reservoir, which was built at Hazelhurst around this time. Ashton under Lyne Waterworks Company had been formed in 1825 and in 1856 was taken over by Ashton Corporation.

The 1848 map shows that Henrietta Street finished just a few yards to the left of this building, with the open land of Lees Fields beyond. The waterworks were literally on the very edge of the town at that time.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

Latchford Street (2)

Today we pay a second visit to Latchford Street, which we saw in April.

This view is looking west from Elgin Street, across Minto Street, to Oldham Road and the Lych Gate at Christ Church.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

Heading East

The 1607 departure from Ashton to Stalybridge moves out of what was once known as Charlestown Station for the 6 minute journey to Stalybridge, where it will terminate. Alternate trains from Manchester Victoria to Ashton and Stalybridge continue to Huddersfield, stopping at all stations en route.

The train has just passed under Henrietta Street. On the left, through the trees, Tameside Council's offices can be seen. In the distance beyond the bridge lies the blue bulk of IKEA.

This line is now used only by local trains. The Trans-Pennine Express trains bypass Ashton on the track that passes through the site of the former Park Parade Station on their way to Manchester Piccadilly.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Over The Top

This was the main A635 Manchester Road through Bottom Mossley last weekend. The road was closed off for 24 hours while a giant crane was set up to help put a replacement footbridge into position across the railway.

The railway lines runs behind the houses, which is why such a large crane, which was capable of lifting 80 tonnes, was needed.

The old and new bridges were not lifted over the houses, though. At around 3.00 am the old bridge was lifted down onto bogies on the railway track and moved along to the station yard 300 yards away, where a smaller crane lifted it off.

On Sunday afternoon the new bridge (which had arrived at the station yard by lorry) was lifted onto the bogies and moved along the track to the bridge site. The large crane in the photo then lifted it from the bogies, rotated it and placed it onto the bridge piers.

The railway line was closed to trains through much of the weekend, although some freight trains moved through very slowly late on Saturday night. The road closure caused disruption to cars and bus services. Some of the drivers of the rail replacement coaches seemed uncertain as to which way they should go to get to the next station at Stalybridge!

Hopefully the new bridge will last another 150 years!

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Alphabet Friday - Valley Aqueduct

"V" is for "Valley Aqueduct" and this attractive location is situated on the present northern boundary of Ashton, although at one time Ashton extended a lot further northwards.

The aqueduct carries the disused Fairbottom Branch of the Ashton Canal across Knott Lanes, which leads down from Bardsley. This section of canal was filled in after the aqueduct began to leak. It is hoped that the canal here can be restored, however.

The road is now a dead end for vehicles but it was the main carriage road north from Ashton to Oldham and Rochdale, before the 1765 turnpike road was built, which ran directly from Waterloo to Bardsley and has become the modern A627 Oldham Road. The original road ran along Downing Street to Taunton on its route into Ashton.

The area shown in the photo is now part of Daisy Nook Country Park and there are some pleasant woodland and canalside walks to be had around here.

See Google Aerial View of this location, although the road and canal are both hidden by trees!

The Road to the Aisles

This picture shows the western end of the Market Hall, looking towards Bow Street, with the entrances from the Open Market on the right and the aisles between the stalls going off to the left.

Between the entrances some smaller stalls will occupy recesses. Above the entrances are full height windows lining the corridor which serves the new offices on the mezzanine level.

New Indoor Market Stalls

This photo shows some of the new stalls in the Market Hall, opening in 9 days.

All the stalls were created to suit the requirements of the traders. Some have had very little added to the floor space while others have had specialised counters and fittings made for them.

The council took possession of the Market Hall last weekend and traders have had access from this week to enable them to set up in readiness for the re-opening.

Looking down on the new stalls

Today's picture is looking down on the new stalls in the re-built Ashton Market Hall from the new mezzanine level. This level houses offices and will not be accessible to shoppers.

The internal walls that divided up the original building have been removed to create one big space. The new roof is designed to give the same airy and spacious feel as the old one.

(Click photo to see a larger version and click Back to come back here.)

Room with a View

The view out across Ashton's open market from one of the new offices in the re-built Market Hall. (Click photo to see a larger version and click Back to come back here.)

What a fascinating location! I think I'll rent that office, sit and stare out of the window all day and not do any work!

Market Hall Revealed!

In just two weeks time, Ashton Market Hall, re-built after the 2004 fire, opens its door once again to shoppers!

For those of you who can't wait to see what the inside looks like (or who are too far away) here is a preview for you! Of course, it will look a lot more colourful once the stalls are full of items for sale!

Every stall will be occupied so there will be plenty for shoppers to find. The aisles are wider than in the original building, however, a new basement contains all the services and storage areas so that the maximum of space can be occupied by traders. There is also a new mezzanine level running around two sides of the building housing offices.

I will post further photos here over the next few days. Smaller versions of the photos can be seen on two new web pages showing the Market Sales Floor and Behind the Scenes.

Alphabet Friday - Ugly Faces

"U" is for "Ugly Faces" and these particular examples can be found around the outside of Ashton Parish Church.

A stone moulding known as a hoodmould runs around the top of each window and door around the outside of the church. At each end of the hoodmoulds are carved stone heads. These were added at the time of the 19th century re-building of the church exterior. Such carved heads are very common on churches.



The heads each side of the windows tend to have comic ugly faces. Back in May we saw the more elegant heads that are to be found on each side of a small doorway at the back of the church.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Gorsey Farm Cottage

A face-on view of Gorsey Farm Cottage, which was seen on Saturday's visit to Gorsey Lane.

The date stone over the door reads AD 1766. When the farmhouse was built it was surrounded by fields but in the 1790s Hazelhurst Nill, a small cotton mill was built on the opposite side of the lane. This early mill was powered by a horse walking round and round. A four-storey extension to the mill was built in the 1850s, by which time it was powered by steam and employed 50 people. It was rebuilt after a fire, but a second fire in 1883 closed it for good and there are now houses on the site.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

St Stephen's Church

A scene which looks to be many miles from Ashton but is in fact on the boundary between Ashton and Audenshaw. The spire of St Stephen's Church at Guide Bridge is seen rising above the trees that line the Ashton Canal.

Guide Bridge railway station is out of sight to the left, behind the trees. Mosy peopl epassing through the busy traffic junction at Guide Bridge are unaware that the canal passes below.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Gorsey Lane

Looking down Gorsey Lane, from the junction with Ashbourne Drive, Hazelhurst. Gorsey Farm Cottage is on the right, with The Peaks pub further down on the right, beyond the pedestrians, who are opposite the chippie. The tennis courts seen yesterday are out of sight around the bend at the bottom of the hill, after the main road turns left to become Kings Road.

The layout of the road junction in the foreground changed a few years back, with traffic from the right having to give way to traffic from Ashbourne Drive. Behind the camera, the road narrows as it curves around towards the Junction pub and Mossley Road.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Alphabet Friday - Tennis Courts

"T" is for "Tennis" and these two tennis courts at Rose Hill Tennis Club are hidden away at the top end of Gorsey Lane, not for from The Peaks pub in the Hazelhurst area.

There are not many tennis courts left in the area now. I think there are some at West End Park and Stamford Park.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Colonel Duckenfield

This statue of Colonel Robert Duckenfield stands outside the entrance to Dukinfield Town Hall, King Street, was erected in 2007.

Colonel Duckenfield lived from 1619 to 1689 and was High Sherrif of Cheshire. He was Lord of the Manor of Dukinfield, living at the now-demolished Dukinfield Hall, where he established up the first independent chapel in England (Old Hall Chapel - the oldest Nonconformist chapel). He fought for the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War and led thew forces that captured the Isle of Man.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Autumn Colours at Daisy Nook

Looking a little like a Constable painting, this autumn scene shows the Hollinwood Canal in Daisy Nook, between Ashton and Failsworth.

This was Waterhouses Junction, where the Fairbottom Branch led off towards Bardsley. To the left the canal leads to Crime Lake. To the right was a flight of four locks which took the canal down to the lower level to cross the aqueduct.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Wind Turbine

Ashton under Lyne Sixth Form College on Darnton Road has installed a 20kw wind turbine on its playing field as a way of cutting power bills and helping the environment.

This vertical axis wind turbine was designed to produce renewable energy cost-effectively, cleanly and quietly. This is the first college in the North West to have its own on-site wind turbine.

It is very new and was only switched on in October. A slight blur in the photograph will show you that the turbine was rotating fairly quickly when this shot was taken from nearby Montague Road. The high open country of Hobson Moor above Stalybridge can be seen in the background.

Older readers will remember the Sixth Form College as being Ashton Grammar School.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

The Word is On The Street!

For today's Theme Day on "Books" we pay another visit to Maurice Miner, whom we met coming up for air last Sunday.

He is one of a series of light-hearted scupltures to have been put up in the area to celebrate the forthcoming re-opening of the old Ashton Market Hall after the 2004 fire.

This miner celebrity has dropped in here in Market Avenue in Ashton. He is seen here amusing himself with some down to earth reading. He is a mine of information and tried to floor me with a few questions. He told me that life has been the pits recently but these days things were looking up!

See Google Aerial View of this location.

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