Stalybridge Saturday: Waterloo Road

Think of Waterloo Road School these days and many people will think of the BBC drama series about a fictional school in Rochdale where the most unlikely series of events constantly occur. (But then, a programme that accurately depicted life in a real school would be too dull!)

However, this rather grand building in Stalybridge was once Waterloo Road Girls' Secondary School, until it was replaced by Copley High School.

The building has seen constant use since the schoolgirls moved out. For many years it housed Tameside's Teachers' Centre as well as council offices. More recently part of it has become Stalybridge Police Station.

Microsoft's bird's-eye views have only just been extended to include Stalybridge so, if you click the link below, you may be tempted to use it to explore Stalybridge a bit more!

See Google Aerial View of this location.
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Sky Watch: Henry Square

You can't help but look upwards in Henry Square, as it is dominated by the 120 foot high Byzantine-style tower of the Old Swimming Baths.

There are various views about what should happen to this iconic 140-year old building, for which many Ashtonians hold much affection. The problem is finding a suitable new use for the huge building, which stands in the St Petersfield redevelopment area.

The tower helps to frame the clouds that hang low in the otherwise clear sky.

Clicking on the photo to see the larger version will show a distant glimpse of the Pennine moorland above Stalybridge.

See Google Aerial View of this location before the new building was constructed.
See fairly recent LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.

Sky Watch is the regular Friday 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!

Adam Street

Looking up Adam Street, off Mossley Road, towards the back of the http://ashton-under-lyne.blogspot.com/2009/02/albion-sunday-school.html, seen from another angle yesterday.

The plain styles of the houses, with little more decoration than fancy brick or stonework over the windown and doors, contrasts with the exotic decoration and banding on the Sunday School building.

The tall windows on the upper floor of the school show where the 1000-seat hall was located.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
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Albion Sunday School

As Sunday Schools go, Albion Sunday School in Ashton was pretty big! When it was opened in 1862, it was the largest in England!

It was opened to serve the needs of the families of the independent church movement in Ashton, which had started in 1780, meeting in various rooms and then a small chapel in Penny Meadow. This was replaced with the larger Albion Chapel in 1834. The Albion School was built alongside this chapel, but in 1895 the chapel was too small again and closed when the magnificent Albion Congregationalist Church was opened opposite the junction of Stamford Street and Mossley Road. [More history.]

The Sunday School boasted a large assembly room that could seat 1000 people. It also had an infants' room, eleven classrooms and a lecture room. From 1869 until 1926 the building was a day school, and for all but the last 7 years had the same headteacher - one Abraham Park!

In recent years the building has been used as a retail carpet warehouse and an office furniture showroom.

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Mossley on Monday: St George's Church

It's not St George's Day yet but today's photo has a lot of St George about it! This is a view of St George's Parish Church in Mossley, seen looking across the yard of St George's Primary School. You will also see the flag of St George fluttering from the pole at the top of the church tower.

The first church here was built in 1757 for the bargain price of £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.

The school was opened in 1873 and claims to be the oldest primary school in Tameside. It has had various extensions over the years, most recently in 2007.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Sunday Stroll: Diggle Locks

Ashton is a good starting point for walking along canal towpaths, which are more or less flat and pretty easy going. The first part of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, between Ashton and Stalybridge, is interesting enough but very industrial.

Eight miles along the canal, however, you are in another world as the locks of the Diggle flight climb up from Uppermill to Diggle, where the canal disappears into the 3.2 mile long Standedge Tunnel.

Alongside the canal, the railway also climbs towards its own tunnel, parallel with the canal tunnel.

When you are walking along a canal, it is always nice to see a boat to add colour and interest to the scene. But even more interesting also to see a steam train passing on the railway line in the background! I'm afraid the engine itself had passed by the time I got the camera ready, but this particular one was hauling twelve carriages, so I had time to capture them!

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Stalybridge Saturday: Dreary View

The view from Platform 2 of Stalybridge Station on a wet weekend is not the most welcoming or inspiring. The platform overlooks an area of industrial muddle that has seen better days.

However, Longlands Mill, on the right of the photo, is now being refurbished into smart apartments, which should help to improve the first impressions of visitors alighting from their trains.

In the centre of the picture you can see the splendid former Market Hall and beyond that the majestic bulk of the Pennine moors.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Sky Watch: Reach for the Sky!

The twin spires of St James' Church, Cowhill Lane, point to an almost clear blue sky. Only the faintest suggestion of cloud appears on this bright winter's day.

The church stands atop a small hill - maybe the one which gave Cowhill Lane its name?

St James' Church is only 300 metres from Ashton Market Hall and just 500 metres from Ashton's Parish Church.

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Sky Watch is the regular Friday 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!

The Ash Tree

The Ash Tree is Ashton's branch of the J D Wetherspoon pub chain. It stands on Wellington Road, opposite the Market Hall.

On the part of the site to the left was at one time a pub called the Horse and Jockey, which had opened in 1827 as the Hare and Hounds. A small cinema called The Queens Electric Cinema occupied another part of the site, as did the Alexandra Billiard Hall.

More recently a small shopping development was built here but did not thrive and was converted into the popular pub.

On the left of the photo can be seen the old fire station and on the right the Kwik Fit tyre depot on the corner of Henrietta Street.

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Hazelhurst Road

Another visit today to Hazelhurst, on the eastern edge of Ashton.

Today's view is looking down Hazelhurst Road from near its junction with Old Road, with the junction of Ashbourne Road visible a short way ahead. This is the highest estate in Ashton and gets more snow than other parts! From the little park on the left there are long range views across Cheshire with Jodrell Bank telescope visible on the horizon.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Mossley on Monday: Bollards

The street furniture in Mossley, including the fence on the left, the street lights and this row of bollards, is painted in the town's corporate colours of green and gold. Each town within the Tameside Metropolitan Borough has its own corporate solour scheme - Ashton's being dark blue and silver.

This view looks from Market Street down Stamford Street, with Quick Edge rising in the background.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Sunday Stroll: Boodle Woods in the Snow

Boodle Woods in Daisy Nook Country Park is always an interesting place to go walking, as long as you don't mind the steps that go up or down the steeper parts of the path.

In the snow of a couple of weeks ago, Boodle Woods felt magical. I almost expected Narnia's White Witch to arrive on a sleigh. For most of my walk I had the place to myself and experienced the peculiar stillness and quietness that you get when it snows. Luckily a couple of walkers and their dogs appeared to add a human touch to my otherwise empty photos!

In the Daisy Nook car park, just five minutes walk from this spot, the café was selling bacon butties and hot drinks!

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Stalybridge Saturday: Victoria Bridge

Today's photo was taken at Victoria Bridge, where Trinity Street crosses the River Tame, in the middle of Stalybridge (two miles from Ashton).

The splendid details of the Victorian ironwork has been picked out by the careful paintwork. The date 1867 appears in small white lettering above the word "Victoria". A larger plaque below shows the date 1991 - presumably when the bridge was refurbished. (Click the photo to see larger version.)

The building to the right of the bridge is the Post Office. You can just see part of a weir where the river disappears around the bend. In the distance you can see the snow-covered Pennine moors. Although the snow has melted down in Stalybridge, the snow on the hills lasts a lot longer!

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Sky Watch: Late Afternoon at Ashton Market

This is a late afternoon view across Ashton Market ground from the steps of the Town Hall.

The stalls of Ashton's popular open market are seen on the right and the Market Hall to the left.

The strange quality of the light has turned the figures into silhouettes. The random scattering of the figures makes me think of the paintings of L S Lowry!

Sky Watch is the regular Friday 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!

The Old Woolworth's

This view of Stamford Street shows what was Ashton's original Woolworth store (the second shop from the left). In the 1960s Woolworth moved to a store on Warrington Street, between Marks and Spencer and the bus station, facing onto the market ground. In the 1990s the store moved into the Arcades shopping mall, where it remained until it closed in December 2008.

The original building remains in use as a shop, although it has been through several owners and lost its upper floor in a fire.

The shop is now a good-sized charity shop for the Wooden Canal Boat Society, and proceeds from the shop go to help in the preservation and restoration of historic wooden canal boats based at Portland Basin and towards the development of a boatyard in Stalybridge, where work on the boats can take place.




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Misty Market

It's not always sunny in Ashton, although you might think so from looking through the photos on this blog. Naturally, when I go out to photograph a location, I usually wait until the weather is reasonable, so that the picture looks passable.

However, there are days when the weather itself is the subject of the photo. That is the case with today's image, looking from Warrington Street along Bow Street towards Ashton's historic Market Hall, with the open market on the left and the Town Hall looming in the background.

It's a dull and drab day but the mist adds a little touch of mystery that makes me want to share it with you!

Going, going...

Another look at the demolition work taking place at Hillgate Street Works, as seen here a couple of weeks ago. Click the photo to see a larger version.

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Mossley on Monday: Snow at Roaches Lock

The wintry scene at Roaches Lock on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Mossley. The lock's number 15W can be seen painted on one of the balance beams.

Behind the houses on Manchester Road a train is passing through on the route between Huddersfield and Manchester. Beyond that are seen the spire of St John's Church and the steep terraces of Roughtown clinging to the edge of the hill.

The Roaches Lock public house is out of sight to the right.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Sunday Stroll: Lily Lanes

After a week of wintry weather, what better than a snowy stroll in the sunshine?

This photo looks along Lily Lanes from the direction of Broadcarr. This part of the lane is round the back of Hartshead Pike, which is out of sight on the hill to the right.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Stalybridge Saturday: Old Forge

Last Saturday I showed you the unusual sight of two sheep and a dog posing outside Old Forge Furniture on Waterloo Road in Stalybridge.

Today I am showing you a wider view of the front of the building. The furniture company got its name from the fact that this building was originally blacksmith Arthur New's Shoeing Forge, built in 1907 although probably replacing an earlier forge. The name of Arthur New can be seen on the stones of the arch. (This can be seen better if you click on the image to see the larger version.)

At the time the forge was built the motor car was still a very rare sight and there was plenty of demand for horses to be shoed!

Unfortunately the blue banner above the arch is covering up a stone plaque bearing the words "Shoeing Forge".

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Sky Watch: Just Before Dawn

This is the view looking eastwards towards the Pennine moorland just before dawn on a winter's morning. I didn't have to wake up early to see this - dawn comes late in the winter and it was around 8.00 am.

The photo is completely untouched and is exactly as it came from the camera (except being reduced in size). The brilliant colours were quite startling to see but had faded into pastel shades only a few minutes later.

The hills are seen across Mossley and Micklehurst, in the Tame Valley, 4 miles from Ashton under Lyne. The hills can be seen from Ashton, but not as dramatically!

Sky Watch is the regular Friday 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!

Fun in the Snow

With some of the local schools being closed during this week's wintry weather, some of the older children took themselves off to Daisy Nook Country Park to have a bit of fun in the snow.

Between Waterhouses Locks and the Fairbottom Branch of the canal, a grassy slope proves ideal for sledging. Children don't make home-made sledges from odd bits of wood, as they once might have, but instead buy ready-made plastic sliding devices. These are just as much fun when it comes to sliding down the hill, but don't hurt so much if they land on top of you when you fall off at the bottom!

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Cedar Street

Cedar Street is off Curzon Road, in the Hurst area of Ashton.

The bright red of the Accrington bricks contrasts with the white of this week's snowfall. The snow was not deep compared with the snows of many years ago but was enough to cause a certain amount of disruption to the daily routine, such as closing some of the local schools for a day or two.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

S'No Market Today!

Here is an extra photo for you today - taken yesterday at 11.45 am on Ashton Market. It is not very often that you will find the market stalls empty on a Monday morning, so I thought that this was a sight worth sharing.

The traders must have decided that it wasn't worth getting cold and wet for the small number of customers they would probably get if they were there!

The buses were running, however, unlike those in London, and in spite of the BBC claiming that Britain had ground to a halt!

A Chilly Scene...

Winter returned to Ashton this week with a good helping of snow on Monday. This photo shows the Town Hall steps through a curtain of snowflakes. The traders on the open market seem to have decided against setting up for the day - and who can blame them?

Ashton itself has a fairly thin coating of snow, but as you climbed uphill through Hurst and Hazelhurst the snow was deeper - up to 6 inches where it had been blown by the wind! The snow on the sides of the sign post and camera poles shows how the wind was driving the snow.

Look out for more wintry scenes here in the next few days.

Mossley on Monday: All Saints Church

This is the rather sad sight of All Saints Church in Micklehurst, Mossley.

This church, which dates from 1893, was built to serve the Micklehurst area of Mossley. The parish was originally in the county of Cheshire.

Sadly the building suffers extensively from rot and is now derelict. It is boarded up and awaiting official redundancy. The parishioners now worship in the All Saints Institute in nearby Micklehurst Road. It is hoped that a new church and hall can be built on the site of the old church.

See Google Aerial View of this location.

Back Alley

February's Theme Day is "Paths and Passages". Ashton has many streets of terraced houses, many of which were built in the 19th century to house the growing population of workers in the cotton mills. Behind these houses are alleyways like the one in today's photo.

I know that some of the overseas visitors to this blog are fascinated by our terraced houses. One of the problems of building rows of houses is how to get access to the rear. The streets were therefore built with alleyways, giving access to the back yards of the houses. In some of the longer streets there were "ginnels" or passageways through to the back with part of a bedroom above.

When many of the terraced houses were built, there were no inside toilets, but they had their toilets or "privvies" in the back yard or courtyard, sometimes shared with neighbours! These toilets fed into containers that had to be emptied every week or two by the so-called "night soil man", who arrived with his horse and cart. The night soil man would definitely need to use the back alley, as nobody would want the stuff brought through the house! The coalman, too, would come around the back delivering sacks of coal to people's back yards.

Nowadays many of the back alleys are "gated" for improved security. This alley runs along the back of Henrietta Street and leads to a wide courtyard between Ramsden Street and Halifax Street. Many back alleys have now been paved with concrete flag stones but I chose this alley for today's photo because it is paved with traditional cobbles or setts.

More back alleys can be seen here and here.

Click here to view thumbnails for all the participants in today's Paths and Passages theme day.

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