Sunday Stroll: Knott Hill Reservoir (2)

For this week's Sunday Stroll picture we pay a return visit to Knott Hill Reservoir.

Of course, looking at this photo, you may well wonder where the water is! Knott Hill is a reservoir that is no longer in use. Much of the reservoir bed has gone back to nature, with bushes and trees growing, with a much smaller area of water in the lowest part of the reservoir bed. The path you see in the photo runs right around the old reservoir and originally was at the water's edge! The tree-filled valley was originally where the water was!

This is the point where the footpath that starts from Gorsey Lane, Hazelhurst, meets the path around the reservoir. It is a pleasant and popular short walk.

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Sky Watch: Hurst Cemetery

A spooky skyline this week as we see an evening view of Hurst Cemetery, off Kings Road. The trees and monuments make a variety of silhouettes against the sky as th elight fades.

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!

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Ashton Market and Arcades

Looking along the north side of Ashton Market towards The Arcades shopping mall.

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Sunday Stroll: Scout Green Lock

Today we see another photo from the walk around the Scout area between Mossley and Stalybridge. In fact this photo was taken from almost the same spot as the photo two weeks ago showing Kershaw Hey.

The photo is looking down onto the Huddersfield Narrow Canal that has just emerged from Scout Tunnel. In the centre of the picture is Scout Green Lock, which is also called Whitehead's Lock.

The walker can descend to the canal towpath, cross over the footbridge at the lock and then walk through pleasant woodland at Scout Green through to Egmont Street in Mossley.

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Sky Watch: Skyline

This week's Sky Watch offering shows the Manchester skyline seen from near Knott Hill Reservoir on a hazy evening. No glorious sunset, I'm afraid, but the light picks out the Beetham Tower, the CIS Building and other blocks in central Manchester.

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 Google Aerial View of this location.

Box of Delights

What a pleasing sight! Just three miles to the west of Ashton town centre is this Victorian pillar box situated on the edge of the Fairfield Moravian Settlement in Droylsden.

I'll show photos of Fairfield settlement itself later on, but I thought you would like to see the colourful blooms surrounding this attractive post box before they wilt!

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Mossley on Monday: Blot on the Landscape

Anyone going to Mossley in recent weeks may well have noticed a rather large blot on the landscape appearing on the Micklehurst side of the valley. This is most prominently seen from Top Mossley or Roughtown, looking across the valley.

The work that is taking place is the construction of a spectacular new building for Mossley Hollins High School to replace the building on the existing cramped site.

Plans of the site layout and drawings of how the building will look can be seen on Tameside Council's website here.

The design of the building is complicated because of the sloping site. The building will have five levels and the entrance and reception area would appear to be on the third floor!

Of course, the site looks a mess while the work is at this stage, but when building is completed and the area landscaped it should look very different.

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Saturday in Saddleworth - Diggle

The old part of the village of Diggle, historically known as Diggle Lee, is separated by the railway and canal from the more modern, built-up part of the village along the main road. The stone-mullioned windows are typical of the style of building of cottages in the Saddleworth area.

As the lane is a dead end, this is one of the lesser-known corners of the Saddleworth area. It is surprising to remember that this location is only eight miles from the brick terraces of Ashton.

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Portland Basin

A look at Ashton's hidden gem - Portland Basin on the Ashton Canal. This was once a transport hub for the area, being the junction of the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals. The canal fell into disrepair in the mid-twentieth century but has been revived to become an environmental and leisure resource. As was seen here two weeks ago apartments have been built alongside the canal close to the basin.

Tucked away behind industrial buildings, Portland Basin Museum occupies most of the Ashton Canal Warehouse, which was rebuilt in 1999 after being burned down some years earlier. The rest of the building contains apartments, offices and meeting rooms.

A number of boats are moored up at the wharf outside, including six boats awaiting restoration by the Wooden Canal Boat Society.

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Sunday Stroll: Kershaw Hey

Today's stroll takes us through a pleasant part of the Tame Valley between Stalybridge and Mossley.

The path runs along the hill above Scout canal tunnel and leads to the group of buildings known as Kershaw Hey.

Down to the left is the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, as it emerges from the tunnel. Away up the hill to the right is Stamford Golf Club.

On the hilltop in the background are the ancient earthworks of Buckton Castle, with the scar of Buckton quarry to the right of it.

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Sky Watch: Kings Road

This week's Sky Watch contribution is looking down Kings Road from Hurst Cemetery gates towards Hurst Cross, Ashton. The spire of St John's Church is seen on the other side of Hurst Cross.

It must have been raining on someone because a fragment of rainbow can be seen to the left of the nearest lamp post!

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

The Junction Again

Today we have another visit to The Junction Inn at Hazelehurst, which we saw last week, but this time from the opposite direction.

This view is looking from Old Road, across Mossley Road towards Luzley Lane. There are bollards and a "keep left" island at the road junction to stop large vehicles taking a short cut along Gorsey Lane.

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Sunday Stroll: Hobson Moor (2)

Another photo today from the walk over Hobson Moor shown in previous weeks.

The ground becomes rougher as the path climbs nearer the summit of the hill and climbs a stile over a dry stone wall.

The village of Tintwistle is seen in the background, with the high moorland of Bleaklow in the distance.

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Stalybridge Saturday: Canalside Apartments

These newly-built apartments are alongside the canal behind Knowl Street, overlooking Lock 7 on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and Mottram Road bridge.

Compare and contrast with Wednesday's photo of apartments overlooking the canal in Ashton. Those who have been away from England for a few years may be surprised that the canal is now the place to be! It has attracted a lot of development along through Ashton, Stalybridge and Mossley.

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