The Black Knight

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"K" is for "Knight" and today's photo shows the sculpture of The Black Knight situated under the atrium in Tameside Council offices public reception area.

The statue commemorates Ashton's most celebrated legend, that of The Black Knight, thought to be based on the character of Sir Ralph de Assheton, who for a time resided at Ashton Old Hall in the fifteenth century. He was said to have been a cruel tyrant and the local inhabitants feared the sight of him riding around the area, on his black horse, looking for hapless peasants to persecute.

It is said that he was shot dead one Easter Monday by a relative. His death was celebrated by the relieved townsfolk with a custom called Riding the Black Lad, where his effigy was paraded around the town on horseback, had lumps of earth thrown at it and then possibly burnt.

The custom went through various changes over the years and by the 20th century took the form of a procession through the town led by The Black Knight riding on horseback. Read more about this custom here.

When the Arcades shopping mall opened, a sculpture of The Black Knight was commissioned and placed in the central of the mall. Typically of Ashton folk, many were scornful of the sculpture for being brown rather than black! When the Arcades had a refurbishment the sculpture was put into storage and mysteriously disappeared.

It was subsequently found and the council offered to provide a home for it. It has been given a much blacker colouring than before and now sits in pride of place in the main concourse of the council offices.

"The Black Knight" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "K" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Sky Watch: Sammy's Basin

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Today's Sky Watch shows Sammy's Basin in Daisy Nook Country Park, between Ashton and Oldham.

In March the trees are still bare against the warming sky, while the grass still has a brownish tint awaiting the new growth of Spring.

The basin was a storage pond between two locks on the now-disused Hollinwood Branch Canal. It takes its name from Sammy Pearson, the canal's water bailiff, who lived in one of two cottages which at one time stood at the side of the basin, and who was a well-known character in the area. The basin is now a popular spot with local anglers.

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!

The Junction

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"J" is for "Junction" and today's photo shows the Junction Inn on Turner Lane.

It is well-named for no fewer than seven roads converge onto the spot in front of the pub! You can see these by clicking on the Google Street View below and swivelling around 360 degrees.

The pub has been fully licensed since 1854. It has appeared on this blog before, along with the other pub in Ashton of the same name.

See Birds Eye View of this location. The current view shows part of Turner Lane closed for road works.

See Google Street View of this location.

"The Junction" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "J" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Waterhouses Locks

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Waterhouses Locks are a feature of the old canal remains in Daisy Nook Country Park, between Ashton and Oldham.

The derelict locks have been filled in but their mysterious shapes add interest to the area for the many visitors who come here for a walk.

Yesterday was a glorious sunny day in Ashton, sandwiched between two damp days, and people flocked to the area to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

Waterhouses was the original name for Daisy Nook, which was an invention of local writer Ben Brierley. The four locks and the big aqueduct that carried the Hollinwood Branch Canal through the area all bore the name of Waterhouses. The name has been largely forgotten these days.

"Waterhouses Locks" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


See Birds Eye View of this location.

Monochrome Moment: Trafalgar Square

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This week's Monochrome Moment is a view looking upwards in Trafalgar Square.

Before any of our visitors from distant places start to be confused, I should point out that this is not the Trafalgar Square in the West End of London, but the Trafalgar Square in the West End of Ashton!

You won't find Nelson's column or the National Gallery here, but you will find Hugh Mason's statue and the Twelve Apostles.

This photograph looks up at the facade of "The Twelve Apostles", a terrace of twelve grand Victorian houses that makes up the south side of Trafalgar Square.

See Birds Eye View of this location.

See Google Street View of this location.

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

Indoor Market

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"I" is for "Indoor Market" and this was the scene today in Ashton's Market Hall.

The Market Hall dates from 1829 and was expanded in stages. It was destroyed by fire in 2004 but re-built within the shell of the old building. The indoor market was one of the favourite destinations for shoppers in Ashton and the re-built hall has gone a long way towards recapturing the feel of the original although it would never be possible to replace its cosy quaintness.

See Birds Eye View of this location. The current view shows the Market Hall during re-building.

"Indoor Market" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "I" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Sorry this week's ABC entry is even later than last week's!

Hurst Cemetery

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Cemeteries can be places where you find yourself at moments of great sadness. But cemeteries can also be beautiful and restful places. A cemetery is often an oasis of green and peace away from the bustle of life that goes on outside the gates.

Hurst Cemetery is the main cemetery serving Ashton, situated in the eastern outskirts of the town.

"Hurst Cemetery" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


See Birds Eye View of this location.

Harper Mill

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"H" is for "Harper Mill" which is one of Ashton's former cotton spinning mills and dates from 1855.

There were more than 80 cotton mills in Ashton but now only a dozen or so remain, and these have all been converted to other uses.

Harper Mill has been converted into stylish modern apartments, complemented by an adjoining modern block to make best use of the site.

We saw a photo of Harper Mill from the other side last January and we saw the largest mill built in Ashton only a few days ago.

See Birds Eye View of this location.

"Harper Mill" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "H" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Sorry this week's ABC entry is a little late coming but Blogger wasn't working when I tried earlier!

Stamford Street

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Stamford Street was once the heart of Ashton under Lyne's shopping centre. The street was lined with Victorian buildings housing quality traditional shops, with a handful of larger multiple stores, like Woolworths, in among them.

As in most towns, shopping fashions in Ashton have changed. Out-of-town superstores take many shoppers away from the town centre altogether and modern shopping centres have been built to the north of Stamford Street. Yet the street battles on and has made something of a comeback, with most shops in the central part of the street being in use, although some are now charity shops, pawnbrokers, fast food shops, etc. And there are still a number of more traditional shops surviving on their reputations.

"Stamford Street" is my contribution to this week's "My World" feature. Please check out the other blogs participating in this week's My World.


See Birds Eye View of this location.

Cotton Mill

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This week's Monochrome Moment shows Guide Bridge Mill, alongside the Ashton Canal on the town's western boundary.

In fact, the mill shown was Guide Bridge No. 2 Mill. Built in 1884, this five storey cotton spinning mill was the largest in Ashton. It had more than 150,000 spindles all powered by a Musgrave steam engine with a 32 foot diameter flywheeel.

Guide Bridge No 1 Mill, built in 1876, was demolished around 1938 but No. 2 Mill still stands although is used for other purposes than the manufacture of cotton cloth. It is one of just over a dozen mills that survive out of over 80 that once operated in Ashton as part of its thriving cotton industry.

This is actually a sepiafied version of a recent photo but a photo taken a hundred years ago at this spot would not have looked so different except that you would have seen No 1 Mill in the background to the right and you might have caught a horse-drawn narrow boat pulling away from the wharf at the side of the mill or a train crossing the bridge behind the tree!

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: Play Park

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Here is a wintry view of the children's play park at King George V Playing Field in Ashton.

Sadly, the only time you can photograph a play park these days is when there are no children there! Anyway, the various items of play equipment were not the subject of this photo, but the interaction between the trees, the sky and the vapour trails.

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!

Goose

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"G" is for "Goose" and this one is strutting its stuff at Daisy Nook Country Park, between Ashton and Oldham.

There are a number of the proper white geese at Daisy Nook, but this one appears to have a touch of Canada Goose in its feathers! Canada geese are no longer a rarity in this country and are becoming something of a pest. In many places they have ousted the traditional white geese.

There are also swans and mallards on the canal at Daisy Nook, adding interest to a pleasant spot for a relaxing stroll!

Today's location is the same one seen here last month, but looking in the opposite direction!

See Birds Eye View of this location.

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