ABC Wednesday: Odd Whim

Today's post for ABC Wednesday is O for "Odd Whim". The plain-looking cream-coloured building is the former "Odd Whim" public house, just off Mossley Road.

The odd whim in question was that of John Wroe, known as Prophet John Wroe, the founder of the Christian Israelite Church.

It was Mr Wroe's notion that Ashton under Lyne was the New Jerusalem, where the chosen would gather at the Apocalypse. His plan was to build a wall around the town, with four gatehouses. This building, built in 1825, was to have been one of these gatehouses. Another of these gatehouses, which stood on Manchester Road, was demolished to make way for the motorway.

In 1831, Mr Wroe fled from Ashton following a scandal that involved seven virgins. He ended up in Australia, where the Christian Israelite Church is still active.

In 1837 the building became the Odd Whim pub, and many extensions were built over the years. When nearby Stamford Park was opened in the 1870s, the pub was re-named Stamford Park Hotel. The name was returned to "The Odd Whim" in 1971. When the pub eventually closed, the extensions were demolished but the original building was retained and converted into apartments.

See Google Street View of this location.

(Click photo for larger version. Press Back button to return here.)

"Odd Whim" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "O" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Please leave a comment below and please rate this photo using the 5 star system below. The highest-ranking photos will be considered for the Photo of the Year at the end of 2012!

ABC Wednesday: Newton Hall

Today's post for ABC Wednesday is N for "Newton Hall". Newton Hall is on the north side of Hyde, around 2 miles south of Ashton.

It is a very timely occasion to show a photo of this medieval hall, as this week sees the start of a major archaeological dig around the grounds of the hall, where members of the public have been invited to take part.

The photograph was taken yesterday and shows work being undertaken to uncover the foundations of a later extension to the original hall.

The hall, built around 1380, had been extended several times and additional buildings were added around the site. It eventually became used as a barn for the farm that occupied part of the site. When the farm buildings were being demolished in the 1960s, to make way for industrial buildings, the contractor saw the ancient cruck-framed construction and, realising it was an important ancient building, stopped demolition immediately. The other farm buildings were later demolished but the original medieval hall was preserved and restored.

You can see a photo of the inside of the hall on this post a year ago, when Newton Hall was also my "N" contribution.

Even on the first day of the dig, interesting finds were being uncovered. If you are interested in taking part in the dig, or just in finding out more about the event, please see the Tameside History Forum website.

See Google Street View of this location.

(Click photo for larger version. Press Back button to return here.)

"Newton Hall" is a contribution to ABC Wednesday. For more "N" posts from around the world please follow this link.

Please leave a comment below and please rate this photo using the 5 star system below. The highest-ranking photos will be considered for the Photo of the Year at the end of 2012!

Ladysmith Barracks

Today's look at the world of Ashton under Lyne is of Ladysmith Barracks. Or, rather, the gates of the former Ladysmith Barracks, as the gates are all that is now left.

The barracks opened here in 1843, having previously occupied a site on Crickets Lane. At that time there was quite a bit of civil unrest when it was felt better to move the soldiers away from the town.

The barracks were renamed Ladysmith Barracks to commemorate the part the Manchester Regiment played in the Siege of Ladysmith in the Boer War.

The barracks closed in 1963 but the splendid gateway, with the golden lettering above the arch spelling out "Ladysmith Barracks", is all that now remains. The name "Ladysmith" is also used by a pub and a shopping centre in the town.

See Google Street View of this location.

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

ABC Wednesday: Market

Today's post for ABC Wednesday is M for "Market".

It's a little bit late for this week's "M" collection, but better late than never.

Ashton's outdoor market is always popular, even more so on a sunny April day. If you were to encounter any April Showers you could always go into the Market Hall, seen in the background.

(Click photo for larger version. Press Back button to return here.)

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

Please leave a comment below and please rate this photo using the 5 star system below. The highest-ranking photos will be considered for the Photo of the Year at the end of 2012!

Unseasonal Weather

A week ago people were wandering around in shorts and tee shirts, splashing sun lotion over themselves. This week it's back on with the winter woollies as strong and cold winds bring snow back to the area - in April!

The photo shows the Market Place in Mossley which, being much higher up than Ashton, had a layer of wet snow on the ground this morning, although it had begun to melt by the time I took this photo. A friend told me that there was 5 inches of snow in the higher parts of Oldham this morning.

It seemed strange to see daffodils poking their heads out of the snow. This is certainly an unusual about-turn for the weather!

See Google Street View of this location.

ABC Wednesday: Lamps

Today's post for ABC Wednesday is L for "Lamps".

These decorative lamps are situated on the steps of Ashton's Town Hall. I caught them just as dusk was setting in. The lamps had come on but, with a clear blue sky overhead, there was still quite a lot of daylight, giving a slight glow to the Market Hall in the background.

In the daytime the space in front of the Town Hall is bustling with shoppers moving between the Market Hall and the Outside Market. However, this being the evening, the area was spookily deserted.

(Click photo for larger version. Press Back button to return here.)

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

Please leave a comment below and please rate this photo using the 5 star system below. The highest-ranking photos will be considered for the Photo of the Year at the end of 2012!

Fixing The Road

Today's view shows the normally busy A670 road between Mossley and Ashton being administered a little not-so-tender loving care.

The daily pounding of cars and lorries between Ashton and Huddersfield, along with all the local traffic, has taken its toll on the road and it now needs a new surface. Before the new surface can be laid the road is attacked by a fearsome machine that chews up the existing tarmac and deposits it in little bits, by way of a conveyor, into waiting lorries.

The lorry in the photo has been filled and is about to move away. An empty lorry was waiting to take its place. Of course, the workers have to be careful not to damage manhole and drain covers. When the old surface has been removed a different set of vehicles will move in to lay the new surface.

Because of the narrowness of the road, it has had to be closed to traffic. The closure is between 9.30 am and 4.00 pm and could last up to two weeks. This means that traffic, including buses, has had to be diverted via Heyrod and Stalybridge. It was surprising how many drivers had either not seen or not believed the signs telling them that the road ahead was closed. This wasn't too bad for the drivers heading towards Ashton, as they could turn right at the fire station down Arundel Street and down to Bottom Mossley. However, drivers coming up from Ashton who had not taken notice of the signs were having to turn around and take a lengthy detour back down Mossley Road to Darnton Road, or take a trickier detour up Broadcarr Lane and along the narrow Thornley Lane to come into Mossley from Grotton. I saw a number of lorries heading up Broadcarr Lane so I don't know what they did. They probably ended up in Lees!

A shuttle bus was running between Top Mossley and Bottom Mossley, where passengers changed onto the buses running to Ashton that were being diverted through Heyrod. There didn't seem to be any provision at all for would-be bus passengers along Mossley Road between Mossley and Fountain Street in Ashton.

At 4.00 pm the traffic was allowed through again, onto the rough untarmacked surface. It will all start again tomorrow, and every week day until the job is complete. Fortunately the disruption has been reduced by carrying out the work during the school holidays!

See Google Street View of this location.

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

Monochrome Moment: Canal Bridge

April starts with another "Monochrome Moment", fitting in with the April theme day of "Cobblestones".

The bridge carries the towpath over the canal junction at Portland Basin in Ashton and can be seen from a different angle (and in colour)in this post which appeared a couple of weeks ago.

You could almost imagine that this was an archive photo taken a hundred years ago, but the modern apartments give the game away!

(Click photo for larger version. Press Back button to return here.)

"Canal Bridge" is my contribution to this month's City Daily Photo Theme Day of "Cobblestones". Please check out the other blogs taking part. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants. (Also check this temporary link set up while CDP website was down.)

"Canal Bridge" is also my contribution to "Monochrome Weekend". Please follow the link to visit other sites taking part.