Furness Vale Station - a 3D model.

 

It was never an uplifting experience waiting for a train at the village station. There was, however, a waiting room with a blazing coal fire, popping gas lamps and artistic travel posters to look at. Irene was there behind her little window, ready to sell you a return to Stockport or to report on how late the train would be. A porter might be sweeping the platform or tending the geraniums and fellow passengers sitting on the bench seats were all too ready for a gossip.

As with so many small stations, all this has been swept away and we are left with small glazed shelters which offer little respite from the weather and only a few small perches on which to rest.

In wishing to re-create the original station, I might have chosen to build a physical model. This would have been very time consuming and would have presented storage problems. Choosing a Google Sketchup model may be second best but it did allow me to  represent our local station as it appeared in the early 1960's.

The images below are from the digital model and are followed by a link to an animated walk through.

 

 

Below is a link to the YouTube video of the model:

http://youtu.be/-hbF5t0zMow

Mrs Cope's Shop

 

Mrs Cope stands outside of her shop which was attached to the Navigation Inn at Bugsworth, Derbyshire, 1935

Read the full story of her family's local businesses and of life in a Derbyshire village: https://furnesshistory.blogspot.com/p/the-cope-family-ventures-in-buxworth.html

Christmas day visitors to Yeardsley Lane

 

Furness Vale Station

The following drawings are from the collection of a local railway enthusiast, Peter Helps who kindly loaned us the originals. These represent the schedules for positioning display and poster boards on the station as designated by British Railways. The drawings are undated.

Contact Us

We can be contacted by email: furnesshistory@gmail.com

                                  by phone: 01663 744080

                                     by post: 34 Yeardsley Lane, Furness Vale, High Peak SK23 7PN

Water For The Printworks

 Furness Vale Printworks once had several mill ponds fed by a mill lade from the River Goyt. These appear in a number of our archive photographs but as several have now been filled, it is not easy to identify them.

Peter Gorry, who is familiar with the locality has been comparing these pictures with historic maps and these are his findings.

 Your blogspot: Thursday, 3 January 2013 Furness Vale Printworks has some great photos. The 5th one has a caption:

"The mill lodges viewed from station road. These have long since been filled in and little sign remains of them."

 I’m certain this is actually the view from the back gardens of Lakeview cottages (old Furness Row, adjacent to the canal). Direction shown on 1898 map below. The house at the very left of the picture is 1 Bank View (current owners of the industrial park). You can see it clearly in picture 3 in the same set (woman on Bank view, and the middle millpond to her right. The very far millponds are no longer there (now Trident Foam) but the two closest ones are in the grounds of Lakeview House. Although the nearest pond has been substantially filled in the middle one is still complete and can be seen as you drive down Calico lane. Both 1 and 3 Bank View look directly along its length.

The Railway Age

 In the mid nineteenth century, there were many proposals to construct new railways.  Some of these were overly ambitious and never saw the light of day, others were superceded by revised schemes. In this article we will look at some of those planned railways as announced in the regional newspapers.

                                                         Dukinfield Station
 

In November 1845, The Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway was seeking Parliamentary powers to construct a railway from Dukinfield to Bradshaw Edge, Whaley Bridge or at some intermediate point. A branch from New Mills to Hayfield was also proposed.

In December 1846, special trains from Manchester and Sheffield carried directors and shareholders of the Sheffield and Manchester Railway to the Dog Lane Station at Dukinfield.  The occasion was the ceremony of cutting the first sod of the new Whaley Bridge branch. Having arrived at Dukinfield, the guests had to walk about a mile along the tracks to Flowery Field where the event was to take place. A polished steel spade was provided and carried various inscriptions including the arms of the company and the names of the directors. The shaft was adorned with a profile of the Queen.  The spade was presented by the Chairman, Mr John Chapman, to F.D.Astley Esq who then cut a large sod which he then wheeled away. Returning he called for three times three cheers for the Whaley Bridge Branch. After each of the directors had cut a sod, it was the turn of the navvies who had soon made a pretty large opening.  The company then returned by train to Manchester where they were entertained to dinner at the Albion Hotel.

In August 1847 it was reported that 80,000 cubic yards of earthworks had been raised, five bridges had been built and four others in hand. The foundations for the viaduct at Marple were about to be commenced. Much of the route from Dukinfiedl to Hyde was ready for ballasting. Possession of the land between Marple and Whaley Bridge had not yet been obtained but the whole of the line had been staked out.

The company had spent some £85,000 on the line and it had been completed as far as Hyde. When the company wanted rails for use elsewhere, they found the price to be too high and did not think it expedient to buy them at that time. They therefore lifted them from the Whaley Bridge branch.

In February 1849, the company announced that works on the Whaley Bridge branch had been entirely suspended.

In 1854, at a meeting of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Company, it was stated that the North Western Company was supporting the proposed line from Stockport to Disley and Whaley Bridge and this was considered an unfriendly gesture. The company already had parliamentary powers to build their own line from Newton near Hyde, to Whaley Bridge and had already purchased land for the purpose.  it was now proposed to seek powers to complete the railway in opposition to that now proposed. They also considered it advantageous to build a line from Woodley to Stockport and branches to Hayfield and Bugsworth.

The railways linking Hyde, Marple, New Mills and Hayfield were of course subsequently completed. There is still visible evidence, near to the site of Gow Hole sidings, of the earthworks including a bridge, which would have taken the line towards Whaley. Construction of the Midland line throught the valley took over much of those workings. The dotted red line on this map shows the proposed alignment.

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Another proposal in November 1845 sought to link Sheffield with Macclesfield.  The line was to commence close to the Sheffield Station of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-lyne and Manchester Railway and terminate in or near the town of Macclesfield either at it's own station or by forming a junction with the Manchester and Birmingham Railway.  
The precise route was not given in the newspaper report although it appeared to pass through the Hope Valley and Whaley Bridge.
Application was about to be made to Parliament for the necessary powers.

The Clegg Family and Furness Vale Printworks.

 Rosemary Hurley has been researching the Clegg family which had connections with Furness Vale. Ernest Bernulf Clegg managed the Printworks and lived at Furness Lodge. He became President in 1912, of the newly opened Institute. 

 

William Clegg

The Cleggs were an extensive family living in and around Oldham in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. William Clegg of Westwood, Oldham, a cotton manufacturer, had a son also named William Clegg who became a cotton manufacturer and merchant. William Clegg junior’s early working life was unusual in that he moved away from Lancashire and as a young man was a business associate of Robert Owen in New Lanark, Scotland. Robert Owen was the philanthropic and socialist Welsh textile manufacturer who is credited with founding the cooperative movement. William Clegg married Isabella Grindlay while he was living in Scotland. A few letters survive between Robert Owen and William Clegg in the New Lanark collection and in the National Cooperative Archive but it has not been possible to identify what exactly was William Clegg’s employment status in New Lanark, nor his relationship with Robert Owen.

William Clegg returned to Lancashire and eventually settled in Pendleton near Manchester. He was in partnership in textile businesses with various others during his career and according to his great-granddaughter he ‘lost three fortunes’. He left under £1000 when he died intestate in 1866.

William and Isabella Clegg raised a large family of which there were two sons, Benson William, born in New Lanark, and Neville, born in Hollinwood near Oldham.

Reddish Farm

 Reddish Farm was in Whaley Bridge on the southern bank of Toddbrook Reservoir. The buildings have recently been converted into housing.

 These notes from our archive date from  September 10th 1968 when Mr. A. Slack was interviewed by George Tomlinson.

An historic photograph of Reddish Farm. Comparison with more recent photographs shows considerable alterations to the building on the left.

Mr and Mrs Slack came in 1924, he was at Combs for a year before, came as a tenant on the Jodrell Estate. The farm was sold by the estate in 1947 when Mr A Slack bought it. The house is very old; wash house built in 1896, Major Toller had the porch built. Shippon built from an old cottage about 1930. An old shippon has a dry stone wall with a date on the stone which looks like 1625. An old cheese press is built into the wall, inside one building. The wall is plasteered and appears to have been lived in. The barn has been altered many times.  Whaley Bridge Memorial Park has been taken off Reddish land just after the 1914 - 18 war. Hedges were planted. The acreage is now 53, inthe 1923 sale catalogue it was 35. Land behind Yarkers belonged to Dowery.
"Lomas Knob" name given to by Slacks to hay field on the left hand side of Linglongs. This belonged to the Royal Oak. Cotrell and G Hill of Crowhill had field below the Lodge Field with Botany Works belonging to Butcher who used it for grazing (called Morton?).
Reddish increased in acreage about 1930.

The Driven Gipsies

 

I don't know where the German Gipsies started their journey nor where it finished but in 1906 they weren't given a very friendly welcome by either the Derbyshire or Cheshire police.
One Friday night in October the Sheffield police tried to drive them across the border into Derbyshire; the Derbys police sent them back. Eventually the police tired of this game and the gipsies, 60 of them with horses and caravans were allowed to camp in a field a few miles from Sheffield.

Saturday morning and 20 or so Derbyshire police  were ready to drive them over the moors through Hathersage, Hope, Castleton and Chapel-en-le-Frith.  It was late at night by the time they crossed the river at Whaley Bridge and so into Cheshire.  At that time the Cheshire Police didn't know of their progress so they were able to set up camp at the roadside.  The bridge was guarded on the Derbyshire side to prevent their return and it was reported that the encampment looked like  a fair.  The people of Whaley made them welcome and feeling sorry for their treatment even gave them money.  The gipsies even did some trade in cheap jewellery.  They declared that they liked the country and intended to stay for two years.

The Cheshire police however, got wind of their presence and a contingent from the Macclesfield force, 30 officers strong, led them through Bollington and Adlington and so on to the Stockport Road.  There was some disorder here. One of the gipsies threw his hat into a field and was prevented from going after it. The gipsies then threw sticks at the police to show their resentment but were soon persuaded to continue their journey.  The Stockport police joined the Macclesfield contingent on reaching Hazel Grove and the band was kept on the move along Buxton Road. At the Stockport boundary, 2 inspectors and 25 officers took charge.  They were not allowed to go into shops but occassionally dashed in to beg but were quickly brought out again.

The group were disappointed at not being allowed to stop in Stockport. At Heaton Lane, they were turned off of the main road towards Heaton Mersey where the Lancashire police were telephoned and a force of 20 were sent to meet them .  As darkness fell, the gipsy leader pointed to the children and indicated that they were becoming tired and needed sleep. Inspector Moore of Stockport insisted that they continue.  "You bad inspector" shouted the gipsy leader, "we come back when you gone". The inspector replied "if you come back, we shall lock you up" The Stockport men escorted them along the Didsbury Road until a little way beyond Barnes Homes, the body sent out from Old Trafford took charge. They were allowed to turn into a field for the night, very glad to get some rest.

This is the last we hear of them, presumably they were allowed to settle at some stage or they would be wandering still.

Back to School in New Mills

Tony Beswick has supplied a selection of photographs mostly featurning New Mills School. 

 

Church Lane in the early 20th century, looking towards St.George's Church. In the centre is St.George's Primary School and on the left, Beech House. The empty fields to the right of Church Lane are the site of New Mills Grammar School. The school opened in 1912 and is a Grade II listed building.  St George's is the Anglican parish church and was built in 1829-1830 to the design of  R. D. Chantrell.  The Chancel was rebuilt in 1898.

 

                               The North East corner is the nearest to Church Lane

An Overnight Stay

 

                                           The "Round House" or "Honey Pot" at Curbar 

In 1863, John Warren wrote in his diary: "William WELCH of Whaley Bridge was put in the Buxton Lockups for being Drunk and Disordley the cost was all together £4.2s.6d."
The fine was the equivalent of £450 today, a hefty penalty for being drunk.
The location of the Buxton Lock-up is unknown. It had opened in 1829 and was in use until about 1899. The inspector of prisons described it in his 1850 report. It was a detached building with two cells, but no accommodation for a keeper. The building is very ill adapted for its purposes. It had been built at the cost of the township and was intended chiefly for vagrants in want of a nights lodging, and that was its main use. Only one cell was used, the other used to store coal and other articles. This cell is about 9 feet long, 6 feet wide and 6 feet high. It is dry, with an open fire. It had unglazed window, through which people outside might be hand anything in. There were two poles fixed on each side of the cell for seats, and there was some loose straw for bedding. The constable said that there were formerly proper benches, but that they had been pulled to pieces and burnt.' Many towns and villages had their own lock-ups, established mostly in the 19th century as local police forces were established although some were of a much earlier period.

Keith Holford 1935 - 2020

We were sad to hear of the death on 15th June, of Keith Holford of Chinley.  Keith had been a great friend to this Society, contributing many articles and photographs relating to the history of our neighbouring village of Buxworth. Many of our members and friends will remember Keith as guest speaker at some of our past meetings. He had an extensive collection of historic photographs and a great store of meticulously researched historical facts and anecdotes about Buxworth and Chinley. Many of Keith Holford's articles may be found on this website.

Yeardsley Cum Whaley

Yeardsley-cum-Whaley is a name that is often seen on old documents. This was the name of a township within the ancient parish of Taxal. In 1866, Taxal became a civil parish but was abolished in the 1936 boundary changes when it transferred from Cheshire to Derbyshire. The map below shows the township boundaries as well as adjacent townships. As can be seen from the map, the northern half of Furness Vale fell within the Disley township and parish.

Reuben Wharmby of Furness Vale

Reuben  Wharmby was born in 1914 and lived in Canal Row where his mother ran a small general store. The shop was probably at number 7, in the middle of the row and had a good trade amongst passing boatmen. In the 1920s the business re-located to the house by the canal bridge, formerly the beerhouse The Jolly Sailor/Traveller's Call.  On leaving Furness Vale school, he bought a small lorry and established a fruit and vegetable round in the village and neighbourhood. 
Listen to this 1999 recording by the Imperial War Museum where Rubin tells of his life in pre-war Furness Vale and New Mills and of his wartime experiences: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80018207

A full transcript of Reuben's story may be read here: https://furnesshistory.blogspot.com/p/reuben-wharmby-of-furness-vale.html

Crowning The Whaley Bridge Rose Queen

Every year a lucky young lady was voted as Rose Queen for the year and as always she was crowned on the front lawn of Taxal Rectory by a notable personality.

This would be usually a local councillor or some equally obscure nobody. But things changed in 1950 when Miss Clarke won the award. And who was announced to crown her? Well when the door opened the Minister welcomed in Mr. Albert Pierrpoint the infamous hangman.

Until then a hangman kept his job secret, even from his wife.

But Pierrepoint had become famous after executing many German war criminals. After the ceremony he spent the rest of the afternoon in the Royal Oak in Taxal.

He was also seen on occasions in the Board Inn and The Shepherd's Arms.

Tony Beswick

Albert Pierrepoint was himself a publican, first at Hollinwood and later at Much Hoole near Preston. In 1950 he hanged James Corbitt at Strangeways, one of his own customers.

	Albert Pierrepoint

A Wayward Italian

 

May 1908 saw the appearance of an Italian named Soberti Diego before Stockport Police Court.  He was charged with being on enclosed premises for unlawful purposes and with assaulting a police officer in Whaley Bridge on April 27th.  Diego had been seen climbing from a wagon up into the rafters of the goods warehouse at the station. The prisoner had refused to descend and when the police constable arrived he jumped onto a van and threw a stone at the officer, which hit him in the chest.  Diego jumped over the wagons and tried to escape but the pursuing policeman fell over him and a desperate struggle ensued.  The prisoner had a razor with which he attacked the officer, cutting his hand.  It was only when support arrived that the Italian was overpowered.  Speaking through an interpreter, Diego explained that he had arrived in England seven months previously and finding himself in Whaley Bridge without food or money, decided to head to London.  He thought he would be safe hiding in the rafters until a train should arrive.  He had only used the razor to prevent the police officer from choking him.   Soberti Diego was sentenced to 28 days in prison and advised to leave the country as soon as he was released.

Off The Rails

On Monday 9th September 1867 the most serious of the local rail incidents took place on the Midland line.  A goods train had entered the tunnel between Chapel and Peak Dale and had stopped to unload gravel for track maintenance.  Against the rules, a following train carrying 1000 sheep and cattle was allowed to enter the tunnel shortly after 5pm, where it crashed into the stationary ballast train.  A little girl had taken some clogs to her father, a blacksmith called Vaines, who was working in the tunnel and together they were in one of the wagons. She was the first fatality of the day.  Several other workmen were injured.  Two engines hauled the cattle train and these left the track causing the 23 cattle trucks to become detached and these started to roll backwards.  On leaving the tunnel, the guard and three drovers jumped and their injuries were not known. The telegraph wires were out of order and it was not until the wagons sped through Bugsworth that the signalman there, was able to warn New Mills and have the signals set to danger.  The train was seen approaching New Mills at 6pm A passenger express had already set off from New Mills and was halted by the signal after some distance.  Driver Cooper set the train in reverse and he, the fireman and guard all jumped off.  There was still a collision in which four cattle drovers were killed and a fifth injured.  Many sheep and cattle lay dead amongst the wreckage. The express in the meantime was still travelling backwards out of control and its speed increased due to the collision. The train was not brought to a halt until directed into a siding at Romiley. None of the passengers were injured although some suffered from shock.

Bridgemont

A postcard from Tony Beswick featuring Bridgemont

The picture is undated and there is not a vehicle in sight. The street is lit by gas lamps which continued in use until 1955. The Dog and Partridge has a car park sign so they are already catering for motor trade. In the distance is the phone box in front of the Bridgemont Mission. It is the K1 style introduced in 1921 and made from cast concrete. Opposite the pub is the Post Office with a sign advertising Star Cigarettes.

Historical Interactive Map of Whaley Bridge

Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the map. Left click and drag to pan. Click on the icons for further information on each location.

Bonus Sweatmore

Bonus Sweatmore started work at Knowles Brickyard in 1930, aged 16. 
49 years later, on 1st June 1979, he retired and was presented with a clock by his employers.
Bonus lived first in St George's Road in New Mills before moving to a newly built bungalow on Marsh Lane in the 1970s. He walked to and from work every day, come rain or shine. He was able to enjoy a long retirement before passing away in 2008.
Few  people spend all their working  days with one employer but having left school, Bonus Sweatmore found a "job for life".

 Bonus was born in December 1915 and married in March 1940.

 Bonus, photographed at the wedding of his daughter Ann in 1965

 Bonus and Ann in his garden in 2003

 The inscription on the clock reads: "Presented by Messrs R E Knowles Ltd to Bonus Sweatmore in recognition of his 49 years faithful service with the company 1st June 1979"

Knowles Brickyard, Furness Vale. Bonus Sweatmore's place of work for 49 years.

Death by Poisoning

A young lady (name not known) was in service at Brookfield House, on Reservoir Road, Whaley Bridge in 1930. Brookfield House was, in those days, the servants’ quarters for Whaley Hall.

Brookfield House, Reservoir Road

She was somehow ‘involved’ with a local police officer, Police Constable Gage from Bridgemont. She told other servants that she and Gage used to meet on Reservoir Road and go to the hen house for a drink.

One Saturday night she got off the Buxton train at Whaley Bridge and started to walk up Reservoir Road to Brookfield House where she was ‘in service’. She was followed by PC Gage from Bridgemont as witnessed by Frank Collier who was employed at Botany Bleach Works. PC Gage did not see Frank Collier.

It was rumoured locally that the girl was pregnant but if it was true it never came out officially.
The next day the young lady was found dead in William Eyre’s hen run and, not intended as a pun, foul play was immediately suspected. The hen run was in the field opposite Brookfield House. The field is now owned by Grant Ford and the hen house is still there after all these years.
A post mortem revealed that the girl had been poisoned with a very rare poison. The police made enquiries at all the local chemists and the only person who had acquired this type of poison was Police Constable Gage. Gage was suspected of murdering the girl and was summoned as a witness/suspect to the inquest held at the Mechanics Institute on Market Street in Whaley Bridge.

The number of people who wanted to attend the inquest was far too many than the building could cater for so seats were fixed on the pavement outside and loudspeakers were erected so that those people could at least hear the proceedings. Gage was very evasive with his answers to the Coroner. When asked why he had bought the very same poison that killed the girl he said he knew nothing about it and he had simply bought the poison to end his dog’s life as it was suffering from a medical condition. The Coroner asked Gage where he had buried the dog so that checks could be made on its body. Gage said he had thrown it in the fire-box at Blandola Riddle Works in Bridgemont close to where he lived. Asked where he had kept the remains of the poison so that could be also checked he said he had also thrown that in the fire-box.

The jury was ordered to return an open verdict and Gage was free to go. He was transferred the next day to take up duties in Northwich and nobody was ever charged with the poor girl’s murder.

Below is a photo of Grant Ford’s field before his house was built and the hen house is in the corner. You can see the Masonic Hall in the background at the entrance to the Park.

Tony Beswick

Gerald Hallworth

We are sad to hear that Gerald Hallworth of Ringstones Farm passed away last week. 
Born in Stockport, in February 1928, Gerald was 92 years of age.
He had lived at Ringstones since 1953, mostly farming dairy cattle, with a herd of 50 at its largest. At times, he also kept pigs and poultry. 
Gerald was a good friend to the History Society and was often seen at our meetings and events. He will be very much missed in Furness Vale.

An Anniversary Tale

On this day in 2001, Great Train robber, Ronnie Biggs was finally captured on arrival home from exile in Brasil.

Tony Beswick writes about his colleagues:

 

Another brief tale and this time about Bennetstone Hall.

After the Great Train Robbery some of the gang escaped from prison and obviously had quite a bit of money. One such person was Charles Wilson. He was rumoured very strongly to have stayed at the Hall. He would be right up Gerry Adshead's street. Gerry liked money and characters. It was said that Wilson used to sit quietly at one end of the bar drinking. Apparently even the police knew he was living there and spent some time drinking with him.

Don't forget there was a lot of sympathy for the robbers after their excessive sentences and they became sort of heroes. Wilson did get caught and I think he was the last man to be released. He was asassinated in Spain years later.  Others got away scott free.

 Bruce Reynolds, the mastermind, after he was finally released did one last job: he broke into a mansion in Macclesfield, opened the safe and stole £50,000.00 He thought he would have to go on the run again but the crime was never reported.

 

 Charles Wilson

Historic Furness Vale in pictures

A selection of photographs of the village from the collection of Tony Beswick. He will be adding to this album in the coming days.

 A group photograph of Bugsworth School from Tony Beswick. The picture is undated but the style of dress suggests the Edwardian period.

Carr Farm and the view across to New Mills. The spire of St. George's Church is prominent on the horizon. The white cottage between the railway line and Marsh Lane was known as Nob Hall.

Shudehill

 

Saturday evening and the streets were thronged with people out for a night's entertainment.  Thousands of youngsters, courting couples, even complete families, all seeking enjoyment at the end of a week's work. Shudehill was lined with market stalls, sideshows and street performers. Bargains were to be had towards midnight when unsold produce was offered. The vast Smithfield Market had been open since six that morning as had all of the pubs round about.

Shudehill was for long, the home to many of Manchester's markets:  The Hen Market, The Apple Market, The Potato Market.  As the city grew, so the markets expanded and stalls were to found selling every nature of produce. In 1822 it was given the name Smithfield.   In the mid 19th century glazed, iron framed halls were built covering an area of four and a half acres. 

Next to the Hen  Market was Ye Olde Rover's Return, built in 1306. Not always a public house, it had  originally been a manor house for the Wythin Grave family. 

                  The Hen Market and Rover's return in 1915

Shudehill was an ancient highway which until the 1820's was still on the edge of the countryside.  16th century Bradshaw Hall had extensive grounds and even a large orchard. Very soon however, the rapidly expanding city absorbed all of this open country.

Furness Vale Shops, Pubs and Businesses

 Try our new interactive map. Zoom in and out, then click on each marker for more details and photographs

The Libraries Of Manchester

 

 

  Few people realise the importance of Manchester's historic libraries. The collections exceed a total of two milllion volumes and a significant number of ancient works are of worldwide importance. The buildings themselves are among Manchester's greatest treasures.

Chetham's Library

The oldest library is Chetham's which has been a free public library since 1653, the oldest in Britain. The collection contains over 100,000 books, the majority published before the mid 19th century

The Chethams complex includes one of Manchester's oldest buildings dating from 1422. Built as a manor house, this became a priest's hostel, being alongside the Collegiate Church, now Manchester Cathedral. During the Civil War, it served first as a gunpowder factory and later a prison.

Sir Humphrey Chetham 1580 - 1653 was a successful cotton merchant. He had been educated at Manchester Free Grammar School which was then sited between the later Chetham's Hospital and the Church. He was offered a knighthood in 1631 due to his great wealth and was fined for refusing the honour. He was not able to refuse the post of High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1635 nor of General Treasurer in 1643. He feared that on his death, his wealth might be taken by the Crown and for this reason he bequested money for the establishment of Chetham's Hospital which was to support 40 poor boys and Chetham's Library together with funds for the purchase of books. 24 feoffees or trustees were appointed to manage and stock the library and their aim was to rival the university libraries of Oxford and Cambridge. The building was extended during the Victorian era as was the Grammar School, the latter moving to it's present site in Fallowfield in the 1930's. The books were originally chained although that practice ended in the mid 18th century.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were frequent visitors to Chetham's and a reference book and bench seat mark the spot where they used to meet.

Chetham's Library is open Monday to Friday and visitors are welcome. An appointment must be made in order to read any of the collection.

Further information : http://www.chethams.org.uk/index.html

                        Reading Room at Chetham's Library

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A Secret Tunnel Under Deansgate

When workmen demolished old houses in Cumberland Street in 1911, they came across an underground passage.  The Manchester City News reported that they found a tunnel with an arched roof, built of brick, wide and high enough to allow a horse and cart to travel along it. The men found that it extended for about 70 yards before being blocked by a brick wall.  A pedestrian route through the Spinningfields development now follows the line of Cumberland Street, close to John Ryland's Library.

                                                         The Cumberland Street site.
 
The Deansgate Tunnel has never been fully documented or surveyed and evidence of its existance and extent is based upon rare glimpses and hearsay. Its age is unknown but it is assumed to be between 200 and 300 years old. Its purpose is unknown. There are even suggestions that it might be Roman in origin.
The tunnel is believed to start near the northern end of Deansgate, close to the Cathedral and to follow the line of the road southwards as far as Knott Mill. Here the tunnel turns westwards towards Old Trafford.

Shopping in Furness Vale

We will take an imaginary shopping expedition to Furness Vale. 
We have had plenty of shopkeepers in the village. There are over 30 addresses, although not all of these traded at the same time and some closed many years ago.  How many can you remember?

At one time, there were two fish and chip shops as well as a fishmonger. We had a tailor, a milliners,  dress shops and a candle maker. There was even a clockmaker at Ringstones.

Who can remember the undertaker with his stock of coffins lining the wall and the hearse waiting to perform its duties?

Do you remember the wool shop with its colourful window displays. Many women knitted in the past and this craft is again becoming popular. I’m told that even men are learning so it’s a shame that it closed. There were always drapers and haberdashers because so many clothes were hand made.

Every shop had it’s own distinctive aroma,  whether  that of freshly sliced bacon or newly baked bread, paraffin at the ironmongers or earthy potatoes at the greengrocers.  Many of these businesses would have mahogany counters and fittings, always well polished. Colourful sweets arranged in gleaming jars to tempt the eyes of youngsters and weighed out a quarter at a time. Some of us will remember when flour and sugar and sometimes butter was weighed out to order and packed in a blue or white bag.

We’ll hear of  Reuben our travelling yeast dealer, of two ghosts, a pub with two names, closed because of disorderly conduct and finally we’ll take a boat trip to the tea rooms.

We are going on a tour of the shops and pubs of Furness Vale. 
We will start at the southern end of the village at a house called Hollins View, which stands in front of the old quarry. There was never a shop here but if you needed your shoes soled and heeled in the 1940’s, a cobbler worked from a shed in his back garden.