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.
Dairying was always done on the farm. Milk used to be sold to Brogden who had a milk round. Started own milk round in 1930s. Had shorthorns to start with always reared own stock, except two lots of Ayrshires from Scotland. No cheese made. Pigs for own use only. Fewer poultry now, more foxes about and have to shut poultry up. The fields are the same size, i.e. not enlarged. Land for football field went first year of Slacks time 1924. Five fields have been ploughed, grewpotatoes, oats, last potatoes 1951. More beasts can be kept on grassland so no ploughing now has sown permanent leys, cocklepark leys successful. Last ploughing about 1950s. Fertilizers do the job. Spreads the muck.
Has 60 head of cattle on the farm in winter, 31 milking cows on farm in summer (puts beasts to agist). had sheep once only could not keep them in. Has hens, had ducks once but they went to the reservoir. Had one man living in at one time and one employed at another periood, then Harry, his son left school and was able to help.
Mr and Mrs Slack came from Staffordshire. Mr Slack helped to build Clutton cheese factory. Dowery was lived in by Frank Morton's father (after he left Reddish) Frank Morton was born at Reddish. Jodrells sold turf off some fields. Old plough marks called "reens" (as in Sycamores at Sitch).
Names of beasts: to 12 months called calf, 12 to 18 months called yearling, 18 to 24 months called stirk, 24 months to first calving called heifer, first calf to second calf called cow heifer, second calf onwards called cow.
The planning application for conversion to five homes was approve in January 2012, The details including existing and proposed plans may be viewd on the High Peak Planning Department website: http://planning.highpeak.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=132198
The following photographs show Reddish prior to conversion to homes.
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