St Petersgate Bridge re-opened

Following my post St Petersgate Bridge Repairs Almost Finished I've been back to see it again. On Christmas Eve the roadway was temporarily blocked by the dustman's cart.

The railings have all been given a new coat of paint. In the background can be seen the dome of the White Lion. You can see under the bridge and the other side of the railings in my post about the Queens Head.

St Petersgate Bridge was constructed in 1866-8. The designer was R Rawlinson, and the engineer was Brierley of Blackburn. The cost was around £6,000. A contemporary description of the bridge notes 'six arches, the central one over the Underbank-street being of cast-iron, with perforated parapets and a sufficiency of ornament to prevent its being (as many bridges over public streets are) an eyesore and offensive to good taste'. The Stockport coat of arms on the bridge cartouche was adopted in 1836, and was said to be the arms of the Stopford or Stockport family, Barons of Stockport (later superseded by a coat of arms granted by the College of Arms in two stages in 1932 & 1959).

A contribution to Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Ted's Cards

Greetings card stall in Stockport Market Hall.

The original photograph from which this was created can be seen on Geograph.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Ghost sign on Deanery Way/Union Road

Last week when I showed you the sign of the White Lion part of a ghost sign was spotted in the background.

I've been back to take another look at it. The sign is very faded and I'm not able to decipher it. Union Road became Deanery Way when the Merseyway Shopping Centre was built. The buildings to right of here, including the Grosvernor Inn were demolished but I've not been able to find any old photos showing this building on the corner of Great Underbank. It is now occupied mainly by the Yorkshire Building Society.

A contribution to signs, signs.

X is for Xmas

On Xmas Eve, the Rev Roger Scoones, vicar of St Mary's in the Market Place, was touring the Market Place, ringing his bells and inviting people to the listen to the carols in the church.

A contribution to Outdoor Wednesday and ABC Wednesday.

St Petersgate Bridge Repairs Almost Finished

A month ago I posted photographs of the men repairing St Petersgate Bridge from the Market Place end.

I was back there recently and as I walked from the Market Place past the fence between the pathway and the roadway a workman was painting the parapet on the other side. By the time I'd reached the other end and poked my camera lens through a hole in the fence he'd gone.

I imagine the roadworks will have all been cleared away by now.

For a wider, coloured view see Geograph.

A contribution to Friday Fences, The Weekend in Black and White and Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Signs at the White Lion

Since I posted yesterday about the White Lion I've discovered the photograph I took of the sign in November 2012.

I've only now noticed the remnants of a "ghost sign" on the building opposite. I'll have to get a closer look at that another time.

According to a leaflet about the "Stockport Town Centre Heritage Trail" it seems in 1815 the then landlord of the White Lion fired a cannon to inform the town's people of the British victory at the battle of Waterloo and at a "Wife Sale" in 1831, William Clayton sold his wife for five shillings to a J Booth. She was handed over with a halter round her neck.

A contribution to signs, signs.

W is for White Lion

There has been a pub on the site of the White Lion since the 14th century. The present building was erected in 1904. A hearty blend of late medieval and Baroque features in a typically exhuberant Edwardian fashion, it is Grade II listed.

Alas, it has been closed for more than a year.

See also the follow up post Signs at the White Lion.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

The busiest bus route in the country

The bus shelter at Wellington Road North is the main stopping point in Stockport for the 192 bus service from Hazel Grove and Stepping Hill to Manchester.

Greater Manchester bus route 192 is a frequent and popular bus route running between Manchester city centre and Stockport. It carries over nine million passengers each year, and is often considered to be the busiest bus route in the country. More information on Wikipedia.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday.

From Orphanage to Care Home

From the end of Penny Lane, looking across Lancashire Hill at what was originally Pendlebury Hall, an orphanage designed by architect J.W. Beaumont and erected 1881-2. It was founded through the bequest of Ralph Pendlebury who left £100,000 for the purpose. Pendlebury started his working life as apprentice to a handloom weaver, but later built and owned mills in Stockport.

This is the entrance from Dodge Hill. Previously known as Grosvenor Hall but now called Hilltop Hall Care Home, it has been fully refurbished to create a special environment where modern facilities blend in with the character and elegance of the grade II listed building. Wood panelling, stain glass windows, chandeliers and a bell tower are some of the features of the home, along with landscaped gardens in a quiet and elevated location. It is managed by Harbour Healthcare.

A contribution to Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.

A closer look at St Mary's Catholic Church, Heaton Norris

I've featured this church before on 28th May 2013 viewed then from across the M60 motorway which now isolates it from the town.

St Mary's Roman Catholic Church on Roman Road, Dodge Hill was designed by Pugin & Pugin,1897 and is a prominent local landmark. It is constructed of red brick with stone dressings and window tracery and a slate roof.

The west front has a tall gabled bellcote on a stepped base beneath which is a statue of the Virgin and Child. Stepped buttresses framing a large rose window are flanked by traceried windows with paired lights.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

Weekend Reflections in Black & White on Warren Street

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White and Weekend Reflections.

Boars Head

The Boars Head on the corner of Vernon Street and Market Place is a grade II listed building and one of brewer Sam Smith's two pubs in Stockport, the other being the Queens Head.

A contribution to signs, signs.

V is for Vernon Park

The original bandstand in Vernon Park was built in 1888 at a cost of £309. By 1968 it had fallen into disrepair and was demolished. The new bandstand dates from 2000.

This photograph is from June 2009.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday.

Keep It Clean In Stockport

This mural on the side of Lancashire Hill bridge over the M60 is part of the "Keep Britain Tidy" campaign. I don't know how long it has been there but it's beginning to look a bit tired.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

East of Hatton Street

The view from Hatton Street footbridge. The gantry signs partly obscure Lancashire Hill bridge. Above on the left is St Mary's Catholic church on Dodge Hill under which the former Cheshire Lines Committee railway through Tiviotdale ran in a tunnel.

The coloured version can be viewed on Geograph.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White, Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo and Shadow Shot Sunday.

Heaton Norris Park

The land for Heaton Norris park was acquired by public subscription and as a gift from Lord Egerton. Work on laying out the site as a public park began in May 1873, and it was formally opened on June 5th 1875. The total area of the park at the time was 16 acres, 2 rods & 38 poles. During the Munich crisis of 1938 large trenches were dug in the park in preparation for possible air raids. More recently the park has become the venue for the annual Stockport Civic Bonfire.

Behind the fence is a multi-use games area and beyond are bowling greens.

A contribution to Friday Fences.

Tony Doyle's Mobile Butcher's Van

Every Friday and Saturday you'll find one of Tony Doyle's vans on Stockport Market.

According to the company website the butcher's based in Kinmel Bay has some ten vans that visit various markets in North Wales and the Northwest of England.

A contribution to signs, signs.

U is for Unicorn Brewery

The brewery is named after the Unicorn Inn which was bought by William Robinson in 1838. This stood on what is now the bottom yard in Lower Hillgate. William was joined in 1865 by his younger son Frederic, who started to brew beer for other local hostelries and his first customer was Mrs. Lamb (Bridge Inn, Chestergate). In 1876, shortly after his father's death, he bought his first house the Royal Scot, Marple Bridge (then the Railway Inn). Bottling commenced from a new building in 1908; new offices opened in 1913 and a new brew house in 1929. In 1975 bottling was carried out at Bredbury and now, after fermentation is complete, all the beers are transferred to Bredbury for packaging and distribution from there. It remains a family business.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Shoppers in Merseyway

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Bridgefield Street Bus Stop: Looking Out

A dozen or so different services stop on Bridgefield Street, so it is important to look out for the right bus.

Of course, some people may be looking out for something else.

A contribution to the Looking Out theme at City Daily Photo