Saturday 25 April 2015

The Mersey emerges


Having been culverted under the Merseyway Shopping Centre for most of its first mile of life the river Mersey emerges from under the Bear Pit and an arch of the Wellington Road viaduct into sunshine and heads towards the railway viaduct.

For another view and one taken in the opposite direction see the post from 26th May 2013.

A contribution to
Weekend Reflections;
Scenic Weekends;
Shadow Shot Sunday;
Water World Wednesday.

Monday 20 April 2015

Mural at Pintong


This mural is on the side of the Pintong Thai Spa and Massage on London Road, Hazel Grove.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Sunday 19 April 2015

Chapel House Hotel


Last week I showed you views of St Thomas, Heaton Chapel.

In 1822 a pub was built across the road and was called The Chapel House.

The original pub was rebuilt in 1889 and named Chapel House Hotel.

This was purchased by Bass of Burton in 1921.

It was later known as Tut n Shive, and then Conors until the police closed it down around 2009.

Subsequently the building became a Tesco Extra supermarket before being closed again in 2015.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Sunday 12 April 2015

St Thomas, Heaton Chapel


St Thomas: Heaton Chapel was consecrated in 1765. There is some dispute about whether or not the original dedication was to St Thomas the Apostle or one of the other St Thomas's. Originally it was known as St Thomas, Heaton Norris. It became a church with is own parish in 1838. In 2005 the five Heaton's parishes were reunited under a team ministry.


From outside the church looks unusual, and has no pretension to beauty. The central part, the Nave, is the oldest, mostly dating to around 1758, although the moulding over the windows, the mullions, and the glass are 1870. The buttresses are also 1870 apart from that nearest to the Chancel, which is 1936.


The entrance to the church was for a time on Buckingham Road, but the original entrance has now been returned to use - this is reached via the Lych Gate, passing the First World War memorial. This original entrance facing Wellington Road North is a 1960 rebuild, with a Wardens Vestry to its left. The door leads into a Narthex from which two doors lead in to the Nave.


The Lych Gate was erected in memory of T Beaumont, for many years a warden. A service of dedication was held at 7.45pm on 17th July, 1890. Originally this had a gas light installed.


Much of this information is from a history of the church originally written in 1979 © Stephen Shaw, the text of which, together with some recent updates, can be found online at Shawweb.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

Monday 6 April 2015

Work on Warren Street


Lancashire Bridge crosses the river Mersey around the junction of Warren Street and Bridge Street. It was constructed in 1877 and widened in 1891. A reinforced concrete widening structure was added in 1937. The bridge is a square single span arch structure which comprises three arch sections with a skewed reinforced concrete portal frame on the east side of the arch. The bridge and the river was covered over in the late 1930s and a road built over the top. In 1965 the road was replaced by the Merseyway Shopping Centre.

An inspection and assessment of the reinforced concrete portal bridge established that the concrete had endemic chloride problems, poor cover and active corrosion and needed to be replaced. Pedestrian access has been maintained whilst the work is carried out but buses and other traffic have had to be diverted. On completion of the remedial works the stone arched section will have a new stone parapet installed to a design similar to that historically located at the bridge. Elsewhere, ornate metal railings will be installed around the opening.

The work started a year ago and was due to be completed in March but there seems a way to go yet.

A contribution to Monday Mellow Yellows.

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Looking down at the M60 & A560


I was standing on the bridge on Wellington Road North looking over on to the roads below.

On the left is the M60 Manchester Orbital Motorway. This section was built in the 1980s as the M63 extension from Cheadle Heath to Portwood. The concrete wall is where the former Cheshire Lines railway through Stockport Tiviot Dale used to run.

On the right is Great Egerton Street, the A560 which was once an important East–West link but with the advent of the M56/M60/M67 it is now reduced to catering for local traffic plus a considerable number of motorway link roads.

The shadow of the fence on Wellington Road North also crosses the roads and on the right is my own shadow looking over making it my camera-shy self portrait which is the theme for April 1st at the City Daily Photoblog Community.

See more contributions at this link.