Orchard, Pyramid and Sky

Looking from Hollywood Park over the Community Orchard towards Kings Reach and the "Pyramid".

The Community Orchard is one of 12 in Stockport - see Stockport.gov.uk for more details - established around 2011. I was told by a passing dog-walker that it was originally a bowling green. Aerial views would seem to indicate that it was once a football pitch. It looks rather neglected but that may be just the time of year.

For more information about the pyramid see my post from 1st April 2013.

You can view all 20 photographs from my recent walk through Hollywood Park as a Geotrip plotted on a map and available as a slide-show.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Lamppost art in Hollywood Park

Yesterday when I posted Shadows at Hollywood Park I promised to show you a closer view of the old photograph on the lampless lamppost.

Around 2014 as part of the Stockport Arts Trail, an independent group of young people, working towards an Arts Award Qualification at Stockport Central Library, created the images for one face of the artworks, located on lampposts in and around Edgeley. Historic photographs from the libraries archives are on the other face, giving people an idea of how the area looked in times gone by.

The text on the reverse of this piece of lamppost art reads:
"In the winter there was this fog, caused by all the
coal fires and mills, it was
terrible, it was like walking through pea soup,
you had to fight your way through it."

There are eleven lampposts in total along the trail. More information is at Healthy Stockport.

I featured another example of lamppost artwork on 8th October 2014

A contribution to Monday Murals and signs, signs.

Shadows at Hollywood Park

Another photograph from my recent (and for me first) visit to Hollywood Park.

On Wednesday I posted The Edge of Edgeley taken from a path near the eastern edge of the park.

Yesterday I posted a photo of part of the Steps out of Hollywood Park.

Today's photograph is from nearby looking out over the park past the high-rise Hollywood Towers towards the railway viaduct. The lampless lamppost on the right carries an old photograph of this view - but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for a closer view and explanation.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Steps out of Hollywood Park

On Wednesday when I posted a photograph of the Edge of Edgeley some people thought it had been post-processed to create a painterly effect but in fact is hardly enhanced at all.

This one however has been turned into a charcoal composition. It shows a set of steep steps out of Hollywood Park which lead to Roscoe Street, Edgeley.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

E is for the Edge of Edgeley

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and Wordless Wednesday.

The Hatters

Artwork on the wall next to the western entrance to Stockport Station.

"The Hatters, Stockport County Football Club, started in 1883 as the Heaton Norris Rangers at the Wycliffe Congressional Church, they became Stockport County in 1890 and moved to Edgeley Park in 1902. Their grounds are close to the former site of Sykes Bleaching Company, located on the edges of Alexandra Park, whose reservoirs were formed to service the mill. The Sykes family originally owned most of the land in Edgeley, and employed many people. Much of their wealth was invested back into the local community."

"The Hatters" is one of a number of Town Centre Artworks produced as part of an initiative by the Stockport Youth Offending Service

The others are:
Glass Umbrella;
And The River Runs Through;
Having Your Cake;
11 Million Bricks - this one was apparently stolen before I could take a photograph of it.

A contribution to
Blue Monday;
Monday Murals.

Stockport Station Entrance (West)

The first post on this blog in April 2013 featured the sign at the eastern entrance to Stockport station.

This is the western entrance which leads into a subway that passes under the station. Steps and lifts connect the subway to the platforms.

The station was opened on 15 February 1843, by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, following completion of the railway viaduct to the north. After operation by the London and North Western Railway, it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway, in 1923. The station was known as Stockport Edgeley to differentiate it from Stockport Tiviot Dale, which closed in 1967.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Marketplace on a lampost

This artwork can be found on a lampost on Castle Street in Edgeley. The text reads:

"On Saturday nights my dad used to take us Stockport Market in those days it stayed open till 9pm.

It was a great event everyone from round here would go. And we'd always go to Woolworths on the way home to buy sweets."

As part of the Stockport Arts Trail, an independent group of young people, working towards an Arts Award Qualification at Stockport Central Library, created the images for one face of the artworks, located on lampposts in and around Edgeley.

Historic photographs from the libraries archives are on the other face, giving people an idea of how the area looked in times gone by.

There are eleven lampposts in total along the trail. More information is at Healthy Stockport.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and signs, signs.

Double postbox on Castle Street, Edgeley

Castle Street used to be the main thoroughfare through Edgeley before it was bypassed by Mercian Way and sections of it pedestrianised.

It is still a busy street with many shops, pubs, cafés and much else.

A closer view of the double postbox SK3 24.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Sykes Reservoir, Edgeley

Syke's #2 Reservoir is the middle of three reservoirs originally providing water for the Sykes Bleaching Works. It is now part of Alexandra Park, Edgeley and used for fishing.

I posted a 2009 view of it in September 2013.

A contribution to
Good Fences;
Weekend Reflections;
Scenic Weekends.

South of Stockport Station

From the top of Shaw Heath looking over the lines to the south of Stockport (formerly Edgeley) Station. The end of the middle platforms are just visible under the footbridge that connects King Street West to Thomson Street. On the right are buildings belonging to the Territorial Army Centre.

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

The Old Bank at 35 Shaw Heath

The half-timbered building next to the Armoury public house in our post last Wednesday was built in 1912 as the premises of the Manchester and Liverpool District Banking Co. Ltd. to designs by Manchester architects Barker Ellis and Jones. It became known as The District Bank from 1924 when the company became District Bank Ltd, before becoming the Edgeley branch of the National Westminster Bank in 1970, after a merger. The building's banking role ceased in 1996 and it was subsequently in office use. Currently it is occupied by a firm that makes wedding videos.

It was designated as Grade II listed for the following principal reasons:

1. As a good representative example of a small, early C2O bank designed in a neo-Tudor, half timbered style giving a reassuring appearance of longevity and respectability;
2. The eye-catching exterior design differentiates the bank from the neighbouring properties whilst enlivening the streetscape;
3. The unassuming yet careful attention to detail and design which unifies the building's external appearance with the internal use of timber panelling and Tudor-arched stone fireplace in the banking Hall;
4. The building retains its design integrity as a bank despite a number of alterations.

For a slightly wider and more colourful view see Geograph.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Armoury Blue Plaque

Yesterday I posted photographs of the Stockport Volunteer Armoury.

A Blue Plaque on the tower was unveiled in 2007 by the Stockport Heritage Trust.

A contribution to signs, signs.

A is for Armoury

The Stockport Volunteer Armoury (the one on the left) is Grade II listed. It was built in 1860 and consists mainly of an octagonal tower in red brick with pointed copper cap. Raised by public subscription for the 4th Cheshire Battalion Rifle Volunteers in defence against Napoleon III. It was opened in 1862 and has been occupied by Volunteer Regiments, principally the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment.

It is now in use by the Territorial Army. The building has been altered with loss of the original gateway and Sergeant Major’s quarters. An extension to the front in the angle between the tower and the mess/office range was probably made in the late 19th century and is shown in early 20th century photographs. A variety of other extensions and additions, mainly to the north side, were made in the mid and later 20th century.

The other "Armoury" across Greek Street on the corner of Shaw Heath is a Robinson's pub noted for its Darts Super Leauge Team.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Sykes' #2 Reservoir

Syke's #2 Reservoir is the middle of three reservoirs originally providing water for the Sykes Bleaching Works. It is now part of Alexandra Park, Edgeley and used for fishing.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections
as well as Scenic Weekends.
and Shadow Shot Sunday.

Edgeley Cottage

The house was constructed c.1889. It is built of red brick with applied timber-framing to the first floor. The gabled roof is tiled, with tall diagonally-set brick stacks. The 2-storey front elevation have 3 and 4-light timber casements with leaded glass, and coloured glass in the top-lights, the central projecting bay on Edgeley Road is gabled with barge boards. The Dale Street elevation has a C20 door in a lean-to open timber porch to the left, and a relief plaster panel with the name EDGELEY COTTAGE and the date 1889.

Front boundary walls are coursed stone.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

Edgeley Park

A quiet part of Edgeley Park.

A contribution to Scenic Weekends and
Shadow Shot Sunday.

Edgeley Community Church

A joint Methodist and United Reformed Church on Edgeley Road.

For information visit the Church website.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday and Inspired Sundays.