Bredbury Curve

In 2015 plans for the Bredbury Curve Development were recommend for acceptance by the council.

The plans were rejected in 2016 - see details.

The proposal involved the filling in of the existing railway cutting with inert materials and the construction of 60 dwellings with associated new highways, a junction with Stockport Road East, landscaping, parking and amenities.

The site was previously a railway cutting that accommodated a rail line which linked the Glazebrook to Godley Line to the Ashbury Junction to New Mills Junction line. The scheme was designed in such a way that a corridor would be retained along the northern corner of the site in order to enable a future tram/train line to be constructed between the Ashbury Junction to New Mills Junction line and Whitefield Road and then onwards towards Stockport Town Centre.

Peter Whatley's photograph published on Geograph and taken from the crossover bridge at Bredbury Station shows how it looked in 1989.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

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.

Photographing Stockport

Looking across Wellington Road South towards the railway viaduct. I wasn't the only person photographing Stockport that afternoon.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Stockport Shuttle at Stockport Station

Since 9th January, the section of Station Road in front of the railway station has been closed to traffic as work on the Stockport Exchange Masterplan continues and the site's hoarding line is extended across the road. This stage of works will run from January to July 2016. During this time, vehicles from the A6 can only to get to the station via Railway Road. A new temporary pull in / turning area with a bus stop and taxi rank has been created for passengers at the end of Railway Road between the station and the Multi Storey Car Park.

The #300 Stockport Shuttle is a free bus that takes a circuitous route around the town. It is a good way to get from the railway station to the bus station but less useful in the opposite direction.

A contribution to Monday Mellow Yellows and Our World Tuesday.

Signs at Woodsmoor and Great Moor

The other day I ventured down to Woodsmoor Station which lies on the line to Hazel Grove. It was 12:54 and the indications were that a train to Manchester Piccadilly was due at 13:06 and was running "On Time" so I decided to wait for it.

At ten past one the 13:08 to Buxton pulled into the opposite platform.

The electronic sign still said the 13:06 to Manchester was running "On time" even though it was already 13:17!

I didn't wait any longer but walked up to the A6 at Great Moor to catch a bus instead.

The sign by the side of the road is one of a number erected at the time of the millennium. I've previously shown you ones at Offerton and at Reddish.

A contribution to
signs, signs;
Good Fences.

George V postbox at Stockport Station

In the wall by the steps up to Platform 1 at Stockport Station is a postbox with a GR cypher for the reign of George V. I'd never noticed it until recently as it is a little tucked away and then again I more often than not arrive on a different platform and take the lift down to the subway rather than the stairs.

Next to the postbox which is labelled SK3 101 is a No Smoking notice that points out that even the open air sections are a no-smoking area.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

The Curiosity of Platform Zero

The Easternmost platform at Stockport station is number zero. It was added in 2003 to provide extra capacity but not used until 2008.

Only three other stations in the UK have a platform zero, Edinburgh Haymarket, London King's Cross and Cardiff Central.

Also curious is that is the only platform that has direct level access to the street.

Another curious sight I found recently on platform zero can be seen on my photoblog sithenah.

A contribution to the Curiosities Theme at City Daily Photoblogs.

A life-changing place

This mural on a wall of the subway at Stockport station is described nearby as Stockport Artwork created by Arc service users:

"A life-changing place"

Arc is Stockport's specialist arts and health charitable organisation.

We work from our Challenge Centre in Reddish - art Studios and gallery - with individuals who face often severe and multiple disadvantages linked to mental ill-health. We use the arts to help them to transform their lives.

We run a Community Programme including an outreach agency and a graphic design service - engaging people creatively at Stockport's Stepping Hill Hospital, Children's Centres and in the wider community via bespoke art groups, events, market stalls and festivals.

The artwork on display here has been designed as part of Arc's 'Arc:Light' programme, in which vulnerable adults recovering from mental distress are given opportunities to develop skills and confidence through a creative process. In this instance they have learnt digital graphic design skills and produced work that represents key icons and themes around Stockport town centre.

We hope that this installation encourages dialogue around mental health issues and the impact of mental ill-health on our lives.

This installation is a joint partnership between Arc, Virgin Trains and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Running Man Mural: Panels 13 - 16

A follow-up to my posts from 29th June 2015 featuring panals 1 -4 of the Running Man Mural; the post of 6th July 2016 featuring panals 5 - 6 and the post of 13th July 2015 featuring panels 9 - 12. The 16 panel mural was the work of the group Friends of Heaton Chapel Station and produced with support from the local community.

Panel 13 was sponsored by Vital Signs and Graphics and designed with pupils at Norris Bank Primary School - Heaton Norris.

Panel 14 was sponsored by Stella Maris School and carries a statement from Northern Rail:

As one of the biggest train operators in Britain, Northern Rail provides 2,500 local and regional train services every day across the north of England, serving a population of nearly 15 million.

We pride ourselves on offering consistent and local train services to our customers, as they make their way around our network to visit the wide variety of things to do and places to see in the areas we operate.

Northern Rail is proud to be at the heart of the railways and we work closely with local community groups to help enhance our stations and their surroundings.

Having worked with 'Friends of Heaton Chapel Station' since August 2011, we've seen the station blossom thanks to the great efforts made by this partnership.

Panel 15 informs us:

From the early 13th century, Heaton Norris was a sub-manor of Manchester, encompassing all of the Four Heatons including Heaton Moor which was mainly moss land (peat bog) with rich agricultural land that supported mixed farming.

In 1837 Parliamentary approval was given for the railway to by built by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, the first section from Heaton Norris to Manchester opening in 1841.

Heaton Chapel Station was built in 1851 close to the St. Thomas Rectory and not according to some railway company's grand plan but largely at the instigation of a local clergyman, Edward Jackson of St Thomas Church in Heaton Chapel.

Before entering the church, he had been a master at Manchester Grammar School and when he discovered that one of his former pupils was the superintendent of the northern division of the LNWR, he was determined to use his influence and put Heaton Chapel on the railway map. This was quite a tall order: even if all the arguments are on your side, because building a station in a deep cutting presents difficulties, (there are 43 steps to the platform on northbound platform 2).

However Rev. Jackson won the day, his old pupil complied and Heaton Chapel was the triumphant result. The opening of the station had am immediate effect on the surrounding area which became a fashionable address for those who could afford to live in the leafy suburbs and commute to Manchester by train. Land was acquired and roads were planned. The houses, villas and new buildings along Heaton Moor Road were of a grandiose scale with generous gardens.

Sadly, Joseph Swindlehurst, the stationmaster in the 1890s would no longer be able to recognise his beloved station.

Panel 16 was sponsored by 4 Heatons Traders Association and informs us:

The artwork was designed by local artist Karen Allerton with photographs and historic information supplied by Phil Rowbotham ©

Two members of Sustainable Living in the Heatons, a local community group, explored the possibility of developing an art protect on the northbound platform of the station in June 2011 with a burning passion to change the tired salmon wall. As a result of the discussions we formed the Friends of Heaton Chapel Station in August 2011, with the principal aim of making the station a more attractive place.

Out enthusiastic group began work during the autumn cutting and cleaning beds on the Stockport bound platform and planted flowers, herbs and plants which have now blossomed this spring, We also set up a library in the ticket office which has proved really successful with travellers.

With the help of materials and paint from Northern Rail and a great bunch of volunteers, we painted the wall black in preparation for the artwork. We have engaged with various groups in the Heatons community and would like to thank them and all the local businesses that have sponsored this great undertaking. Additionally, we are indebted to the local primary schools who have worked with us on the project.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Running Man Mural: Panels 9-12

A follow-up to my post from 29th June 2015 featuring Panals 1 -4 of the Running Man Mural and the post of 6th July 2016 featuring Panals 5-6. The 16 panel mural was the work of the group Friends of Heaton Chapel Station and produced with support from the local community. The artwork was designed by local artist Karen Allerton with photographs and historic information supplied by Phil Rowbotham ©.

Panel 9 was designed with pupils at Broadstone Hall Primary School - Heaton Chapel.

Panel 10 was sponsored by Prontaprint and designed with pupils at St Thomas' CE Primary School - Heaton Chapel.

Panel 11 was sponsored by Hugh Joseph McCarthy Solicitors.

Panel 12 was sponsored by Bramley Carpets and features the war memorial and the poem:

Ode of Remembrance

They went with songs to the battle,
they were young.
Straight of limb,
true of eyes,
steady and aglow.
They were staunch to
the end against odds
uncounted.
They fell with their faces
to the foe.
They shall not grow old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the
going
down of
the sun
and in the morning,
we will remember them.

Laurence Binyon - For the Fallen

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Running Man Mural: Panels 5-8

A follow-up to my post from 29th June 2015 featuring Panals 1 -4 of the Running Man Mural. The 16 panel mural was the work of the group Friends of Heaton Chapel Station and produced with support from the local community. The artwork was designed by local artist Karen Allerton with photographs and historic information supplied by Phil Rowbotham ©.

Panel 5 was sponsored by Stella Maris School and informs us:

Heaton Mersey
The word Heaton is made up of two words of Anglo Saxon origin. "Hea" means high ground, which in this case is a shoulder of the Mersey Valley above the flood plain. The suffix "ton" means a defended settlement or farm.

The name Mersey originates from an Old English word Maere which means boundary. The river was the boundary of the ancient Saxon kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria.

Hence the name Heaton Mersey can be literally translated as the high farmstead beside the River Mersey.

Panel 6 was designed with pupils at Norris Bank Primary School.

Panel 7 was sponsored by Town Cafe Bar and informs us:

Heaton Moor is predominantly flat with no rivers or streams. The soil is black and fertile as expected from land that was previously peat moor. Before the opening of the railway, Heaton Moor was the main agricultural land in Heaton Norris, supporting pigs, cattle and cereal.

The opening of Heaton Chapel station in 1851 marked a turning point in the development of the area as people wanted to live close to the railway line between Stockport and Manchester.

Heaton Moor is characterised by the Victorian housing most of which was built between 1852 and 1892 and features tree lined roads which follow the former field patterns when the area was used for agriculture.

Heaton Moor is a thriving residential and commercial suburb of Stockport and contains its own busy and vibrant district centre which focuses on Heaton Moor Road.

Panel 8 was sponsored by Agito Transport Planning Consultancy and designed with pupils at Broadstone Hall Primary School - Heaton Chapel. It features Cecil Kimber.

Former resident of Shaw Road, Cecil Kimber was the man behind the iconic MG Sports Car. He was born in 1888 in south London during a time when the world had just discovered the combustion engine and people were realising its possibilities. His main interest was motor bicycles and he bought his first in 1906 aged 18 but he switched to cars and four wheels after a bad accident.

In 1914 following a family dispute, Cecil left the family printing business in Manchester and pursued a career in motor engineering.

In 1919 he met Frank Woollard who later helped Cecil establish the MG car. Two years after joining Morris Garages as sales manager in 1922, he launched the first four-door saloon, built on the chassis of the Morris Oxford.

Tragically Cecil died in a train crash in 1945, but the MG sports car flourished with a number of pure racing models winning countless successes on race circuits.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

Running Man Mural: Panels 1-4

In September 2013 I posted a view of the The Running Man at Heaton Chapel. The 16 panel mural was the work of the group Friends of Heaton Chapel Station and produced with support from the local community. It was unveiled in May 2012 and won 1st place in a competition for Community Art Schemes sponsored by ScotsRail.

I recently revisited the station and photographed the individual panels.

Panel 1 was sponsored by Easy Access Self Storage and informs us:

The designation Norrey or Norres came from the family name of the le Norreys in 1364. Heaton Norris was part of the Manchester barony of the Grelley family, but between 1162 and 1180 It belonged to William le Norreys. In the early 13th century Heaton Norris was a sub manor Manchester, encompassing what we know now as the Four Heatons. The area reverted back to the manor of Manchester around 1280.

The township stretched from Cringle Brook in the north to the river Mersey in the south which is a distance of approximately two miles. The south east part has long been a part of Stockport since 1832 when it was included in the Parliamentary borough and in the municipal borough in 1835 when a district ward was formed.

Panel 2 was sponsored by Sustainable Living In The Heatons.

Panel 3 was sponsored by SAS Daniels LLP (formerly TWP Solicitors) and informs us:

For several centuries Heaton Chapel was part of the Heaton Norris township. In 1758 the first Chapel in the Heatons, St Thomas' Church was built on the principal Manchester to Stockport road on a field known as Yarn Croft, through money raised by public subscription. The place name then became Heaton Chapel in its own right.

Almost a century later The London and North Western Railway company completed the Crewe to Manchester line and Rev. Jackson used personal influence, to have a station built in 1851, close to the rectory in Heaton Moor Road with the new station being named Heaton Chapel

Panel 4 was sponsored by Heaton Moor Evangelical Church and designed with pupils at St Thomas' CE Primary School. It features Sir John Alcock.

Sir John William Alcock, who grew up in Heaton Moor and attended St Thomas' Primary School, took up the challenge of attempting to be the first to fly directly across the Atlantic and successfully piloted the first transatlantic flight between Newfoundland and Ireland in June 1919.

The epic flight which John Alcock made with Arthur Brown covered 1,980 miles over mainly water, and took 16 hours and 12 minutes. The flight had been much affected by bad weather, making accurate navigation difficult and the intrepid duo also had to cope with turbulence, instrument failure and ice on the wings.

The flight was made in a modified Vickers Vimy bomber, and secured a £10,000. prize offered by London's Daily Mail newspaper for the first transatlantic flight.

A few days after the flight, King George V knighted Alcock and Brown and invested them with their insignia as Knight Commanders of the Order of the British Empire for their remarkable act of courage and bravery as pioneering aviators.

A contribution to Monday Murals.

I'll bring you more next week.

Shadows at Heaton Chapel Station

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Weekend Reflections: Boarding the Manchester Train

Getting aboard the Manchester train at Reddish North.

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Zebra to Zero

This zebra crossing on Station road leads to the upper entrance into Stockport station and platform Zero.

Platform Zero was added in 2003 although not used until 2008. It is the only platform that is accessible from street level.

Only three other stations in the UK have a platform zero, Edinburgh Haymarket, London King's Cross and Cardiff Central.

A contribution to Our World Tuesday and ABC Wednesday.

Swaine Street

Between the viaduct and the bus station.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White and Scenic Weekends.

Stockport No.1 Signal Box.

The 96 lever signal box (type LNW4) on the south side of the station was built in 1884. Along with four other boxes in the area it was due to be closed in the 2000s when a new signalling system was being installed as part of an upgrade to the West Coast Main Line.

However, the Italian system would not work on the complex Stockport line and was shelved, although it has since been used successfully at Cheadle Hulme.

Instead, Network Rail decided to improve the existing line, along with five Victorian signalboxes at Stockport, Edgeley and Heaton Norris - renewing the points on the tracks and the mechanical lever operation.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

Stockport's landmark railway viaduct

Stockport railway viaduct is a landmark structure. This first view is from the M60 motorway Eastbound looking South towards the viaduct; the motorway itself is elevated so it is nearly level with the roofs of buildings that nestle under the viaduct's archways.

The viaduct was built in 1839/40 by the engineer George Watson Buck under the architect John Lowe.

This view is taken from outside the bus station. The motorway is somewhere near the farthest arch to be seen in this photograph. Note how it towers over the double-decker buses in the garage.


This view is from the other side above Daw Bank near to where it reaches Stockport Station.

In 1887-89 it was widened to four tracks, 27 arches, 111 feet high and 1786 feet long, comprising 11 million bricks.



This is the view across the bus station from Wellington Road viaduct.

A contribution to the Landmark theme at City Daily Photoblogs.

P is for Platform 2

Yesterday I showed you the western entrance to Stockport Station.

Today I bring you Platform 2.

East to west the platforms are numbered 0, 1/2, 3/3a, 4 the middle ones being island platforms linked by stairs and lifts to the subway below the station.

The train waiting to pull out is on its way from Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

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.