Avro Heritage Trip

The Heritage Trust took a day off to visit the Avro Heritage Centre at Woodford.
12 members turned up, including some new faces.

After a very nice lunch in their canteen, overlooking the airfield, we were taken through the hanger, where Nimrod's were being made.

The Heritage Centre is a credit to the team that have put it together and open it to organised groups. Our guide was very knowledgeable and most entertaining. All in all a great day out.

Thanks to Phil Rowbotham for organising it.

Dan Bank - Phase 2

click on picture to enlarge.

Easterfeast

Easter Saturday was a huge success for both the Market and the Trust.

Many activities around the town attracted large numbers of people to Stockport and the Heritage Trust, as part of the attractions, put on a display of 'Crime & Punishment' in the Old Dungeon on Mealhouse Brow.


A good turn out of Members, many in costume added to the enjoyment and atmosphere of the day.

Spring 2009 Magazine - Out Now !

The latest issue of the Stockport Heritage Magazine is in the shops now.

If you buy it from The Heritage Centre in St. Mary's Church, the Trust gets a percentage of all sales.

Read about -
Evacuees in Stockport
Heaton Norris School
The Cheshire's in Ireland
Vernon Park childhood
Heaviley Hall
Murder on Great Egerton St.
Offerton Fold
Joseph Dean's legacy at Cheadle Heath
A Skeleton in Offerton
St Mark's School Bredbury

If you are not a resident of Stockport, you can buy your magazine from the website listed in our links on the right of this page.

Rochdale Trip

Ten Trust members turned out for a day in Rochdale.

Quite a surprising town, with a beautiful Town Hall, Norman Church and the Touchstone Museum as well as the Pioneers Museum, housed inside the first Co-operative store. There was lots to see.

They also claim to have the widest bridge in Europe at 445 metres.

Can Stockport challenge that claim?

Does anyone know how wide the Mersey Bridge it?
Thank you Kevin for organising another successful trip.

Final Gravestone Transcribed

The project to catalogue the gravestones around St. Mary's Church on the Market Place is almost complete. After a great deal of hard work by Jill Trumble and Nuala Kay, the last stone was transcribed on 27th February.

The information complements the copy of the burial records in the Heritage Centre, which has already been of great use to visitors researching their family history.

The inscription on the last stone reads as follows:
(....... = erosion)

In Memory of

(carved picture of a bell)

George Smith who was a Ringer
at this Church fifty years.
He died whilst ringing
for Divine service Jan 10th 1836
aged 68 years
Take ye heed......and pray for ye
I know not when.......Mark 13. v. 33

Heritage Walks

A program of Heritage walks has been put together by Jim Clare and Kevin Dranfield. The next will be a Historic Food and Drink Walk. (not a pub crawl), on Sat. 11th April at 1 pm.

Book at the Tourist Information Centre in the Market Place, where the walk will start from.

There will be a charge of £4 per person, and the walk will last 2 hours.

Trust members will be 1/2 price on production of a current membership card.

Marple Warehouse Redevelopment

The old Warehouse along the Macclesfield Canal at Top Lock Marple, is up for redevelopment.
The warehouse itself could be divided internally into two dwellings, without changing any of the external features. A row of modern houses is proposed for the wast ground alongside Church Street.

Millgate/Churchgate Crossing

As many people will now be aware the road through the Market Place will no longer be closed on Market days.

This is of great concern to members of the Heritage Trust, as being based in St. Mary's Church, on the corner of these two roads, we have seen the road getting more and more dangerous.

The Trust is now working with the Council to try and improve the situation and provide a safer means for pedestrians to cross from the church to the market.

Victorian Market

Was everyone in Stockport at the Market Place on Saturday to help celebrate the opening of the re-developed Market Hall? it certainly seemed that way.

With free entertainments and side shows for the kids, as well as roast chestnuts and mulled wine, it was a shame to miss it.
The Trust were out in force, joining the market traders in getting in the Victorian spirit.

New Window for St. Mary's

St. Mary's Church in the Market Place has a new window.

Jim Clare has been working hard over the last few months to create an effective Stained Glass Window of Richard de Vernon the first curate of St. Mary's in 1306.

Made from acrylic at a fraction of the cost of a real one, the window proudly resides in the Heritage Centre shop.

Winter Heritage Magazine in the Shops This Week !!

The Stockport Heritage magazine, winter issue, is in the shops this week.


It contains stories of -

Stockport County's Celebrations
Tiviot Dale's 'Cathedral'
Offerton's Spies
Woodley's Ghost
Seventeen Windows, Marple
18th C. Traffic Jams on Hillgate
and much more.

Stitchers Finish First Bed Curtain

This is the first replica 17th Century bed hanging to be completed by the Staircase Stitchers. Motifs were embroidered individually by the Stitchers before being appliqued onto the large linen curtain fabric, which had the central tree and grassy base outlined. After almost a year of preparation (including creation of the many motifs), the actual stitching onto the curtain fabric has taken two years to complete.

It will be displayed temporarily at the head of the carved bed in Staircase House provided by Stockport Heritage Trust, until a second curtain, already well on it's way, can enable them hang on either side of the bed head.

Dan Bank, October Update

The latest information from the Council concerning the repairs to Dan Bank include information about the 'Oldknow Stones'.

These are the original stones that formed a fence line to the turnpike road of 1801

It was due to members of the Trust that these old stones have been brought to the attention of the Council.







Click on the image to enlarge.

Gluttony & Drunkenness

The Stockport Food and Drink Festival was rounded of this year by a Scarecrow competition. All around the Market Place strange figures sprung up over night.




The winner was a headless horse man, complete with horse.
The Trust, keeping to the theme of food and drink, came a close second with Gluttony & Drunkenness.

Autumn Walk Down Reddish Vale

This year's Mersey Basin walk was around the picturesque Reddish Vale,
led by Kath Taylor, and assisted by Paula Rands and Kevin Dranfield.

Kath had gone to a great deal of trouble to give us a history tour of the Vale, starting as far back as the 17th century and progressing to the modern day.

The weather was perfect and the foliage exquisite. Thank you Kath for a very enjoyable trip out.


Anyone wishing to become a member of the Stockport Heritage Trust and find out more about the outing we organise, see the Trust website www.stockportheritagetrust.co.uk

Progress in the Graveyard

The Logging of the graves in St. Mary's Church Yard is into it's second year and two members of the team recently gave a talk, to the Friends of Stockport Cemeteries, about there progress.

Starting with the north side of the church, they have devised a plan of all the gravestone locations, transcribed the text on them and photographed any interesting ones. The next stage was to enter all the information gathered into a database.

Having completed the north side, and the 'Secret Graveyard' they are now ready to start on the south side of the church.

As the upkeep of the graveyard requires volunteers and gardening tools, any offers of these would be welcomed.

More information can be obtained from the church, open on all market days.

Historic Food and Drink Walks

Friday October 3rd to Sunday 13th is Stockport's second Food and Drink Festival.

The Trust is offering two walks around the history of Stockport's food and drink industry.

Do you know where the mustard manufactory was? or Why there were no fish shops in Stockport before 1847?

If not it is not too late to sign up for a walk on Sat 4th or 11th Oct at 1 pm. book your free place at the Tourist Information Centre in Staircase House.

Vernon Park is 150 Years Old

The Trust is always there to help promote Stockport's Heritage, and what better place to be than Vernon Park on a beautiful Sunday, to celebrate 150years of the park.




Even the Worshipful Mayor Councillor Pam King joined in the fun as she tried to fell the knight with bow and arrows, and the Trust's new 'Roll a Penny' game was also a great success.





Thousands turned out for a day in the sun, with Bands, Morris Dancers, Ferret Racing and many other entertainments.

Heritage Open Days

This year's Heritage Open Days were packed with things to do, and the nice weather brought people out in number.

The Trust offered more than ever before, with walks, talks and a film show, at St. Peter's as well as St. Mary's in the Market Place.


If you missed a chance to go on one of our free guided walks, it is not too late. As part of the Stockport's Food and Drink Festival in October Kevin Dranfield will be taking two parties around a new walk, looking at the History of Food and Drink in Stockport.

Do you know were the Mustard Factory was, or why there were no fish shops in the town before 1830?

4th & 11th Oct. at 1pm book your place now with the Tourist Information Office.