Old Rectory Ice House unveiled

Dr. Peter Arrowsmith unveiled the Old Rectory Ice House today, which has been recently cleared out by a small group of hard working Heritage Trust volunteers. Temporary lighting was provided by a Trust volunteer, and refreshments were provided.
A new Stockport Town Centre Heritage Trail plaque was also unveiled.
The Trust has a new free A2 Town Centre Trail leaflet, which was also launched.
It was Rev Scoones' penultimate service today as he's retiring in April, and he also attended and said a few kind words after the unveiling.

[It'll always be full of leaves in autumn...].

Edward Street Mill - Windmill Excavation

This morning a viewing of the recently unearthed remains of the Edward Street windmill took place, arranged by Paul Hartley of Stockport Council.  An archaeological excavation and documentation of the site was in progress, and we were guided by the archaeologist's team leader.

The windmill stood on the site of the former Hollingdrake's car showrooms on Edward Street, adjacent to the Town Hall, which as a building closed for the last time in 2015.  It was built in 1784-85 to provide power to the Edward Street Mill.  Wind power was superseded at the mill in 1795 when a steam engine was installed.  The mill had closed by 1842.  Local groups used the windmill as a meeting place, including the Independent Methodists (1817 - 1820), and from 1818 by the radical 'Stockport Union for the Promotion of Human Happiness'.  The windmill was demolished in 1857.  In 1922 the foundations of the windmill were discovered during construction of Hollingdrake's showrooms, and they were preserved under the first floor of the building.

The site was re-discovered in mid-January 2016, and is soon to be cleared to make way for a new build (Stockport Homes).  Archaeologists have performed a rapid documentation of what they have unearthed, and information panels illustrating the history of the site will be on display in the new building.

The Bishop of Stockport The Rt. Revd Libby Lane visits our SHC and St. Mary's

The Mayor's Carol Service took place in St. Marys Church, 16th December 2015.
Our Bishop of Stockport The Rt. Revd Libby Lane, who was consecrated on 26th January 2015 at York Cathedral by Archbishop John Sentamu, took part in this service. Previously she'd been the vicar of St. George's Church, Heaviley.
She is a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Chester and is the first woman to be appointed as a bishop by the Church of England.
[A Suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop of diocesan bishop. They may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own]. 
Libby was born in 1966.

Stockport Colour Calendar 2016

 The Stockport Heritage Trust Colour calendar for 2016 is selling out fast.
Get your copies from the St. Mary's Church Heritage Centre, Bakers News, Station Convenient Stores, Davenport Post Office, Jacksons News or Stockport Market.

And hurry they may not last until Christmas.

Rev. Roger Scoones is retiring

On the  29th November, 2015 Rev. Scoones  announced that he will be retiring in March next year

Roger started as Rector in 1996, after being the Vicar at Congleton.

Here's a pic of him I took in 1998.

Before 1996, I had never been in St. Mary's Church before as it only seemed to be open on Sundays for services. 

After Roger became our Rector, one lunchtime I called in; I recall that he was alone in the Vestry. He and I had a long chat; we both have an interest in photography, together other shared interests and we quickly became good friends. 

In 1996 the Trust was homeless and all our monthly meeting were in the Pack Horse, and the Trust had been looking for empty affordable premises for a while.

I approached Roger on behalf of SHT to propose running, just a 3 months initially, a trail of a Heritage Centre display in the empty Choir Vestry, which had just been refurbished after a fire.

It took almost a year to negotiate this 'trial' with the PCC. The next 18 years are history. 

The small handful of early volunteer members when Iain McLean was Chairman worked as trojans together to furnish, man and create the our museum/centre;  we were open even then on all market days. 

Sadly most of these loyal volunteers are no longer with us today.

Without Roger's full support over the intervening 18 years, we wouldn't have our 'new' splendid Heritage Centre today.

I really hope that Roger has a long and happy retirement.

Phil [R]

Stockport's Heritage: The Widest Bridge in the Country?

Stockport's Heritage: The Widest Bridge in the Country?



Or, in old money, this bridge is 21.658 chains wide.

The Widest Bridge in the Country?

Does Stockport have the widest bridge in the country or maybe even the world.
In 1940 the new Merseyway Bridge was opened. It was a road that covered the river and stretched from Lancashire Bridge in the east to the Bear Pit in the west.

 For many years Rochdale have claimed that they had the widest bridge in Europe but this was disputed by the Stockport Heritage Trust.

As Rochdale have now uncovered their river they have no more claim to the title and the Heritage Trust intend throwing down the gauntlet to challenge any other claims.

On Sunday 22nd Nov. at 10am, a group of Trust members gathered at the newly revealed Lancashire Bridge and measured the length of the Merseyway Bridge.

It measured 435.7 meters, can any town better that?

Stockport Heritage Magazine in the Shops NOW

The winter 2015 issue of the Stockport Heritage Magazine is in the shops now !!
It contains articles about -

Stockport's invasion by the Vikings.
Archeology, architecture and ale.
Historic Inn's bicentenary.
Redrock development.
Hotbed of revolution.
Wilfred's war.
Moving our market.
Offerton's history man
In the shadows of Houdsworth Mill.
and many more stories and letters.

If you cannot find a copy in the shops, look on the Heritage Magazine website.

Open Day at the Bridgefield Dig

Manchester Archeology unit have been exploring the past life of Stockport's back-to-back Georgian housing, around what used to be Bridgefield St. Heaton Norris.

 The open day last Saturday allowed Stopfordians to view what has been uncovered of cellar dwellings with fireplaces where families would have lived in dire conditions.

The cellar of the Three Tuns Inn, that stood on the corner of Hatton St. and Bridgefield St., was also clearly visible.

 As was the toilet block that would have serve many families and stood in a central courtyard.

 A very old cobbled surface was also uncovered that predates the stone sets which we are used to seeing as an old road surface.

Items that have been found include Victorian bottles, broken pottery and the usual discarded shoes.
Shoes are an interesting addition to old superstitions. They were tied to the back of wedding cars for luck as well as often being walled up in chimneys of new buildings also for luck.

Could some of these shoes have been found in  chimneys when the houses were demolished?or were they just too worn to be taken away when the inhabitants left.