Gun Inn

The Gun Inn at Hollingworth is an ancient hostelry and coaching inn.

It occupies a strategic position where the A57 from Liverpool to Sheffield via the Snake Pass turns right towards Glossop whilst the A628 carries forward over the Woodhead Pass to Barnsley.

Four Lane Ends

This is Four Lane Ends on Werneth Low

Behind the trees on the left hand side is a quarry now used as a car park. Werneth Low Road carries on round the bend and past the Hare & Hounds.

The houses are on Higham Lane which comes in from the right, while Joel Lane goes off at right angles.

See the same view from 1910 on Old Hyde.

Edge of Hattersley

This is the end of Hattersley Road West where the buses from Manchester and Hyde (to the left) turn off Mottram Road and into the housing estate.

On the other side of Mottram Road are thick woods hiding the M67 motorway from view. All you can see is a mobile-phone mast rearing out above the trees.

I recently had an email from Australia:

I am trying to find out information about Longlands because I went there in the summer of 1967, which was then the Secondary School for Hattersley. At that stage there were only 1st year students and my sister who was 18 months older had to go to Leigh Street Girls School in Hyde. I believe we stayed there until 1969 by which time they had finished building the new Comprehensive School on Hattersley. I know Longlands was demolished to make way for the M67 Hyde By-Pass.

Well, it would have been somewhere inside that wood, but this is about the closest I am likely to get to it.

Answer to October Quiz

For once, I didn't fool too many of you with my October quiz - several people correctly guessed it was one of the bowling greens in Hyde Park.

Some had obviously viewed the Map of Hyde Park and knew there were winter and summer greens.

This is one of the two winter greens and behind is the new pavilion which replaces the one damaged by fire in 2007.

Hope from Knoxville, Wayne from Vancouver and Dave in the Outhouse Capital of Canada, will all get a little prize for being so right.

Ashtonian's comment about the last club in Hyde being on Bowling Green Street surprised me. I had to look it up on my A-Z to find out where it was. As it is quite a walk from the nearest bus stop it may be some time before I check it out.

Broadbottom Station

Last month I showed you a glimpse of Broadbottom Station from the top of the steps to the station from the end of Moss Lane which crosses the bridge you see here.

To see how the station looked 20 and 30 years ago visit Old Hyde.

Wood End Lane from Clough Fold

Between Wood End Lane and Clough Fold is a deep wooded ravine through which Gower Hey Brook flows.

Last year I posted a photograph of the Allotments on Wood End Lane and this is more or less the view in the opposite direction.

Hollingworth Post Office

Next to Hollingworth Village Stores on Market Street is Hollingworth Post Office.

Unlike nearby Tintwistle Post Office, it isn't threatened with closure.

Newton Street

This is Newton Street which leads up towards Flowery Field church.

Dukinfield Road (the A627 from Ashton under Lyne) after passing Edward Street, meets Newton Street at a T-Junction now controlled by traffic lights.

At one time, instead of traffic lights there was just a mini-roundabout. There was also Ashton Bros Mill in the background.

You can see this earlier view on Old Hyde.

Dancing Red Devils

Although it is still a few weeks to Guy Fawkes night, fireworks have been on sale in various shops for a while now.

For any of my foreign readers who don't know what Bonfire Night on the 5th November is all about, I recommend either Wikipedia or the Bonfire Night website for more information.

Automasters Gone

Almost a year ago I posted a picture of willows by the Peak Forest Canal, taken from the Manchester Road bridge.

On the left was the Automasters Engineering Works belonging to the firm that made the View Marker on Werneth Low.

Now it is gone and the whole land is to be developed for housing.

See this view from a date before 1980 on Old Hyde.

October quiz

It's quiz time again!

Who can tell me what this is? Perhaps even tell me whereabouts it might be?

As usual the quiz is open for a week and there will be small prizes given at my discretion for accuracy and/or wit.

Steps to Broadbottom Station

To get to the Manchester-bound platform of Broadbottom Station from Mottram Road you could use the Mottram Road entrance and go up and over the line using the cross-platform bridge.

Alternative you can walk past the War Memorial and down Moss Lane to where I recently showed you a glimpse of Broadbottom Station. From there are these steps that lead to a gate into the station.

South Window of St Thomas the Apostle.

In the War Memorial (South) Window at St Thomas the Apostle, the figures of St George and Salvador Mundi were designed by Henry Dearle for William Morris & Co.

Royal Bank of Scotland

The Hyde branch of RBS is on the corner of Market Street and Corporation Street, just across the road from HSBC.

The history of the RBS goes back to the early 1700s. Since Victorian times though, there had been an agreement whereby English banks would not open branches in Scotland; and Scottish banks would not open branches in England outside of London.

Williams Deacon's Bank which had many branches in North West England, including Hyde, was acquired by the RBS group in 1930. They later bought Glyn, Mills and Co. The two were merged in 1970 to form Williams and Glyn's Bank and in 1985 by which time the cross-border restrictions had been lifted, W & G was rebranded as the Royal Bank of Scotland.

What will happen in the wake of the current banking crisis remains to be seen.

Beyond the Kissing Gate

A couple of weeks ago I showed you the Kissing Gate to Rye Field at Werneth Low Country Park.

Here now is what you will find beyond the gate.

For a closer view of the beast, go Moo (and click here).

For more skies around the world, visit Skywatch Friday.

Corner of the Caxton Works

Recently I showed you the sky over Edward Street.

Here is a closer view of the left hand corner of the Caxton Works. Although two windows have disappeared, the actual brickwork looks to be generally in good shape. I do hope it survives.

Hyde Park Bandstand Again

Two weeks ago I welcomed you to Hyde Park and last week showed you a map.

In the middle of the park is the bandstand. I've posted pictures of it here before

• Bandstand 1999
• Looking down on the bandstand
• Looking up at the bandstand

Today's view is more straight face on.

Horsemen at Windy Ridge

On a walk around Werneth Low Country Park, a few weeks ago, I met these horsemen outside a place called Windy Ridge.

The road and footpath are separated by a bank of tall weeds, consisting mainly of rosebay willowherb. The white tufts are maturing seeds about to be scattered by the wind.

Mottram Road, Broadbottom

Broadbottom War Memorial stands at the corner of Mottram Road and Moss Lane.

St Stephen's Steeple

The steeple of St Stephen's Church, Bennett Street, Newton.

For a view of the whole building, check out the one on Rhodes Family History.

The Abbey in Hyde

The Abbey in Hyde is on the corner of Hamnett Street and next door but one to the White Lion.

Originally it was the Abbey National Building Society before demutulising in 1989 to become a bank. In 2004 it was taken over by the Spanish based bank Santander. National was dropped from the name and it is now known simply as the Abbey.

Last week I showed you the local branch of the Bradford and Bingley, which has featured heavily in the news. It seems probable that the Abbey could be taking over some of the B & B's business. However, as with the Lloyds TSB/Halifax BOS takeover, these things take time and for the moment it is business as usual as far as branch customers are concerned.

Sky over the Jolly Carter

A memory from a few Saturdays ago.

We were sitting down on a bench opposite the Jolly Carter, waiting for the Ring 'n' Ride bus. The autumn leaves had not yet started to fall, and while we waited we watched the sky.

Visit other watchers at Skywatch Friday.

Flooded Path

This was a dry gravel footpath when Alder High School was built alongside.

In the photograph on that earlier post it can be seen clearly on the left.

This was taken a few weeks ago after several days of heavy rain. The low bright autumn sun reflects the railings across the path and the puddles.

Crawing over the price of petrol

I don't know if this is the same rook that I saw dancing on market stall roofs a few weeks back, but recently I saw it crawing over the price of petrol at Morrisons supermarket.

Here in January 2007 unleaded was 85.9 pence per litre and city diesel 89.9 ppl. By December 2007 the cost had risen 15p & 16p to 100.9 and 105.9 ppl. Now it is up a further 7p and 13p to 107.9 and 118.9 ppl respectively.

The price of petrol (or gas as the Americans call it) is a recurring theme among CDPBs. As a non-car-driver these days it doesn't directly concern me on a daily basis, but I do notice the rises.

A Map of Hyde Park

This map of Hyde Park is on the notice boards at the entrances to the park.

This is of course Hyde Park in Hyde and not its more famous namesake almost 200 miles away in London.

There is something cartographically unusual or unconventional about this map. I wonder if someone can guess what it is?

OK, I won't keep you waiting. It is simply that South is at the top of the map and North at the bottom.

Side by Side Bridges

For our contribution on the first Monday of the month to Broer som Binder [Bridges between], we are back by the river Etherow at Broadbottom.

The old stone bridge was built in 1683.

The metal bridge alongside for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders is about 300 years younger.

It was from the footbridge that I took my photograph of the border post, actually a support in the middle of the river holding up the railway viaduct.

More details of and links to other participants to Broer som Binder can be found on Visual Norway.

Organ of St Thomas the Apostle

Last Sunday I featured the Rose Window at St Thomas the Apostle.

This week I bring you the organ.

Bradford & Bingley

The Hyde branch of the Bradford & Bingley is in the Market Place at the corner of Russell Street.

It is only a cockstride away from either Lloyds TSB or Halifax BOS.

Sky over Edward Street

This week's contribution to Skywatch Friday shows Edward Street.

You need to click on the picture to really appreciate its complexity.

The main road from Ashton comes in here and bends left to the junction with Newton Street. Facing the traffic is an old mill. Fortunately much of the dereliction is hidden from view behind all the foliage.

The part on the right hand side at the corner with Mary Street is known as the Caxton Works and has a very interesting doorway.

Six months ago when I posted a close-up of the top of Caxton Works it didn't look to be in too bad shape. At that time the corner on this left hand side was also intact and part of the ground floor appeared to be still in use.

On the day I took this, a few weeks ago, there were white clouds in a blue sky and (as there often is in my skywatches) a Manchester-airport bound plane overhead.

Tonight it is bucketing it down with rain!

Kissing Gate to Rye Field

A footpath runs from Four Lane Ends at the top of Higham Lane down to Lower Higham Visitor Centre in Werneth Low Country Park.

About half way along is a kissing gate which gives access to Rye Field.

Lines

The theme for City Daily Photo Blogs this month is Lines.

It is a wide theme and open to lots of interpretation. I could have shown you railway lines, double yellow lines, telephone lines, queues of various kinds or done some esoteric or artistic representation.

What I have chosen to show you is the electric cables and supports for the railway line passing under the cross-platform bridge at Broadbottom Station.

I've earlier posted a glimpse of the station and intend showing you more at a later date.

To view thumbnails of other participants to the theme, view the CDPB portal