Steps to the Grange

These steps lead from the back of Alder School down to the estate of new houses on the site of Werneth Grange, behind Hyde Hospital.

Green Lane Pool

This deep pool near Green Lane, under the shadow of Werneth Low, is close to the source of Werneth Brook.

Icy Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill in the treacherous ice of a few weeks ago.

Compare it, if you will, with the same scene from October 2006.

The Joshua Bradley

Someone commented recently about the number of things closing down in Hyde and indeed there are, but some new ones are opening up.

Named after former mayor of Hyde, Joshua Bradley, this new pub was opened in September 2008. A reported £3million were spent refurbishing Bamford Hall as it was previously known.

It lies adjacent to the closed Hyde campus of Tameside College and rumour has it the site has been earmarked for a hotel developement.

Reviews of the new pub have been mainly favourable but as always there are some who aren't satisfied.

Please Pass Wide & Slow

Another picture from the snowy times of a few weeks ago.

This is Mottram Old Road approaching the entrance to Alder School.

Horses, cyclists and cars all use this road and hopefully most drivers heed the notice on the horsewoman's back to Please pass wide and slow.

The View from the Bench

Last week I asked people what they thought they might see from this bench.

The majority guess was for the canal, but that was wrong.

Dick with his Eye on Texel suggested a walking path and trees and he isn't wrong as this is a section of the Tameside Trail.

Meditteranian Kiwi in Hania said a river and is not wrong neither as the bench overlooks a bend in the River Tame.

What nobody guessed (and why should they?) is that across the river is the Kingston Sewage Works. The area was once nick-named the Kingston Stink but I think that was more to do with a factory in the area rather than the sewage works.

The bench, by the way, is actually over the border in Haughton Green, but who cares about that?

Cemetery in the Snow

I didn't post any pictures of the snow when we were gripped by it for a few days earlier in the month.

I did take a few photographs at the time though and this one shows the entrance to Hyde Cemetery from Back Bower Lane.

I showed you the frosty view in January.

Path behind Alder School again

Some of you may remember my post of the flooded footpath behind Alder School.


This is how it looked a few weeks ago when the ground was somewhat firmer.


Here is the view in the opposite direction.

The path leads past the school towards a football pitch from where I took this earlier-posted picture of the Sky over Hyde Hospital.

Preparing for the Zebra

Last September I showed you a photo of the Stockport Road bus stop that was going to be closed for the construction of a zebra crossing.

As you can see the stop has been removed and work has begun on preparing the road for construction of the crossing.

We originally thought the stop on the other side would be retained, but the bus shelter was removed a couple of weeks ago and doubtless the stop will go too.

Closed College

The Hyde campus of Tameside College on Stockport Road at Gee Cross closed last year.

Don't ask me why as I don't know.

Only Doing Their Job

There is free parking on the upper stories of Clarendon Square Multi-storey car park.

The lower part, however, is pay and display and someone has to check the validity of the tickets.

Kingston Recreation Ground

Kingston Recreation Ground is off Mill Lane.

February Quiz: Muddy Bench

OK, it is quiz time again.

Obviously it was quite muddy when I passed by this bench on one of my walks. Maybe it would look a lot better in summer-time.

If you sat here one day, what do you think you might be viewing?

I'll give you the answer next Monday.

Town Hall Scaffolding

Here is a view of the Corporation Street side of the Town Hall.

The scaffolding has been up for a few weeks now. I presume they are carrying out maintenance work on one of the chimneys.

Canal Study #5

The fifth of five studies of the Peak Forest Canal between Adamson's Mills and Captain Clarke's Bridge.

It should be obvious that the previous four studies were crops from this original, each focusing on a particular aspect of the scene.

Someone asked about traffic on the canal and in fact I've already posted a photograph taken further along the towpath that same day in December of a boat sailing towards me.

Someone else asked if people lived by the canal. I don't think so but the old shacks and caravans seen on the left bank are part of the Tameside Animal Shelter. Some dogs barked loudly at me as I passed but I didn't photograph them as I was wearing shoes not boots and was gingerly trying to avoid the muddy potholes on this section of the towpath.

Canal Study #4

The fourth of five studies of the Peak Forest Canal between Adamson's Mills and Captain Clarke's Bridge.

Canal Study #3

The third of five studies of the Peak Forest Canal between Adamson's Mills and Captain Clarke's Bridge.

Canal Study #2

The second of five studies of the Peak Forest Canal between Adamson's Mills and Captain Clarke's Bridge.

Canal Study #1

The first of five studies of the Peak Forest Canal between Adamson's Mills and Captain Clarke's Bridge.

Croft Street Bridge

Some weeks ago I showed you Bowling Green Street and later what lay behind Bowling Green Street.

A little alleyway leads behind the houses to Croft Street and this bridge over the railway. From here it is short walk along to Wood End Lane and down to Captain Clarke's Bridge.

The next five days photographs will be a series of studies as I followed the towpath of the Peak Forest Canal from Captain Clarke's Bridge to Adamson's Mills..

Theatre in the Mall

Members of the Hyde Theatre Royal Onward Trust were in Clarendon Mall recently raising awareness of the need to preserve and re-open this precious heritage.

For pictures of the theatre see my own Theatre Royal Gallery and for information about the Trust visit the Hyde Theatre Royal Onward website.

Clark Way over the M67

This is Clark Way as it crosses the M67.

You can see the motorway and the bridge themselves in my post of 5th February 2008, or you can visit my post of 24th July 2007 to view this from further away.

Sky over Hyde Hospital

This contribution to Skywatch Friday was taken last Saturday before the snows came on Monday.

The little chimney belongs to Hyde Hospital which is no longer actually a hospital although some related services are still based there. Mainly it is a sheltered housing complex.

No Snow Today

A couple of days of snow and the UK grinds to a halt, or so it appears from the media frenzy. Other places in the world just cope with it. I thought of going out to bring you some pictures of the snow but couldn't be bothered.

If you want to know what it was like just look at Martin's picture from neighbouring Ashton under Lyne and that is very much how it was here too.

I spent most of Wednesday huddled round the gas fire as our central heating broke down and the plumber couldn't come until 3pm. It turned out the boiler was full of dead insects which he vaccuumed out and now I am pleased to say we are warm again.

Today's picture was taken on Saturday and shows a dapper young man and his dog as they disappear round the back of the Theatre Royal past the YMCA.

Over the top of Ahmed Bros Cash & Carry can be seen the domes of the Jamia Mosque which is still under construction.

Round the Bend

Yesterday I showed you the bend in Mottram Old Road. Today I take you round the bend. On the right hand side is a wood that overlooks Stonepit Reservoir.


Walk on down the road and in winter when some of the trees are bare you can actually get a glimpse of the reservoir. Compare it with the glimpse I showed you two years ago in December 2006.

Mottram Old Road Bend

Today's photograph was taken shortly after noon on Christmas Day 2008.

It shows the bend on Mottram Old Road, the A560 from Yorkshire to Stockport, as it enters Gee Cross.

Tomorrow I will take you round the bend.

Under Captain Clarke's Bridge

Yesterday's CDPB theme was "Paths & Passages". Non-CDPB bloggers sometimes ask how the themes get chosen. The shortish answer is that blog-owners vote on a varied choice of around half a dozen themes a couple of months beforehand. For February, the leading contenders in the ballot were "Paths & Passages" and "Underneath".

In my planning note-book I forgot there were 31 days in January and thought February 1st was a Monday, which makes it Broer som Binder [Bridges between] day. Knowing this photograph would cover whichever theme won the vote, I earmarked it for that day. When I realised my error, I decided to keep it for today and yesterday, for the "paths" theme, posted a photograph of Wood End Lane, which leads to the bridge.

I featured Captain Clarke's bridge on December 1st, 2007 when the CDPB theme was "Bridges". That photograph shows the towpath spiralling around to cross the top. Previously on October 12th, 2007 I had posted a view of the bridge from the other side, which you can compare with the circa1900 photo on Old Hyde.

Today we are looking under the bridge on the Peak Forest Canal at the towpath which here changes sides.

Please visit the previous posts for more information about the bridge, and how the path crosses over.

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

Paths & Passages Theme: Wood End Lane

The CDPB theme for February 1st 2009 is Paths & Passages.

Here is Wood End Lane.

I'll show you where it leads tomorrow.

Meanwhile Click here to view thumbnails for all participants