A rather fine find this - and one I've never seen before. A pictorial map of the old home town that is found tipped into a little guide called "Rochdale - the town that has faith in itself" and that was obviously issued as publicity to relocate to the town. The guide appears to be c1930 - although the map isn't dated either. Although it notes the "Lancashire & Yorkshire main line" that technically dates to pre-1922 the map also shows Queensway but not Kingsway so I need to do some more searching. The 'trams and motor buses' certainly dates it to pre-1932 when the town's first generation trams ceased. It shows the general grouping of the town's industries and landmarks, along with such things as municipal housing estates such as Turf Hill, Greave/Spotland and parks & open spaces. This includes the crown bowling green tucked away at the back of Charlotte St in Balderstone that was a real fixture for my Grandma Clegg in the 1960s! The plan is 'signed' by Mr Morgan the Borough Surveyor, at the base of the scroll extolling the values and benefits of this then busy mill and industrial borough, but the margins show the initials "WJJ" and I'm inclined to think that is the map-maker/artist.
Rochdale was reeling in shock today as internet trolls took it upon themselves to defaced the iconic landmark, the Welcome to Rochdale sign.
The Co-operative Heritage Trust is delighted to announce that it has secured over £47,000 from the Heritage Lottery...
Today marks the start of a campaign that the Wales Co-operative Centre is running for Co-operatives Fortnight (21st June – 5th July) that shows the strength and diversity of co-operative businesses…
41 – 43 Yorkshire Street, Rochdale, Lancs OL16 1BU Woolworths opened in Rochdale in 1927 on Yorkshire Street.It probably started off as a small store, as we know that in 1938 a new store was …
Thanks to Neil Clifton (whose excellent pictures are on www.geograph.org.uk) I've put this on to show Rochdale's standard main road street lighting in the 1960s - I think these lanterns, open sodiums with mirrored reflectors, are made by Wardle but which are very similar to GEC open lanterns. The columns, with the braced bracket arms, might be Stewards & Lloyds, but some I suspect were Bromford Tubes. This picture, taken looking east along what was then the A58 is where Yorkshire St became Halifax Road - the bridge, now demolished, carried the Bacup railway branch line with the derelict Wardleworth station a little to the left. Ellen Smith's coach 'depot' was down the hill on the left beyond the bridge.
Reflection, Rochdale Canal, Manchester, England photo via sharon
Mayor Ian Duckworth has backed Jake Berry, the Northern Powerhouse minister, who has urged the BBC and ITV to broadcast...
An 'eastern' side of a Rochdale street plan from c1935 showing the long-gone triple junction with the Wardleworth/Whitworth branch line curving off to the north-west. Hands up those who recall the shambolic demolition of the disused viaduct across Entwistle Road when they blew one arch and the rest toppled domino fashion! The 'new' bypass road formed of Kingsway and Albert Royds St cuts across the landscape, along with the Canal and the railway to the Calder Valley and the 'loop' around to Milnrow that is being converted as we speak to form part of the Metrolink system. The 'no-mans land' around Stuips Lane and Lower Lane formed part of my childhood playground - catching frogs in Stanney Brook! - all now swept away by the M62 and the new Kingsway commercial park. The Lower Lane Iron Works became the site of British Vita's factory - in the middle of nowhere it seemed as a child - where Grandma Ashworth worked for a while. Grandad Ashworth worked at the "Railway Works" off Milnrow Road which was, of course, not a 'railway' works but the headquarters and factory of Thomas Robinson, then a great name in milling and woodworking machinery - now long gone as has the 'Athletic Grounds', the old home of Rochdale Hornets were we spent many a Saturday (on the winter then, none of this summer nonsense!) with Grandad Clegg watching them play on the 'meadow'! I tended to be more interested in the trains on the Loop I have to say - the site is now a Morrisons supermarket. My father recently reminded me of the presence of a lovely street name on this map - just north of Firgrove is the delightfully named 'Uncouth Road'.
The old home town and although the card is 'dated' 1942 when it was posted this shows a pre-WW2 scene of the then prosperous Lancashire manufacturing town and of Drake St, one of the borough's principal shopping streets. I'd say mid-1930s as although the word 'Tramways" appears on the illuminated sign on the lamppost, the overhead and a lot of tram track has gone and they had been scrapped in 1932. Halfway down is what I'm sure is a Rochdale Corporation bus - several other operators vehicles could have been seen here on joint services but the blind layout looks Rochdale. Equally there's no sign of wartime bands painted on curbs or posts to aid in the blackout that was to come. The street lighting are mostly early examples of Wardle's sodium street lighting that the council were very enthusiastic about from the 1930s onwards. On the right is one of the cast iron road number repeater signs that were common in the town - this being for the A627 that used to run north - south through east Lancashire. I think this one has gone but at Sudden, in the town, one for the A58 still survives. There's a lot of shops I remember from my childhood in the 1960s - Orrell's furniture shop on the left, a further up, the 'Savoy Cafe'. The dome on the left, on the corner of Water St, marks the site of the Co-op's "Fashion Corner". Two other tower/domes appear - the larger is that of the Champness Hall, the Methodist Mission in the town, and lower can be seen the marvellous upper story of the well-known store Iveson's. Sadly, in the decades long decline of Drake St, this building when derelict collapsed and so the street lost another feature. The store seen here as Butterworth's the jewellers survived ib business until a few years ago and indeed is still standing although vacant. The row of shops on the lower section of Drake St included the "UCP Restaurant" - otherwise known as the United Cattle Products tripe shop; one of a large Manchester based chain who yes, produced parts from cattle! Lea-Scott opticians were another chain - but opposite and dominating this section of the street was the Wellington Hotel. The fortunes of the Wellington have risen and fallen over the last 80 years but the building is currently back in use. The story of this street is very typical of many UK retail streets over the years and very topical. Drake St now with tram track back in use, is virtually derelict and a sorry sight. The local authority is trialling a national Heritage Action Zone approach, amongst other schemes, to try to breathe some life back into this approach to the town and we can only wish them good luck.
Newton Heath, Droylsden Road, building Rochdale Canal, 1902 Ref no: m35410
Glimpse history through old images of Rochdale, in North West England, UK. Rochdale Carnival 1927 Rochdale's first annual exhibition and carnival was filmed in 1927, recording the streets crowded by local people as dressed-up adults, children, early cars and even an electric tram passed by in the parade.
FORMER MP Simon Danczuk has been plagued by controversial moments over the last few years. He represented the constituency of Rochdale from 2010 and 2017. Here’s what else we know about him. Who is…
The Ukrainian town of Chernobyl has rejected a proposal to twin with Rochdale, a spokesman for Rochdale council confirmed to the Herald.
Timepix pins old photos to maps. Helps genealogy and local history. Share free watermarked image or buy downloads, prints and gifts.
A MEMBER of a vile Rochdale grooming gang told a judge he shouldn’t be deported because “his son needs a role model”. Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, raped girls as young …
It appears that only 8 Olympics were shipped to the US and Canada, at least according to the Rochdale Owners Club. Of the 8, only 3 others are known to have survived. This is said to be a 3 or 4 owner car. The original owner shipped the car over to Chicago after a 6...
Residents of Rochdale coming to terms with the swear ban are having to learn how to communicate from scratch. Restricted from their usual expletive -
Os grid reference SD8559 1416. The site of what was once a thriving industrial place known as the Coal Bank Mill, in Ashworth Woods at Wolstenholme Fold – through which the Naden Brook flows,…
Funding troubles have stunted co-ops’ growth. But, with tentative links to blockchain tech and a newfound spirit of collaboration, that’s starting to change
Everyone on Facebook is now an expert in analytical chemistry it has been revealed.
Explore Tryppyhead's 1768 photos on Flickr!
Tragedy has struck a Rochdale landmark pub, The Baum, over the weekend causing literally pounds of damage when fire swept through the building.
Canals, Rochdale Canal, frozen over, Scowcroft Bridge, Mill Hill, Middleton, Manchester Ship Canal Co's lighter on right, Feb 1895 Ref no: m54184
