Adamson's Mills 1981

Photograph © Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Dr. Clifton's photograph was taken in 1981 and he commented on Geograph UK that it "stood derelict and unlikely to find a future user."

Well compare it with my 2008 photograph on Hyde Daily Photo.

The chimney has gone but more or less everything else is still there and it is a thriving hub of activity.

Before there was a Woolworths

About a hundred years ago there was no Woolworths in Hyde Market Place. Instead there was Brownson's Clothiers.

I don't know when Woolworths moved in but now it seems they may well be on their way out.

Captain Clarke's Bridge

The City Daily Photo Blog theme is Circles or Spheres.

Question: How does a horse towing a boat perform a circle and cross to the other side of the canal without being unhitched?

Answer: Use a roving bridge.

Here is the famous Captain Clarke's Bridge on the Peak Forest Canal as photographed about 1900.

It is named after the navel officer, John Clarke who lived at Wood End in the 19th century.

The towpath changes sides at this point. The horse, pulling a narrowboat along with a towline attached to its harness, would walk under the bridge then up around the curve, over the canal and down the other side. If the boat was going the other way, the horse would cross the bridge then curve down and go under the bridge. Because the towpath goes under the bridge before circling upwards, the towline could remain attached the whole time, which would save the boatmen time and fiddling about.

Another roving bridge on this stretch is the Manchester Road Canal Bridge, of which you can see more on Hyde Daily Photo.

To view thumbnails for all participants to the "circles/spheres" theme, visit the CDPB portal.