St George's 1840

The earliest known picture of St George's dates back to 1840. It was found recently in a distressed state and fragments were carefully pieced together and stuck on a mount.

I took a photograph of this and then used PaintShop Pro to remove blemishes and restore the colour. Here is the result.

In the foreground is a horse-drawn barge on the Peak Forest Canal. Midground is the valley of the Gower Hey Brook before it became filled with trees, houses and allotments. The artist appears to have taken a little license with the tallness of the tower.

You can view the original distressed picture on Hyde DP Xtra.

A modern view of the church is on Hyde Daily Photo.

Gee X Mill 1984

A photograph of the Peak Forest Canal taken by Janet Howie, Easter 1984.

Gee X Mill in the background has since been demolished and replaced by a modern residence with lawns down to the canal.

See how it looks now on sithenah.

For weekend reflections around the world visit Newton Area Photo.

Captain Clarke's Bridge 1984

Photograph © Janet Howie taken Easter 1984.

The towpath of the Peak Forest Canal changes sides at this point.

A horse, pulling a narrowboat along with a towline attached to its harness, would walk up and cross the bridge then curve down and go under the bridge, or in the opposite direction would walk under the bridge then up around the curve, over the canal and down the other side. The towline could remain attached the whole time, which would save the boatmen both time and effort.

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

Other photographs of Captain Clarke's Bridge:

• c.1900 (Old Hyde)
• October 2007 (Hyde DP)
• December 2007 (Hyde DP)
• February 2009 (Hyde DP)

The CDPB theme today is Changes:
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

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.

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.

In George Wain's footsteps

George Wain's 1947 film Much Ado is probably the only moving memory we have of the area of Gee Cross where it was filmed.

Now seftonwallet who was responsible for transforming George's film into video-format was been revisiting the locations featured therein with Ken Richards and has produced this new fascinating video.

If you haven't seen the original I suggest you watch that first (link above) and then watch the new film.

Video Footage of Hyde 1947

Much Ado is George Wain's award winning amateur film, shot around the Gee Cross area of Hyde, about 1947. It includes Dowson Road, the Peak Forest Canal and a steam train on the Godley Junction to Apethorn railway line.



My other ABC Wednesday V posts this week are ~~ Village Fete at Hyde Daily Photo ~~ Vroom Vroom at Ackworth born, gone West ~~ Vintage Cars at Sithenah

To visit more ABC-Wednesday V posts go to Mrs. Nesbitt's Place.

Throstle Bank

St George's Rowing Club was founded in 1883. The original boathouse was in a field by the Peak Forest Canal at Throstle Bank.

As well as some serious rowing, the club ran day trips to Romiley, Marple and Daisy Nook. After 1905 the HQ moved to a farm at Wood End.

My other ABC Wednesday T posts this week are ~~ Treacle Brow at Hyde Daily Photo ~~ Teithside Tree at Ackworth born, gone West ~~ Turnstone at Sithenah

To visit more ABC-Wednesday T posts go to Mrs. Nesbitt's Place.

Automasters from Manchester Road Bridge

I'm not sure of the date of this picture. It is from before renovations which took place in the 1980s.

Compare this view with a recent view from roughly the same location

Canal Warehouse

This picture by Frank Bennett and reproduced here with his permission, first appeared on the Images of England site.

Photographed in August 1999, this Canal warehouse on the north side of Manchester Road is a Grade II listed building now used as offices.

1828 on datestone in gable. English garden wall bond brick, stone dressings and slate roof. 5 x 3 bays with 2 storeys at front 3 at rear. 3-storey loading bay (now glazed) to rear with round canopy and winch. Each floor has 4 window with round brick arches, C20 casements and stone sills. Shaped eaves gutter brackets, coped gables and small corner piers.

Canal elevation which is again 3 storeys, has a similar loading bay, a total of 6 windows as above and a datestone in gable. The loading bay to the front has been bricked in and has a total of 4 windows as above to either side of it. Timber beam floors on cast iron columns.

It is one of Hyde's few remaining canal warehouses.

Gee Cross Mill

This photograph of the Peak Forest Canal with Gee Cross Mill in the background is by Peter Stockdale. It was published on Photo Archives of the Peak Forest Canal and is reshown here with permission.

Manchester Road Canal Bridge

This picture by Frank Bennett and reproduced here with his permission, first appeared on the Images of England site.

The August 2000 picture shows the roving bridge and road bridge taking Manchester Road over the Peak Forest Canal.

It was built in 1804 but widened on both sides in the C19 and C20. Snecked, rock-faced and hammer-dressed stone, brick, cast iron and concrete. The original elliptical-arch tunnel which is grooved for stop planks was widened to the north in the mid-C19 with a truncated elliptical keystone arch which is now partly obscured by the C20 footpath bridge. The south was widened later in C19 in brick and is separated from the tow-path bridge by two pipelines. The tow-path bridge has a spiral walkway, panelled cast iron parapet walls and a flat stone slab deck.

Interest stems from the bridge's evolutionary development. Another roving bridge on the canal is Captain Clarke's Bridge