Mrs Blomely’s pond, the secret of the Edge Lane Lake and other little known stories ........ the Quirks Sunday walk with the past

In the graveyard, with murdered Mary Moore and a burial scandal

The sun shone, the interested turned out, and the first of the new series of history walks was a success.

The trip through our past started at the Narnia lamp post on the green, made its way down to the old parish church yard and then by degree up past the Horse & Jockey, circumnavigating the Edge Lane Lake hard by Scotch Hill and culminating at the Lloyd’s Hotel.

It is a walk I have conducted before but it is never quite the same each time I do it.

And that makes it fun because setting aside the basic bits of history I am never quite sure what we will encounter.

On the green, trespassing in Sam Wilton's garden

This time it was the murder of Mary Moore, the scandalous treatment of the Methodists who were cheated out of their Sunday School, a split over where to build the new parish church, and the day the Mersey flooded with no warning.

Along the way there was lots about farming in Chorlton, the story of New Chorlton and of course the Edge Lane Lake and Mrs Blomely's pond.

Not to forget the day Sam Wilton stole the village green from the people of Chorlton and how we got it back almost 90 years later.

Which just leaves me to thank the “historical crowd”, who walked the walk, and announce that number 2 will be in May and will feature Marledge, taking in Kemp’s Corner, some banks, a library, two picture palaces and that place called the Isles.

At Lauriston House looking up at the features

As ever it will be free, fun and finish no more than hour after we start.

Now, that can’t be bad ....... back for Sunday dinner or Poldark on the telly ..... whichever comes first.

Location; Chorlton

Pictures, in the graveyard and at the Laursiton Club, 2018 from from the collection of John Hulls and in Mr Wilton's garden, 2018, courtesy of  Peter Topping