Now, Manchester Road is one of our ancient roads.
It twisted and turned through the township from High Lane through Martledge and out across open land to The Flash where it joined a footpath to Hulme. *
Later still in 1838, Samuel Brooks cut his own private road from Brooks Bar along the route of that footpath and in the process utilized the Black Brook which ran beside the old footpath “as a main sewer for his property which he drained into the watercourse”.**
But given that this new swanky road which we now know as Upper Chorlton Road, was the private property of Mr. Brooks, it is more likely that those wanting to leave the village would take another route from Manchester Road along Seymour Grove, which for most of its existence was “nothing more than an old lane or rough cart road with deep ditches at each side, overshadowed by trees, and used chiefly by the farmers and foot passengers of the village”.***
All of which means Manchester Road might well be seen as one of our “superhighways”, and as such the casual traveller would have lots to see on a trip from the village out towards The Flash.
At the junction with High Lane and Edge Lane the land was slightly higher than the surrounding, and on the site of what is now Stockton Range was a fine house which was popularly called the Glass House which was known as Pitts Brow, and during the early 19th century was regarded as the most attractive spot in the whole township.
A little further was an old ash tree which lent its name to the spot just past the church, which dates from the 1870s, when the Methodists built their third place of worship, adding a large Sunday School building a decade later.
Beyond this the road snaked out to Red Gates Farm, which now sits under Chorlton Library and on to the Flash.
In the 1860s the Egerton estate cut a new road running from Edge Lane via Chorlton to Fallowfield in the expectation that by opening up a direct route from Stretford to Wilmslow Road it would stimulate development in the area, which it did.
Despite crossing Manchester Road, this new Egerton highway had little impact on our road.
But not so the planners of the 20th century, who in their grand plan to build a shopping precinct here in Chorlton, stole a stretch of Manchester Road for a car park.
The result was the loss of some grand houses which lined this bit of the road and the severing of our ancient thoroughfare.
Next; that mystery water course
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; detail of Manchester Road from the OS for Lancashire 1854, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/ Manchester Road, date unknown and the bit they stole, 1960s, from the collection of Ida Bradshaw
*The Flash is the spot where Manchester Road joins Seymour Grove and Upper Chorlton Road, and became known as West Point.
**Ellwood, Thomas, Chapter 6, Roads, The History of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, South Manchester Gazette, December 12, 1885
***ibid Ellwood, chapter 6
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| Manchester Road, 1854 |
Later still in 1838, Samuel Brooks cut his own private road from Brooks Bar along the route of that footpath and in the process utilized the Black Brook which ran beside the old footpath “as a main sewer for his property which he drained into the watercourse”.**
But given that this new swanky road which we now know as Upper Chorlton Road, was the private property of Mr. Brooks, it is more likely that those wanting to leave the village would take another route from Manchester Road along Seymour Grove, which for most of its existence was “nothing more than an old lane or rough cart road with deep ditches at each side, overshadowed by trees, and used chiefly by the farmers and foot passengers of the village”.***
 |
| Manchester Road, date unknown |
At the junction with High Lane and Edge Lane the land was slightly higher than the surrounding, and on the site of what is now Stockton Range was a fine house which was popularly called the Glass House which was known as Pitts Brow, and during the early 19th century was regarded as the most attractive spot in the whole township.
A little further was an old ash tree which lent its name to the spot just past the church, which dates from the 1870s, when the Methodists built their third place of worship, adding a large Sunday School building a decade later.
Beyond this the road snaked out to Red Gates Farm, which now sits under Chorlton Library and on to the Flash.
 |
| The bit they stole, Manchester Road, 1960s |
Despite crossing Manchester Road, this new Egerton highway had little impact on our road.
But not so the planners of the 20th century, who in their grand plan to build a shopping precinct here in Chorlton, stole a stretch of Manchester Road for a car park.
The result was the loss of some grand houses which lined this bit of the road and the severing of our ancient thoroughfare.
Next; that mystery water course
Location; Chorlton
Pictures; detail of Manchester Road from the OS for Lancashire 1854, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/ Manchester Road, date unknown and the bit they stole, 1960s, from the collection of Ida Bradshaw
*The Flash is the spot where Manchester Road joins Seymour Grove and Upper Chorlton Road, and became known as West Point.
**Ellwood, Thomas, Chapter 6, Roads, The History of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, South Manchester Gazette, December 12, 1885
***ibid Ellwood, chapter 6
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