In Old Stretford, Bosdin Leech recalls that on Edge Lane, there were very few houses east of Stretford railway station around 1860.
However, this soon began to change and two early examples were the large houses known as Rye Bank and Meadow Bank, which at a later date came to be separated by Rye Bank Road.
The rate books suggest they were built around 1862, being owned by John Wright and Samuel McCoy respectively.
Both houses were substantial – full details of Rye Bank, including a fernery, are given in an advert of 1864, while by 1867, the rate book recorded Meadow Bank as being ‘house, garden and billiard room’.
Between 1877 and 1882, John Rylands sought to consolidate the eastern boundary of his estate in a series of transactions with the Lloyd family.
In 1876, he bought the area marked green on the plan, and covenanted to make a road (marked green and blue). In 1881, he bought the area in yellow and paid a fee to build a house.
His aim was to create a new eastern drive to Longford Hall and Rylands lost no time. Within two months, his 1881 estate map showed both the new drive to the hall and the new house, and his estate steward moved in to the house the following month.
The house still stands at the Ryebank Road entrance to the Park, on the right, though it has a modern extension. Incidentally, the steward was Michael Lofthouse and it was his architect son William Albert Lofthouse who designed Stretford Town Hall, or Public Hall as we know it now.
Two additional houses were built just inside the Ryebank entrance – which again still stand – around 1886. The house at the entrance must have been both a lodge as well as an estate office, with several stewards recorded in residence.
Up to about 1901, the only houses on (or off) Ryebank Road were on the Longford estate. The 1901 census however records that ten houses were being built by the Chorlton Land & Building Co. These semi-detached houses, just north of the lodge, were advertised for sale or rent later that year, with the description ‘backs overlook Longford Hall’.
The 1905 OS map shows 14 houses north of the lodge, and that Ryebank Road had become a through road, with Nicolas Road and Longford Road both shown.
There was an important change in 1912, when Stretford Council opened Longford Park, with one access point being Ryebank Road.
Not long after, the Council was complaining that people were taking a shortcut from the Ryebank Road lodge to the Cromwell Road lodge, and damaging the grass.
A number of warnings were given, and in 1914 it was resolved to place a shrubbery near the Ryebank entrance, with barbed wire across the middle.
Richard Bond © 2020
Location; Longford Park
Pictures; advert, Rye Bank Edge Lane, Manchester Guardian, March 12th, 1964, plan of Ryebank Road and and Longford Park Estate, 1881, , https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/Manchester~91~1~112908~197978:Plan-of-Longford-Park-Estate?qvq=q%3Alongford&mi=1&trs=22, both © University of Manchester
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| Advert, 1864 |
The rate books suggest they were built around 1862, being owned by John Wright and Samuel McCoy respectively.
Both houses were substantial – full details of Rye Bank, including a fernery, are given in an advert of 1864, while by 1867, the rate book recorded Meadow Bank as being ‘house, garden and billiard room’.
 |
| Plan of Longford Estate |
In 1876, he bought the area marked green on the plan, and covenanted to make a road (marked green and blue). In 1881, he bought the area in yellow and paid a fee to build a house.
His aim was to create a new eastern drive to Longford Hall and Rylands lost no time. Within two months, his 1881 estate map showed both the new drive to the hall and the new house, and his estate steward moved in to the house the following month.
The house still stands at the Ryebank Road entrance to the Park, on the right, though it has a modern extension. Incidentally, the steward was Michael Lofthouse and it was his architect son William Albert Lofthouse who designed Stretford Town Hall, or Public Hall as we know it now.
Two additional houses were built just inside the Ryebank entrance – which again still stand – around 1886. The house at the entrance must have been both a lodge as well as an estate office, with several stewards recorded in residence.
 |
| Plan of Longford Park Estate, 1881 |
The 1905 OS map shows 14 houses north of the lodge, and that Ryebank Road had become a through road, with Nicolas Road and Longford Road both shown.
There was an important change in 1912, when Stretford Council opened Longford Park, with one access point being Ryebank Road.
Not long after, the Council was complaining that people were taking a shortcut from the Ryebank Road lodge to the Cromwell Road lodge, and damaging the grass.
A number of warnings were given, and in 1914 it was resolved to place a shrubbery near the Ryebank entrance, with barbed wire across the middle.
Richard Bond © 2020
Location; Longford Park
Pictures; advert, Rye Bank Edge Lane, Manchester Guardian, March 12th, 1964, plan of Ryebank Road and and Longford Park Estate, 1881, , https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/Manchester~91~1~112908~197978:Plan-of-Longford-Park-Estate?qvq=q%3Alongford&mi=1&trs=22, both © University of Manchester
Apologies, my opening sentence should of course say there were very few houses east(not west)of Stretford railway station around 1860.
ReplyDeleteMy house on Cromwell Road, part of the terraced houses known as Rivington Place, was built in 1856 and was originally occupied by William Rylands, John's son and heir: I understand that William died at the age of c.33. The Deeds to my house states that I can take a wagon laden or unladen over roads built or to be built between Edge Lane and my place. I have access to the rear of my property via Longford Park and I can unload a donkey there but I can't let it graze!
ReplyDeleteWonderful Maggie a story all on its own!
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