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| Barlow Moor Road Bridge, 1909 |
We are looking at a stretch of Barlow Moor Road that has now
passed out of living memory. The picture
was taken in 1909 and captures a time when we were still a little rural.
Away to our right across the Brook and over the fields is half hidden
by the trees is Lime Bank Cottage.
Sadly the building to our left has not survived which is a shame because it is one of those that would have unlocked a bit of our history.
Sadly the building to our left has not survived which is a shame because it is one of those that would have unlocked a bit of our history.
It was built sometime between the late 1780s and 1818 and
was a fine nine roomed house set in a large garden and orchard with views
across the fields.
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| Brook Bank House |
In the 1840s it commanded a rateable value of £58 which put
it amongst one of the most expensive properties in the township. And throughout its history the occupants
appear to have been well heeled.
In 1841 Elizabeth Whitelegg described herself as of “independent” means, while her son was a cotton dealer.
In 1841 Elizabeth Whitelegg described herself as of “independent” means, while her son was a cotton dealer.
A decade later the
Heywwod brothers and sisters were also able to rely on an inherited income, and
at the time of our picture, William Henry Foxwell owned his own engineering
export business.
This makes Brook Bank important in the story of
Chorlton. There were only handful of
these comfortable properties in the township and today only two have survived of
which one lies empty with half its roof missing.
And given that all the homes of working people from the
first half of the 19th century have also vanished this just leaves a
few of the farm houses of which only two come close to resembling the
originals.
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| Across the fields with Hough End Hall in the distance |
Which leaves us just this tantalizing glimpse through the
trees of Brook Bank on a summer’s day in 1909.
But that is not quite the end of the story.
We are on Barlow Moor Road just before the bridge was rebuilt and for all its idyllic appearance the road and the surrounding land was about to be transformed.
We are on Barlow Moor Road just before the bridge was rebuilt and for all its idyllic appearance the road and the surrounding land was about to be transformed.
Already the developers and builders had been busy. Just
behind our house and only partly hidden by a green house and out houses were the
semi detached properties of Claude and Reynard Road, while to the north a line
of tall houses stretched up to Beech Road and beyond the Brook plans were a
foot to construct Chorltonville.
Picture; Barlow Moor Road Bridge, J Jackson, 1909, m17447, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council
Picture; Barlow Moor Road Bridge, J Jackson, 1909, m17447, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council
Could you look into the history of the old house behind mcdonald's, was this a farmhouse?
ReplyDeleteIt dates back to at least the late 18th century and was known as Lime Bank. It is is perhaps the last surviving example of a home of the Gentry in Chorlton. I written about it my book The Story of Chorlton cum Hardy,2012 and appeared extensively in the blog. But the blog stories were taken down at the request of the owner who said some of her tenants didn't like attention drawn to their homes.
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