Of all the images Andrew shared with me as part of the picture challenge, this in some ways is my favourite.
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| A tram, a trail, and the ghost of the railway, 2013 |
Here is the newly opened Metro link, which follows the route of the old railway line and offers up access to the TransPennine Trail.
So in one one spot we have a shed load of Didsbury’s history.
The railway line dates from 1880, and ran from Central Railway Station out to Didsbury and on via Heaton Mersey, Cheadle Heath and Hazel Grove to Derbyshire and finally London.
Sadly, it closed for passenger traffic in 1967, followed two years later by freight trains, and the track was lifted in 1970. The railway station lingered on till 1981 when it was demolished for the present small shopping precinct.
And at this point the purists will point out that the station was not here, where Andrew took the picture.
But I shall pass over that observation and record that when the railway station opened like others along to route back into town it proved very successful. So that "by 1900 over 200, 000 passengers bookings per year were being made at Didsbury and the South District train service was running at a ten minute frequency during the busy time periods”.*
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| Locomotive-45602 and train heading north to Manchester in 1954 |
And the introduction of a tram service using the old route has proved equally successful, even if at times those of us further down the line in Chorlton can sometimes find that there are no seats left when the East Didsbury service to town rolls in.
Which I fully accept is a churlish observation, especially on a Didsbury story so I shall conclude with that reference to the TransPennine Trail, which “is an exciting route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders linking the North and Irish seas, passing through the Pennines, alongside rivers and canals and through some of the most historic towns and cities in the North of England.
The Trail from coast-to-coast between Southport and Hornsea is 215 miles (346km) long.
A north-south route connecting Leeds and Chesterfield, a spur to York and a spur to Kirkburton means there are approximately 370 miles (595km) of Trans Pennine Trail available to explore”.**
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| Didsbury Railway Station in 1951 |
And according to another source is the Trans Pennine Trail "is a long-distance path running from coast to coast across Northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients (it runs largely along disused railway lines and canal towpaths).
It forms part of European walking route E8 and is part of the National Cycle Network as Route 62 (referencing the M62 motorway which also crosses the Pennines).
Most of the surfaces and gradients make it a relatively easy trail, suitable for cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchair users. The section between Stockport and Barnsley is hilly, especially near Woodhead, and not all sections or barriers are accessible for users of wheelchairs or non-standard cycles. Some parts are also open to horse riding.
The trail is administered from a central office in Barnsley, which is responsible for promotion and allocation of funding. However, the twenty-seven local authorities whose areas the trail runs through are responsible for management of the trail within their boundaries.
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| Didsbury railway ticket, date unknown |
The idea originated from Barnsley, where the head office is now based. Work on the trail started in 1999. Early development was boosted by a £5 million investment by the Millennium Commission. The trail was officially opened in September 2001.
However, the route was not fully completed until late 2004. It cost £60 million to construct”.***
Which just leaves me to thank Andrew, and point out that no originality was damaged by my overuse of sources which I plundered for the story.
Andrew is the Labour Councillor for Didsbury East on Manchester City Council please contact me at cllr.a.simcock@manchester.gov.uk
Location; Didsbury
Pictures; The day the TransPennine Trail and Metrolink opened in May 2013 looking south east from Didsbury Station with the Sandhurst Road overbridge in the background, from the collection of Andrew Simcock, Didsbury Railway Station in 1951, m63442 and Locomotive-45602 and train heading north to Manchester in 1954, m63444, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass, and Didsbury Railway ticket, courtesy of Disused Stations, http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/didsbury/index.shtml
*Didsbury Railway Station, Disused Stations, http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/didsbury/index.shtml
** the TransPennine Trail, https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/?doing_wp_cron=1613039562.5268790721893310546875
***The TransPennine Trail, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Pennine_Trail
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