If you go down to the meadows at Chorlton, a story and some exciting news from David Bishop

We are on the meadows sometime just before the end of the 19th century in the company of Mr Higginbotham and his men.

It is one of the popular pictures from the Lloyd collection and I have used it more than once in stories about the meadows.

But today I want to point you in the direction of a fascinating article by local botanist David Bishop on his blog, Friends of Chorlton Meadows.

We share an interest in this stretch of land roughly to the south of the Brook and on to the Mersey and often reflect on what it might have been like to walk the fields when they were farmed as meadowland.

And that is exactly what David has done in this excellent article, A New Plan to Restore the 'Jewels in the Mersey Valley's Crown.'**

Nor is that all for he also reveals some exciting new developments but for those you must follow the links and read the story.

Pictures; Mr Higginbotham and men on the meadows, originally in the collection of the Higginbotham family and now part of the Lloyd Collection

*The Meadows, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/The%20Meadows

** Friends of Chorlton Meadows, http://friendsofchorltonmeadows.blogspot.co.uk/

The Fallowfield Loop

On the Fallowfield Loop by Withington Bridge, August 2009, Phil Champion

Now I am back with the Fallowfield Loop that disused railway line.*

It began in 1891 when the stretch between Chorlton and Fallowfield was opened, followed the next year with an extension up to Fairfield.

The line provided a new route for the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway to run trains from Sheffield into Manchester, and local stopping services ran from Fairfield and Gorton on the Hope Valley line to Manchester Central via Hyde Road, Fallowfield and Chorlton-cum-Hardy before joining a section of line from Old Trafford into Manchester Central.

And today I want to feature the work being done on the stretch which has “created a linear park and wildlife corridor, linking parks and open spaces. It has an interesting flora – some of which may represent all that’s left of the lost, ancient rural landscape of South Manchester.”**

Now given that I always believe there is no pint in rewriting what has already been done very well I shall direct you to a fascinating article on the Loop from David Bishop on the Friends of Chorlton Meadows.

Picture; on the Fallowfield Loop by Withington Bridge, August 2009, Phil Champion


 *The Fallowfield Loop, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/a-forgotten-river-old-railway-track-and.html

** Friends of Chorlton Meadows, http://friendsofchorltonmeadows.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-fallowfield-loop-and-greening.html

Picture; on the Fallowfield Loop by Withington Bridge, August 2009, Phil Champion

Wallking the meadows between Christmas and New Year

For me the most interesting period of Chorlton’s history is when we were still a small rural community.

This period which only began to come to an end in the late 19th century and   features in my book, THE STORY OF CHORLTON-CUM-HARDY.*

But enough of such outrageous self promotion.

When I want to get a flavour of this lost time I dip into David Bishop’s blog site, Friends of Chorlton Meadows, http://friendsofchorltonmeadows.blogspot.com/ which is a wonderful collection of comments, observation and news about this stretch of the old flood plain by the Mersey.

I first walked the area nearly 30 years ago and since then it is a place I have returned to with my children, our old dog and countless friends.

And it being that time of year I thought I would reflect on this stretch of land.

It was until recently pasture and meadowland, and the sight of farmers working the land is only just passing out of living memory.

 Despite a period as part of the sewage works and later as a Corporation tip it has reverted to a place rich in plant and animal life. David also conducts regular walks across the “meadows” and often tells me where it is still possible to spot plants which were first identified by botanists over 170 years ago.

Pictures; from the collection of David Bishop.

*http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-story-of-chorlton-cum-hardy-new.html