A Virtual History Tour of Marple & District

During the Great War Brabyns Hall was used as a Military Hospital. Sadly, plans to turn the Hall into an Art Gallery, Museum, Reference Library or Assembly Hall, as a memorial to the local men who died in the war, were to fail, and it was demolished in 1952. The estate was turned into a public park in 1949 and today is owned by Stockport Metropolitan Council, and is a thriving asset, extensively used and highly valued by the people of Marple.

75 files, last one added on Mar 21, 2010

Although the hall did not survive the destructive period in the 1950s and 60s when many of Marple's historic buildings were demolished, the Iron Bridge did. Today the bridge is the subject of a community driven restoration campaign that has succesfully raised £556,000 to restore the bridge to its former glory. Click here to read more about the Iron Bridge.

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This new album will become a photographic record of the restoration of the Iron Bridge in Brabyns Park. The Iron Bridge Restoration Project is a partnership between the Marple Website, Marple Local History Society and Stockport Council. For more information about the Iron Bridge and the campaign for its restoration visit The Iron Bridge Project Diary.

279 files, last one added on Oct 18, 2008

The Scroll Bridge was orginally built a few years before the Iron Bridge, in 1804. That's around the same time that the Marple Locks were being completed. The bridge was badley damaged and partially demolished in 1991, when the Bailey bridge was installed. These photos chart its restoration in 2007.

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Photographs of Marple Hall and its outbuildings, from the heydays to the decay days. What might have been if these wonderful old buildings had been preserved just a few more years until people began to understand the value of our heritage?

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Interior shots of Marple Hall, including images from the catologue of the auction of the hall's contents in 1929. Click here to read more about the items sold at auction.

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An album full of the saddest photographs but we're very grateful to have them to preserve the memories. These images were loaned by the family of the late Jack Wilkinson who recorded for posterity the final demise of Marple Hall.

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This album includes the commemorative date stone and plaque erected by Marple Civic Society and Marple Antiquarian Society (now Marple Local History Society). There are also a few other remnants of this once great Hall still to found and we have photographed and recorded as many as we can.

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Photographs, etchings and paintings of Mellor Mill in its glorious prime and unfortunate decline after the horrendous fire that destroyed it in 1892.

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Oldknow built many other buildings near his mill, including a home for himself, Mellor Lodge, and another for the Mill Manager, Marple Lodge, on the opposite bank. Marple Lodge had a extensive ornamental garden running alongside the river, of which there are still a few traces if you look very closely.

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These are photographs of plans of Oldknow's home, Mellor Lodge, which he built for himself on the Mellor side of the River Goyt. They can't be originals, because they have a telephone number on them. We know nothing of their history but if anyone knows where these are now we'd love the opportunity to take them again without the flash!

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This album contains 139 photographs that were exhibited by Marple Civic Society in 1993. The photos were taken over a period of approximately two years leading up to the exhibition. If you can tell us anything more about them, please get in touch.

139 files, last one added on Dec 31, 2009