A Virtual History Tour of Marple and District

Marple's Changing Face was produced by the late Gordon Mills in 2003. Gordon was a prolific writer, photographer and local historian who produced several fascinating video interviews with local people, guided local history walks and this, the definitive photo history presentation of "Marple's Changing Face".

5 files, last one added on Apr 07, 2012
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This album of Stockport Road covers the section from Dan Bank to the junctions of Station Road and Church Lane, where for so many years the Jolly Sailor Pub was a major landmark at the heart of the community.

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This second album of Stockport Road covers the area beyond the junctions with Station Road and Church Lane up to the Navigation Hotel, another major landmark central to the community that thankfully remains.

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Marple District Centre was changed radically in the 1970s when Market Street was paved over and Hibbert Lane was extended between Church Lane and Stockport Road. The numbered images in this album were taken by Marple UDC during these changes and the location of each shot was marked on a large plan of the area, which is also included in the album. Additional photos taken by Pete Robinson during the 1970s and provided by Eddie Ashworth, who worked on the improvements, were added in 2015/16.

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Market Street is now the thriving centre of Marple shopping, recently regenerated with improvements to the paved area. Most of the pictures in this album show a very different Market Street, before pedestrianisation, but it's clear that it was at the heart of the community then too.

89 files, last one added on Mar 25, 2021
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The Hollins estate was first mentioned in 1712 and when Hollins Mill was built in 1830 the present day centre of Marple developed around it. Nothing is left of the Mill today but Marple Memorial Park remains at the heart of Marple and is a lasting legacy of the mill owners' generosity and the community's losses during the Great War. This album contains images relating to the mill and the estate, including Marple Memorial Park.

106 files, last one added on Mar 21, 2021
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This album covers Church Lane, running from the junction with Stockport Road up, past the Hatters Arms and the junctions with Hibbert Lane and Market Street, on past the Con Club and the Ring o' Bells and all the way to All Saints' Church.

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This album covers Station Road from the junction with Stockport Road up past Memorial Park towards Marple Station, where it turns into Brabyns Brow, and on down the Brow past Brabyns Park and on to Marple Bridge.

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This album takes in the area of Mellor travelling up Longhurst Lane from Marple Bridge, over Cateract Bridge and onwards as far as the Devonshire Arms. It also includes Brook Bottom, Slack Wood, Soldiers' Nob and the Mellor Cross at Cobden Edge.

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We have just enough photographs of St. Thomas's Church at Mellor to feature its own album and hope to add more to it in the near future.

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Hard to believe that peaceful Moorend was once home to the huge Dove Bank Mill seen in drawings here. This collection of Moorend pictures is largely reproduced with the kind permission of Mrs Ashworth of Moorend.

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The photos in this album were given to MLHS by Hilary Ellam whose parents and grandparents were from Mellor. Hilary's parents were Peter Davis and (Winifred) Shirley Davis (nee Hall). Hilary’s grandparents were Annie Mary Hall (nee Daniels) and Bernard Hall. Bernard Hall ran a butcher’s shop in Mellor with his brother, as well as being a part time postman. The Davis family were tailors from Marple Bridge. Barbara Hall and Shirley were sisters. Hilary reckons that the majority of the photographs were taken in the 1930s when her Aunt Barbara, born in 1925, would have been in the guides.

82 files, last one added on Oct 02, 2018
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A complete album from Marple Local History Society archives featuring pictures of the Parish of Mellor taken during the celebrations for the Coronation of HM King George V on 22 June 1911.

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This album features Marple Bridge and the Weir and Corn Mill once known as Flowerdew Mill, as well as many other photographs of the general Marple Bridge area, including Lower Fold, Low Lea Road and Glossop Road.

177 files, last one added on Feb 08, 2021
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This album focuses on Town Street, the main shopping area of Marple Bridge and now central to the Marple Bridge Conservation Area. It includes a series of pictures that chart the dramatic collapse and eventual repair of Town Street after it fell into the river in 1991.

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This album features the tiny hamlet of Mill Brow, Marple Bridge, which now centres around the local pub the Hare and Hounds.

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This album features Hawk Green, which has a real village feel to it, with the Crown Pub overlooking the Green, it's own Cricket Club and an active residents' association determined to preserve and promote it. Click here to visit Hawk Green RA.

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This album contains pictures of the Goyt Mill, built in 1905 at Hawk Green. It features the demolition of the huge chimney, a visible landmark for miles around, and the machinery in the mill before it was removed.

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This album covers the Strines area, which has been dominated by the Strines Printworks and its chimneys since the late 18th century. Not for much longer through as they are due for demolition in the near future. Strines has an active residents' association and a very informative web site. Click here to visit SARA.

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This album covers the area of Compstall and also some that are technically Marple Bridge but sit better here in our view. The heart of Compstall has not changed drastically since it was built and today it benefits from the attractions of Etherow Country Park too. Well worth a visit.

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High Lane is on the main Turnpike route to Buxton (A6) and this album features many shots of Buxton Road as well as Windlehurst Lane, Middlewood Road, Carr Brow, Norbury Hollow and St. Thomas's Church.

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The first recorded service at All Saints’ was in 1588, when the population of Marple stood at 160. A Georgian Chapel was built in 1811 and in 1880 the current Victorian Church was built alongside. In 1964 the derelict Georgian Chapel was demolished but the old church tower was retained to house the bells and is still used today.

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Saint Martin's Church on Brabyns Brow, Low Marple was built by the Hudson family in 1869/70. The first church on this site was a temporary iron shed built in 1867 and the new church designed by John Dando Sedding was a striking contrast embracing the Arts and Craft Movement started by William Morris.

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Saint Paul's Church in Compstall was built by the Andrews family between 1839 and 1841 at a cost of £2,000. After the loss in 1905 of its Vicar of 48 years, Rev W.H. Hopkins, the church was extensively renovated and extended.

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Methodist Churches of Marple and District, present and past. Including Marple Methodist Church on Church Lane, Ridge Methodist Church and Trinity Methodist Church, formerly on Market Street.

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This album features the Congregational Churches of Marple Bridge and Marple. The latter, on Hibbert Lane, now being the United Reformed Church.

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This album covers other Marple and District Churches that do not currently have enough photos to merit their own album. It includes St. Mary's, Marple Bridge, Holy Spirit, Marple, the Evangelical Church on Queen Street, Kingdom Hall and one or two others. If more pictures become available separate albums will be created.

12 files, last one added on Dec 23, 2017
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