Roads and artifacts: 08/01/2012

Milestones, Boundary Markers, Historical Artifacts, Street Furniture, lost roads and buildings.

There are many traces of our ancestors scattered around our landscape. Mile Markers and Boundary stones are there too. The Milestone Society believes that there are approximately 9000 left in the United Kingdom. Some are cherished but others are hidden in hedgerows, some have been unwittingly destroyed by crashes, road equipment or even stolen. Roads have been straightened to make them safer. There are old gateposts still left in place, old buildings, and place names that declare an evocative past. The aim is to capture some of this information at least photographically before it disappears.

Although the Fylde Coast does not have ancient history, the Romans apparently struggled to Kirkham. There have been huge changes in the last two centuries from literally a a few fishermans' and agricultural dwellings, to a full blown tourist and light engineering industry.

More historical information can be found here about the Fylde coast.

It also seems that time has marched on and left what appears to be some very respectable buildings... which just should be used, but seem to have no worth.

Links from this Blog

Nearly-Midnight The genealogy website relating to the family. A tangled web of people all related to one another, explore!
Memorials Website dedicated to War Memorials - The majority in the North of England. Visits to churches, but also memorials in out of the way places.
Robert Clark The Father of Henry Martyn-Clark - A missionary out in the North-West Frontier of India. One of the first Europeans to set foot in Afganistan
Affetside Census A small village north of Bury, Lancashire, I can trace many of my immediate ancesters from there. On the Roman Road, Watling Street
Andrew Martyn-Clark My Father and his part in my World. Also my mother and his parents too.
Henry Martyn-Clark My Great Grandfather, his roots and his achievements. Discusses malaria but also his confrontations with Islam.

Friday, 13 January 2012

Duke of Lancaster's Own Imperial Yeomanry

This is really quite informative. But interestedly the site does not mention Blackpool. However it seems that there may be a connection with the memorial in Blackpool Town Hall. Incidently the memorial in the town hall is not mentioned in any of the War Memorial Websites as far as I am aware - so its a first.

The pictures are of a building on Talbot road in Blackpool. This road heads towards Layton and ultimately Garstang. It could be considered one of the main roads in and out of the town centre

Taken from the car heading into Blackpool.
This was taken wide angle.
Just before the corner of Devonshire Road and Talbot road.
Difficult to say the age of the building 1920's perhaps!


Close up from the same location. There was a barracks in South Shore, York Street. But there is also a new "custom built" one at the end of Yeadon Way Duke of Lancaster's Own Imperial Yeomanry Blackpool Troop

Sunday, 8 January 2012

Didsbury - a little historical gem

Right by the junction of Wilmslow road and Barlow Moor road are 3 or 4 objects that are really interesting, there is the War Memorial, which is quite nicely maintained, the Clock Tower which seems to double as a water/drinking trough and Warburton Street; which looks completely out of context - but charming, and the Library - which has a couple of Blue Plaques on it. The library is interesting iside - it must be a listed building

Didsbury Library from the Wilmslow Road side

Wilmslow Road is very busy!
The library was funded by the noted philanthropist
Andrew Carnegie.
My local Library at St Annes was also funded the same way -
there are similarities.


"IN MAY 1644 AT BARLOE MORE NEAR THIS SITE PRINCE RUPERT (1619 -16182) AND HIS ROYALIST ARMY ENCAMPED ON THEIR MARCH TO THE BATTLE OF MARSTON MOOR YORKSHIRE 2ND JULY 1644


IN MAY 1645 PARLIAMENTARY TROOPS UNDER SIR WILLIAM BRERETON 1604 -1661 OF HANDFORTH HALL ALSO MUSTERED AT PRINCE RUPERT'S "BARLOE MORE" RENDEZVOUS

The 2 plaques on the wall of Didsbury Library
The entrance is just to the right

The other side of the library

Didsbury War Memorial -
The library is 30 yds to the left
Wilmslow Road runs away to the right

The War Memorial is to the left, across the road is the clock tower.
This photo is taken from the steps at the entrance to the library
It seems that the new building behind the clock
was originally the railway station

The Clock Tower

Directly across Wilmslow Road

Looking directly down Wilmslow Road
At the building on the left it joins Barlow Moor Road

The Plaque on the Clock Tower
to
Dr J-Milsom Rhodes

This plaque is metal I think:

Born
Sept 14
1847

Died Sept 25
1909

Erected in Memory to Dr J-Milsom Rhodes JP CA
A Friend to all Humanity

I am indebted to information at Didsbury Civic Society for this information

Warburton Street, note the cobbles on the road
and also the large paving slabs down the left side of the street

The pub on the corner. The tiles on the wall are extremely attractive,
The tiles on the floor are almost exactly the same pattern
and colour of our late house - built in 1900

Warburton street leading away from Wilmslow road
It leads to a new carpark

Looking towards Wilmslow road, Amazing mish mash of all ages, original cobbles, Worn out concrete parking areas - renewed drains, Satellite dishes, Tired Streetlights, GPO mast, plastic windows!

Cottages made into shops!