Christ Church, Sowerby Bridge

 Christ Church is an Anglican place of worship in the town of Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire. Built in 1821 by John Oates to replace Brigg Chapel which had stood alongside the River Calder since 1526, the church was the result of over 20 years of fundraising to build the new place of worship for the growing town. Despite completion in 1821 Christ Church was not consecrated until 1824. It has been remodelled, extended and refurbished a number of times, lastly in 1895 after a fire gutted the chancel, roof and organ. 

A number of items inside the church have been taken from nearby churches and chapels after they were closed. The graveyard was closed in 1857 by order of the Secretary to Queen Victoria, due to fears of disease, despite this burials are said to have continued until 1960 with John Eddie Bottomley (1879-1960) the last known burial at Christ Church.

I took these pictures on the 18th March 2018 with a Nikon d3300.

The junction pictured used to be part of the Rochdale Canal, the church tower overlooking lock number 3. This was infilled sometime in the late 1940's. early 1950's and Tuel Lane built over it. The canal was reopened in 1996 when a tunnel was built underneath the junction and lock 3 and 4 were replaced by the deepest canal lock in the United Kingdom a short distance further west than the original lock 3.

The steps in front of the church are a recent edition, the road being recently widened here. The clock was added in 1839.

This picture would not have been possible for a number of years, the view would have been blocked by York House, a block of maisonette's that suffered from a poor reputation. They were demolished around the turn of the millennium, the area now overgrown and abandoned.

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St Michael's Church, Mytholmroyd

 Mytholmroyd Parish Church, better known as St Michael's Church was consecrated on the 8th September 1848. Built as part of the Million Pound Church act, a scheme officially known as the 1820 Church Building Act, that was intended to start a program of building churches in growing areas. The act was created after research had shown that few new churches had been built since the era of Queen Anne who had died in 1714. The act saw the government contribute over £1.1 million and public subscription raise an additional £1.9 million. Churches built to minimum budgets and became known as Commissioners Churches, Million Pound Churches or Waterloo Churches, a large amount of the money raised being taken from the war indemnity after the Napoleonic Wars.

St Michael's was extended in 1888, with a 2 storey Sunday School following soon after, this was reduced to 1 storeyand converted to the church hall in the 1970's. The church was badly flooded in the 2015 Boxing Day Floods, levels reaching a height of over 4 feet and forcing a closure that lasted for almost 2 years. This was the first significant flooding at St Michaels since the 1940's and has led to more flood prevention work taking place along the banks of the River Calder.

I took theses pictures with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet on the 26th October 2013, I have replaced the sky as the original picture showed a washed out lifeless one.

The River Calder flowing past St Michael's, a little over 2 years later the river burst its banks and rose to approx 4ft above the floor of the church. The buildings to the left were so severely damaged they were demolished shortly after and now it is an open space between Burnley Road and the River.

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Co-Operative Bridge, Sowerby Bridge

 The Co-Operative Bridge crossers the Rochdale Canal connecting the Industrial Road and Hollins Mill areas of Sowerby Bridge. I'm not sure of the bridges age but it appears on maps from the 1870's, despite crossing the canal there is no way to access the towpath from the bridge or steps either side of the waterway.

I took these pictures on the 29th December 2013 with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet.

Looking across the bridge towards the Industrial Road area.

The Rochdale Canal towards Sowerby Bridge.

The bridge pictured from the Industrial Road end.

The steps down from the bridge to Hollins Mill Lane.

The Rochdale Canal towards Luddendenfoot from the bridge. The Puzzle Hall Inn can be seen to the left of the canal.

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Old Bridge at Hebden December 2015

 These pictures were the result of not felling I wanted to intrude on peoples grief, I was in Hebden Bridge just 4 days after the town had been devastated by the 2015 Boxing Day floods, I'd caught the train up out of curiosity of what damage the town had endured and having seen it I didn't want to picture what was peoples private property being thrown out due to water damage. I took a few pictures of the old packhorse bridge and then set off for home walking along the Rochdale Canal.

Hebden Old Bridge also known as the Old Packhorse Bridge is a Grade II listed, 3 arch stone bridge that crossers Hebden Water in the market town of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. The bridge was built circa 1510 to replace an earlier timber crossing a little further upstream. It is 7ft 6 in wide with passing places in the parapet. It was replaced as the main crossing point over Hebden Water by the new turnpike a few hundred metres to the south when opened in the 1770's.

The pictures below were taken with a Polaroid is2132 camera on the 30th December 2015.

The bridge was once the main crossing point over Hebden Water, it's not hard to see it would not have been suitable for the Georgian Era when it was replaced in 1772, never mind the modern traffic levels seen now. The bridge is only accessible to pedestrians and push bikes.

This picture was taken from the 1772 replacement bridge to the south.

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The Old Maltings, Ovenden Wood, Halifax

 Built in 1898 The Maltings was part of the Webster's Brewery Fountain Head complex until the brewery was closed in 1996. Webster's Brewery had occupied the area of Ovenden Wood known as Fountain Head from the mid 1800's and the site was developed in to housing after closure, the Maltings at this time became a college. The building was granted Grade II listed status on the 18th April 1990 and along with nearby Long Can is all that remains of the brewery.

The pictures below were taken on the 16th February 2014 with a Polaroid is2132 camera. I was nearby taking pictures of the Halifax High Level Railway which ran past the Maltings building, Wheatley Viaduct starting nearby. I believe their may have been a railway siding here for a time.

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Wye Valley, Providence Chapel and Belvoir Castle 35mm Vintage Images

The pictures below are some recent 35mm slides I have restored taken from my collection. They can be seen below or on Clickasnap unwatermarked.

Wye Valley

The picture above was taken sometime in the 1970's exact date and location unknown. It shows the River Wye flowing through a valley cutting. The Wye Valley is an area of outstanding natural beauty that straddles the borders of England and Wales and covers areas of the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.

Belvoir Castle

Belvoir Castle is an historic stately home that can be found in the county of Leicestershire, England, it is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Rutland. This picture was taken in the 1970's the original slide was tinted red and discoloured so I have restored the colour when editing.

Providence Chapel

The Providence Chapel at the Black Country Living Museum was removed from nearby Netherton in November 1975 and rebuilt within the grounds of the museum over a 2 year period starting in June 1977. The slide was taken in the early 1990's.

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St James the Great Church, Hebden Bridge

 About to celebrate it's 190th Anniversary in October, St James the Great, or Hebden Bridge Parish Church or Mytholm Church is a Grade II listed Anglican place of worship in the Mytholm area of Hebden Bridge. Built under the Million Pound Act, a government scheme to develop churches in growing areas the church cost £2700 and was consecrated on the 5th October 1833.

The church was originally a chapelry in the Parish of Heptonstall until the Parish of Hebden Bridge was created in 1844, the church was enlarged in the 1876 with a chancel added, and various additional alterations before the 20th century commenced. The last alterations were to the tower in the early 1980's. The stained glass windows all date from the 1870's.

The stone cross war memorial found in the grounds is dedicated to the local men killed in the First World War, there is an additional memorial inside the church.

I took these pictures with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet on the 16th November 2013.

Built using Yorkshire Stone and rising 14ft high, this memorial is dedicated to the men killed from the local area in World War 1.

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Rose Grove Railway Station

 Rose Grove is a suburban railway station in the town of Burnley, Lancashire. Much reduced in size from it's heyday the station opened on the 18th September 1848, built to serve the Rose Grove suburb and the nearby town of Padiham. The station grew when the Great Harwood Loop (North Lancashire Loop)  opened between Rose Grove, Padiham and beyond in 1875 and remained an important stop until passenger numbers started to reduce between the wars, goods traffic reducing in the 1960's with coal and oil trains to the nearby power stations finally ending in the late 1980's - early 1990's

The loop was closed in 1964, Rose Grove goods yard a few years later, much of it now covered by the M65 motorway, the station buildings were removed and staff were taken away in the early 1980's, leaving a station much reduced in size.

The station is still a junction stop, the line splits to the east with the East Lancashire Railway continuing towards Colne, and the Caldervale line towards Hebden Bridge and Todmorden. The station only has basic facilities, including a small shelter, a few benches / seats, information boards, but has no toilet or refreshment facilities on site or nearby and no disabled access, the platform only reached by a metal staircase from the road bridge above.

The pictures were taken with a Nikon d3300 on the 19th August 2022.

The only access point to the station, as you can see not really suitable for the disabled or people who struggle to manage stairs. Their was 34 if I remember correctly. There used to be stone built building s down the centre of the platform, and I have been told an additional 2 bay platforms and at least 8 lines around the station. The goods yard was to the left of the picture and again I was told after I visited the bay platforms are still there, hidden by the tree's either side of the picture.

Platform 2 occupies this southern side of the bay platform, Trains towards Hapton, Accrington and Blackburn can be caught here. Again the station's only access, the stairs can be seen.

Platform 2.

Overgrown and abandoned trackbed viewed from Platform 1. I have been told that there was a bay platform where the trees are.

The island platform from the end of 1.

The opposite end of Platform 1, the sum total of the stations facilities on show, an info board, shelter and bench seats.

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Frosty Bridge Across the A650

 Taken on the 10th December 2022 with a Nikon d3300 the frost covered bridge passes over the A650 Wakefield Road dual carriageway between the Sticker Lane and Dudley Hill areas of Bradford. There is not much really to add to the description other than it was early morning as day was breaking and cold, hence the frosty path over the bridge.

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Heptonstall Randoms November 2013

 The village of Heptonstall occupies a small spot on the hill overlooking the Calder Valley and Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. The town is home to approx 1400 people and traditionally the villages industry was hand-loom weaving. The village is a favourite spot with hikers and has featured in a number of TV shows in recent years including the recent Shane Meadows drama The Gallows Pole, a story about the Cragg Vale Coiners who's leader "King" David Hartley is buried in the churchyard.

The pictures below were taken at various locations around the town and don't feature the usual locations shown, the Wesleyan Chapel, The Ruined Church and it's replacement. I have posted my pictures of them in earlier post's. They were taken using a Samsung Galaxy Tablet on the 16th November 2013.

The Museum Snicket runs from Towngate alongside The Cloth Hall towards the Museum and Churchyard, which is to the right behind the metal raillings.

The Cloth Hall on towngate was built around 1545 by the Waterhouse family who lived at Shibden Hall, Halifax. The building was originally single story and known as Blackwell Hall, it was used by local hand-loom weavers to sell their cloth. The 2nd story was added around 1766 by John Uttley, and remained in use for traders until the Piece Hall was opened at Halifax in 1779. It is now a private residence and was granted Grade 11 Listed Status in December 1984.

Towngate is the main road through the village and features at least 15 Listed Buildings along it's length. The stone sets on the road were rediscovered in the 1980's, a plan to replace them was thought off by local residents and they were restored, it is now seen as helping to calm traffic down through the village.

The village water pump was replaced by a public water supply in July 1933.

Bottom of Towngate.

I think I took these last 2 somewhere near the church and museum, the bottom picture I would have thought must be amongst the oldest properties in the village.

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Rochdale Canal Artworks

 The following pictures - artworks are based on 3 pictures I took on the Rochdale Canal between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. It was my first attempt at creating a pencil sketch type drawing using photoshop.

The original pictures were taken with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet on the 9th November 2013.

I belive this picture was somewhere near to the medical centre at Todmorden.

This was about half way between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge.

The moorings at Hebden Bridge.

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