Ashton Moss

1 - 4 Stopped by a row of cottages on Manchester Road and took a few photographs of No. 101. The original door had been bricked up and an extension built with a new entrance. The extension was not in keeping with the original building and the two looked incongruous. I took 3 photographs of this cottage, slightly varying the camera angle and exposure. What little light there was was behind the cottage, this didn't make it easy to photograph. I will probably return and try again when the lighting is more favourable.

5 - 14 Continued down Manchester Road to the florist's stall (Crowthorn Nurseries), situated at the corner of Manchester Road and Birch Street. The stall was full of festive floral arrangements, wreathes and crosses etc.. The stall was busy, and I wanted a word with the proprietor on my own so I wandered down Birch Street to kill some time. In the distance to the right I could see the landscaped slag heaps of Ashton Moss Colliery. The colliery had two of the deepest shafts in Britain (over 950 yards) when sunk in 1875 and 1882 (Industrial Archaeology of Lancashire, Owen Ashmore, 1969. (David and Charles).). I don't know when the pit closed.

I returned to the florist's stall, the proprietor was now alone. I asked him if this area was Ashton Moss. He said it was the edge of the Moss, the main area being the other side of Manchester Road. The area where he was based, he added, was part of the Stamford Estate. But, said he didn't think he would be here for much longer, when I asked him why he looked in the direction of Denton and said "the Motorway".

The M66 Motorway (Denton-Middleton Section) will apparently cut right across this area. I was told by the florist that construction was due to start in 1990 (I subsequently established from the Department of Transport that the start date would be 1992 at the earliest) and that he expected to be moved out by September 1989. This probably explained the derelict condition of the greenhouses at the back of his stall.

After seeking the proprietors permission I began to photograph the stall. In all I took seven exposures, but once again the light wasn't very good. It was already at the back of my mind to return here and try again - particularly in view of the impending motorway construction.

When I explained to the proprietor why I was taking the photographs he suggested I take a walk around the Moss, and directed me to an area where he thought I'd get some good photo's.

I crossed Manchester Road, walked a short distance in the Manchester direction and then turned right down a small tarmacked lane (Moss Lodge Lane) past a farm shop, and along for about 400 yards. The lane had now degenerated into a potholed and unmade track. At a 'T' junction with another lane in similar condition (Rayner Lane) I turned right.

The land was very flat and desolate, with a melancholy feel about it. Reminded me of East Anglia. In the air there was a strong smell of celery. To the right I could see a field of rotting vegetables, presumably celery.

I continued along the lane for about half a mile, to the right in the distance I could see the splindly floodlights of Curzon Ashton's football ground (HFS Loans League : 1st Div.). I turned around and looked back along the lane where I had walked. A line of telegraph poles and overhead lines marked its undulating, and slightly meandering, course.

16 - 17 Near junction of Rayner Lane with Moss Lane. I set up my tripod and camera and took 2 photographs - just to illustrate the lay of the land and in particular the lane. Just off the lane I could see a cluster of huts, above one of these huts was a large sign with the name ALBERT HULME on it in big white letters, on a red background. It looked like an old railway station sign.

Further along I saw more signs:-

On a telegraph pole in scrawny handwriting -

WRIGLEY & BENNETT

330 4606

Against a gatepost -

P.H. KELLY

MARKET GARDENER

RAYNER LANE

ASHTON MOSS

Against another gatepost, by a drainage ditch -

NO.L SHOOTING ALLOWED WILL BE PROSECTED

Automat.

Agfa pan 100 (80 ASA) Rodinal 1:75. 10 mins at 68°F.

<span class="wrapper"><p>Work Print</p> <p>Negative c7/1/1/16</p> <p>Work Print c7/3/1/16</p> <p>CH : 510 mm</p> <p>Exposure : F22 @ 15s</p> <p>Paper : Gr 2 (G)</p> <p>Comments : Full negative used, straight print, no dodging or burning in.</p></span>