Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester city centre. At the 2011 census, the population was 28,052. Historically part of Lancashire, Reddish grew rapidly in the Industrial Revolution and still retains landmarks from that period, such as Houldsworth Mill, a former cotton mill.
Reddish Vale is a country park.
The neigh'ring trench is called the Nicker Ditch
Flowing with blood, it did the name convey
To th' bordering hamlet, Red-Ditch. Near here, Where
the last 'tween the foes was fought,
Where victory was won, that memorable
Eminence proudly was distinguished
By the name of Winning Hill. The streamlet
Aforemention'd gains appellation
Of Gore Brook, also the contiguous
Happy hamlet through which it floweth still
Bears, in glorious commemoration,
And e'er shall, the honour'd name of Gore Town.
Farrer and Brownbill dismiss this interpretation as "popular fancy".Farrer and Brownbill, pp 275–279, footnote 1. "Out of Gore-ton and Red-ditch, with the help of the intervening Nico Ditch, popular fancy has made the story of a great battle in the neighbourhood; Harland and Wilkinson, Traditions. 26.
Very few buildings in Reddish pre-date the 19th century. Canal Bridge Farm, close to Broadstone Mill, is dated to the mid to late 18th century (the name is later). Hartwell dates a small group of farm buildings and cottages at Shores Fold, near the junction of Nelstrop Road and Marbury Road, to the sixteenth and late seventeenth to early 18th century. These would have been on the traditional Reddish – Heaton Norris border, but are now firmly inside Heaton Chapel.Hartwell et al., p. 230.
The water-powered calico printworks in Reddish Vale on the River Tame is known to have been working before 1800. Industrial development followed the line of the canalDownham, p. 149. and was steam-powered throughout. A variety of manufacturers moved into Reddish during this period.
Robert Hyde Greg and John Greg, sons of Samuel Greg of Quarry Bank Mill, who owned about a third of Reddish by 1857,Booker, p. 201. opened Albert Mills for cotton spinning in 1845. Moor Mill, manufacturing knitting machines, was built around the same time. William Houldsworth's Reddish Mill for cotton spinning was opened in 1864. Hanover Mill was built in 1865 for cotton spinning, but in 1889 was converted to make silk, velvet, woven fur etc.
The Reddish Spinning Company, partly owned by Houldsworth, opened in 1870. Furnival & Co, making printing presses, opened in 1877. Furnival and Co Andrew's Gas Engine works opened in 1878. J. E. H. Andrew and Co The Manchester Guardian's printworks opened in 1899. Craven Brothers, a manufacturer of machine tools and cranes, opened the Vauxhall Works on Greg Street, in 1900. Craven Brothers Broadstone Spinning Company opened a large double mill in 1906/7. These major employers were accompanied by numerous smaller concerns, including dyeworks, bleachworks, wire ropeworks, brickworks, screw manufacturers, makers of surveying equipment, and a tobacco factory.Downham.
A small number of closures of major industrial employers took place in the first half of the 20th century, due to the ebb and flow of trade. Andrew's Gas Engine Works was taken over in 1905 by Richard Hornsby & Sons of Grantham,Astle the business was transferred to Grantham and the Reddish works closed some time during the Great Depression following WWI. Cronin indicates that the works were still in operation in 1930.Cronin, p82. The Atlas wire rope works closed in 1927.Ashmore, pp 45, 86.
Reddish took its share of the decline in Lancashire cotton production and finishing. Broadstone Mills ceased production in 1959;Holden p168, Ashmore p84, Arrowsmith p258. Reddish Mills closed in 1958 with the loss of 350-400 jobs;Cronin p58 Spur Mill followed in 1972;Ashmore p85, Cronin p79. and the long-lived Reddish Vale printworks closed by 1975;Ashmore p85. Albert Mill continued to trade as R. Greg and co under new ownership, but finally closed in 1982. Ashmore wrote in 1975 that "Stockport has ceased to be a cotton town."Ashmore p27.
The decline of Broadstone Mills was accompanied by high farce. In November 1958 the company sold a number of spinning mules as scrap for just over £3,000. By agreement, the machines remained in the mill over the winter. A small number had been broken and removed by April 1959, when the government announced a compensation package for firms that agreed to scrap spinning capacity. As the title in the mules had passed to the scrapman, it was decided that the company was not entitled to compensation amounting to over £60,000, despite the fact that the machinery was still on its premises. Actions in the High Court and the Court of Appeal in 1965 were fruitless.
Some of the mills vacated by the spinners found other uses. The Reddish Spinning Company's mill was taken over by V. & E. Friedland who became the world's largest manufacture of doorbells; an extension to the mill won several architectural awards. The mill is now residential. Broadstone Mill was partly demolished, but now houses small commercial units. Regeneration efforts at Houldsworth Mill were instrumental in Stockport Council winning British Urban Regeneration Association's award for best practice in regeneration. £12 million has been spent to convert the mill into mixed use. The area around Houldsworth mill is now designated as a conservation area.
The pub stock is not well-regarded: "Never offering the best selection of pubs in the borough, it is now easily the worst area for real ale availability ..." is a typical description. It has been suggested that this may be a consequence of Robert Hyde Greg's disapproval of alcohol, (due to the alcoholism of an uncle of his father, see also Samuel Greg).
The pubs are supplemented by several working men's and political clubs. The Houldsworth WMC was awarded a blue plaque by Stockport MBC in December 2006. Reddish WMC was founded by in 1845 by millowner Robert Hyde Greg as a Mechanics' Institute and Library. Its members claim it to be the oldest club registered with the CIU.In the early stages of the blue plaque campaign that saw the Houldsworth WMC honoured, the council's web site mistakenly listed and described Reddish WMC. The web page was originally at www.stockport.gov.uk/content/councildemoc/council/campaigns/blueplaqueselection/reddishworkingmensclub, now removed, and stated "The club was founded by Robert Hyde Greg in 1845 as a Mechanics Institute and Library and located within the Albert Mills. It was acknowledged to be the oldest club on the Club and Institute Union Register. From 1878, it occupied part of the Albert British School until 1891, when a new building was erected on the present site."
Sandfold brewing, which used to be called 3 rivers.
"Mere" means boundary in this context. The description was traced into early 20th century features by Crofton and can be cast as
However, Black Brook cannot be le Merebroke as it does not flow to the Tame, but joins Cringle Brook, which flows into the Mersey several miles away via Chorlton Brook. With this exception, Crofton's interpretation of the 1322 boundaries matches those shown on Ordnance Survey maps of the 19th century.
In 1866 Reddish became a separate civil parish. Reddish became an urban district in 1894. By 1901 the neighbouring County Borough of Stockport had effectively run out of land, and was overflowing into abutting districts. In 1901, after petitioning the Local Government Board, Stockport expanded into several areas including the whole of Reddish, described by Arrowsmith as Stockport's "greatest prize".Arrowsmith, p. 239. Astle, pp. 73–4. Cronin, pp. 8, 35. Stockport gained Reddish's tax income and building land, and in return Reddish received several civic amenities. A council school opened in 1907,Astle p 49 (pdf). and a combined fire station, free library, and baths opened in stages during 1908 (Cronin identifies a small building at the rear as a mortuary).Arrowsmith p 239. Astle pp 49 , 77 , 79 , 94 (pdf). Cronin pp 35–6. The council opened new municipal parks at Mid Reddish (on land presented by Houldsworth) and at South Reddish.Astle p 80 (pdf). A park at North Reddish followed, described in 1932 as "recently laid out, provid(ing) a number of horticultural features combined with recreation facilities, and illustrat(ing) the layout of a modern recreation park".Stockport Advertiser History of Stockport, 1922–1932, being a supplement to the Advertiser centenary history 1822–1922, pp 7 , 18 (pdf). At that time, the Stockport Canal and the Reddish Iron Works made up two of the park's boundaries.
The separate civil parish was merged into Stockport parish on 1 April 1935. In 1931 the parish had a population of 15,463. Reddish's position north of the Tame means it was historically part of Lancashire. On the merger with Stockport in 1901 the boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire was moved to place it in Cheshire.
As of May 2020, Roy Driver, David Wilson and Kate Butler (all Labour) represent Reddish North; Janet Mobbs, Jude Wells (both Labour) and Gary Lawson (The Green Party) represent Reddish South. The 2021 local election saw Reddish South's first independent candidate, Daniel Zieba, who came fourth, beating the Liberal Democrats.
Reddish is a densely populated area and is near to affluent parts of Greater Manchester, such as Heaton Chapel and Heaton Moor. Reddish continues to be an attraction to many people in the Greater Manchester area to work, live and relax.
As a comparison, temperatures on any given clear night throughout the year can be between 1-3 degrees C warmer than the Manchester weather station, situated at the nearby Woodford Aerodrome, but on a cloudy night are almost equal. Daytime highs are similar and predominately almost exacting to Woodford, though fluctuations due to localised weather patterns can produce variations.
Again, on a cloudy day, the temperatures can be slightly cooler than Woodford. Dependent on the prevailing weather patterns and the wind direction, temperatures can be either lower by around 1 degree C and occasionally (more noticeably on a warm sunny day) and in the absence of early morning mist/fogs(common in Woodford and Reddish Vale) can be up to 2 degrees C warmer than Woodford.
Due to its suburban nature and geographical location, close to the municipal centres of Stockport and Manchester, it benefits from an urban heat island effect.
Most of Reddish would be equivalent to Usda Zone 8B/9A in recent years and, with the influence of global warming, with typical annual minimum lows of around -5/-6C.
Summer high temperatures average around 20-21C and peak at around 28C in any given year, occasionally to around 32C.
Overnight lows average around 12-14C typically.
Winter high temperatures average around 6-9C. Winter overnight lows typically average around 3C.
Many tender plants can grow here and in the Stockport/Manchester area in general; the municipal planting consists of much New Zealand flora, such as Phormiums and Cordylines and Mediterranean plantings such as European Fan Palms and Canary Island date palms and Yuccas in residential gardens are commonplace.
Weather data specifically for South Reddish can be found here: https://web.archive.org/web/20110710210003/http://www.everyoneweb.com/palmsnexotics/
The housing stock remains mainly terraced and semi-detached. For the North Reddish ward, the 6,914 housing units were divided into 8% detached house, 46% semi-detached, 36% terraced and 10% flats. For the South Reddish ward, the 6,598 housing units were divided into 5% detached house, 29% semi-detached, 44% terraced and 22% flats. There are no in Reddish,Cronin, p. 8. unlike several neighbouring areas.
Some housing built by factory owners for their employees remains. Greg Street, Birkdale Road and Broadstone Hall Road South have mid-19th century terraces built by the Gregs for the workers at their, now demolished, Victoria and Albert Mills.Ashmore pp 28, 84. Cronin, pp. 7, 41. Furnival Street was built in 1886 to house workers at the (demolished) Furnival's ironworksCronin, pp. 7, 12. The largest collection is that built by Houldsworth near to his Reddish Mill, even though only Liverpool Street and Houldsworth Street remain after clearance in about 1974.Ashmore, pp. 28–9 The houses on Houldsworth Street, directly facing the mill, are grander and would have been for the higher placed workers.Cronin, pp. 40–1. Hartwell et al., p. 582.
Stockport MBC describes Reddish as one of the eight major district centres in the borough that offer "local history, modern convenient facilities and traditional high street retailing". The other seven are
Bramhall, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Edgeley, Hazel Grove, Marple and Romiley.
Reddish is home to many tertiary services. Houldsworth Square, named after local Victorian era mill-owner William Houldsworth), has many shops and banks serving the local population. There are schools, such as Reddish Vale High School in South Reddish, which in 2006 became the only school in Greater Manchester to be announced by the Government as a 'Trust Pathfinder' school. In 2014, the school was judged by OFSTED as "an inadequate school" and was later put into special measures.
On a narrower level, the estimated household weekly income for the period April 2001 to March 2002 for North and South Reddish wards was £440 and £400 respectively. In comparison with nearby wards, this is higher than Gorton North, Gorton South and Brinnington (at £350, £330 and £340 respectively), slightly lower than Denton West (£480) and significantly lower than Heaton Moor and Heaton Mersey (£590). National Statistics Online , Model-Based Estimates of Income for Wards (April 01 to March 02), retrieved 14 February 2006. The averages for the North-West region and the UK were £489 and £554 respectively (2001–4). North West Selected Key Statistics, National Statistics, retrieved 14 February 2006.
]]*Grade I
The canal was purchased by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway in 1848. Traffic declined and the canal was described as derelict as early as 1922. Commercial traffic ceased in the 1930s; the canal was declared officially closed in 1962 and filled in.Arrowsmith, p. 263.
Reddish South railway station only has a weekly return parliamentary service on Saturday mornings, running between Stockport and Stalybridge.
The history of the development of rail infrastructure in the UK is complicated, with lines and stations being built by a myriad of railway companies and joint ventures. Routes did not always follow the best path; they were created, altered or blocked through lobbying of parliament by interested parties intent on protecting their interests and preventing competition. Due to their strategic position between Manchester and London, Stockport and Reddish played their parts. Reddish played host to three railway lines, two railway stations and a traction depot. To improve readability, the names of the stations and lines are the latest (or last) used.
The M&B became part of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) by 1849; the SA&MR became part of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&L) in 1847. At this stage, both companies used Piccadilly as their Manchester terminus. The LNWR held a monopoly on the important London route.
After the war, the railways were nationalised as British Rail (BR). The electrification plan was put in place as the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway, opening in 1954 using a 1500 V DC system.
Reddish Electric Depot was constructed to maintain the Class 76 & Class 77 locomotives and Class 506 electric multiple units; the depot was also used to house the prestigious Midland Pullman in the early 1960s. The building was 400 ft (120 m) long. However, electrification was not continued beyond the depot to Trafford Park. Shortly afterwards, BR adopted the 25 kV AC system for electrification, with the effect that the Woodhead Line "passed very quickly from ultra-modern to obsolescent".
Local passenger services stopped using the Fallowfield Loop line in 1958, although through trains continued until 1969. The Beeching Report of 1963 recommended that the Woodhead Line be retained and the Hope Valley line, serving Reddish North station, to be closed; in 1966, BR controversially implemented the reverse.
The depot continued to service locomotives and electric multiple units until the Woodhead Line was closed in 1981. Despite rumours that the depot would be used to service the Manchester Metrolink, the depot fully closed in 1983; it was quickly vandalised and has since been demolished. The Fallowfield Loop line closed completely in 1988 and the track was taken up. The site has since been redeveloped as a housing estate.
As of 2007, Reddish has ten nursery and primary schools, including some church schools (Roman Catholic and Church of England). It has been proposed to close three of these and build a new school. The site chosen was formerly a clay pit for a brickworks and later a landfill site. Much of the landfill took place before modern controls and there is local concern about the suitability of the site.
Brewing, pubs and clubs
Governance
following the said water Tame to the mid stream between the county of Chester and Assheton unto the Mereclowe at Redyshe so following Mereclowe unto Saltergate, from thence following the ditch of Redyshe unto Mikeldiche, following that unto Peyfyngate, following that unto Le Turrepittes between Heton Norreyes and Redishe, from thence following Le Merebroke unto the confluence of the waters of Tame and Mersey
following the middle of the Tame as far as Denton Brook at Reddish; and so following Denton Brook and a tributary as far as Thornley Lane South; and then following Thornley Lane as far as Nico Ditch; and following Nelstrop Road as far as the turf-pits between Heaton Norris and Reddish (these are lost); and from there following Black Brook as far as near the conjunction of the waters of the Tame and Goyt.
Parliamentary representation
Council representation
Geography
Climate
Demography
Economy
Affluence
Landmarks
Transport
Buses
Canal
Roads
Railway
Reddish South
Reddish North
Reddish Electric Depot
Education
Community facilities
Religion
Notable people
See also
Bibliography
Notes
External links
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