Artist and coal miner Rod Thackray was co-owner of Ludworth Moor Colliery which was on the Mellor border with Derbyshire. Its underground operations closed in 1981 and open cast in 1983. Rod had also spent years researching local coal mines and talking to and recording stories from old miners who had worked the pits around … More The mystery of the Ludworth Moor Colliery table leg pit prop
The complete year of articles for the bi-monthly Inside Marple glossy magazine JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2022 Welcome to my regular feature on the life of the honeybee. Hopefully it will give you an insight into the world of the amazing honeybee as we progress through the year. In each edition I will be giving a … More Honeybee Diary for the Inside Marple Magazine
This blog appeared in an article for the Inside Marple Magazine’s November-December 2022 edition. Mellor Tennis Club is now 100 years old and retains its long standing traditions of being a local community hub. It was originally formed in the 1920s together with Mellor Cricket Club on what is now the recreation ground near the … More Mellor Tennis Club
Mellor, a small village established during the cotton revolution, sitting in the foothills of the Pennines is arguably the remotest village in Greater Manchester. Historically it was in Derbyshire, incorporated into Cheshire in 1936, and finally gobbled up by Greater Manchester in 1974. Though it is an ancient village, the main road through it, Longhurst … More What’s in the name of a house? – YEGORYEVSK, Longhurst Lane, Mellor
The small village of Mellor’s early history is complex and unclear but had from the Middle Ages been part of Forest of Peak under the jurisdiction of the Duchy of Lancaster. By the 1640s the land around Mellor had been surveyed and divided under a process of ‘enclosure’ whereby common land was consolidated into individually … More Mellor village historical sites
By popular demand! a series of maps showing some of the historic locations with Mellor parish boundary. I will add more over time, but please feel free to comment or correct. ( * * * * THIS WILL SOON BE UPDATED AND AVAILABLE IN BOOK FORMAT * * * *) Mills Coal Mines Football pitches … More Mellor History Maps
A chance discussion with my neighbour Norma when I bumped into her on a dog walk turned into an incredible journey of discovery into what really happened during the most famous of all wartime stories – The Dambusters. Norma’s uncle, Jack Marriott was one of the Dambusters, the Flight Engineer of AJ-Z who was sadly, … More THE HIGH PEAK DAMBUSTER
A version of this article appeared in the May 2021 Marple Local History Society December 2021 News letter https://mailchi.mp/2f6f0f7ab6f5/marple-local-history-december-2021?e=8605a2f387. As a child Rod Thackray from Moor End Mellor was enthralled by stories told by his uncle Ivan Eccles abouts his exploits working at coal mines around Mellor after WW1. By the time Rod was a … More Ludworth Moor Colliery
Paintings and sketches by Mellor artist Rod Thackray Click on the image to see full size. All are available to buy. For sizes, media, and price enquire using contact page. Ludworth Moor Colliery Mellor Other paintings and sketches Industrial New Mills Steam engines
This article appeared in the May 2021 Marple Local History Society News letter. https://www.marplelocalhistorysociety.org.uk/our-local-heritage/594-oldknows-seat.html Oldknow’s Seat is locally the stuff of legend, but it’s not a myth – it does still exist. Many of us will have heard of it, it is marked on old maps and over the years lots of locals have had … More Oldknow’s Seat
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