Day Trip to Glossop? - Glossop Advertiser 1912

Day Trip to Glossop For a Sixpence

The summer is now not to far away, however, day trippers continuously pour into our town throughout the year. Things have not changed for well over a century because last summer I found a column in the Glossop Advertiser back in 1912, by a local columnist expressing his feelings about day trippers who came from Manchester to Glossop for a sixpence.  

"The summer season is now in full swing, that especially as regards the running into Glossop of cheap excursion trains on Sundays is concerned, a note of warning should be thrown out to certain visitors of both sexes who come into this pleasant Derbyshire town. Let it be clearly understood that there is not the slightest desire to put forth any argument against the introduction into Glossop of trippers. But we echo the public feeling that those cheap excursionists should behave themselves and that failing to do so the law should step in and administer a lesson not readily forgotten. It seems to have occurred to the minds of say Mancunian visitors that they are at liberty to turn Glossop into a bear garden and we are bound to say that the local justices have not as a rule made ‘the punishment fit the crime’.


It is true that, as the greatest of England’s poets says, “The quality of mercy is not strained”. That is the rule, but to most rules there are exceptions and we are inclined to believe that with regard to Sunday delinquents brought before the Glossop Police Court the merciful quality has distinctly been strained. There is a considerable proportion of these sixpenny trippers that can fairly and honestly be designated a nuisance. If people wish to escape on the Sunday from Manchester or elsewhere to healthful Glossop we admire their decision, but having arrived in the town, having availed themselves of the privilege of cheap access thereto, having left a smoke-begrimed city for the delights which Nature affords, the least they can do is to conduct themselves with propriety. But many of them do not, and they should be taught to recognise the force of the law.

Damaging grass lands, breaking trees, card playing, footballing in the public streets, and so on, are items of objectionable amusement that have been practised by a certain class of visiting hooligans, whose absence would be far preferable to their company. We want to see established by the magistracy the preservation of Glossop’s good name, and therefore we hope that stringent penalties will be in future imposed upon all offenders. Readers who revert to the report in other columns of this issue of the ‘Advertiser’ of the proceedings in the Glossop Police Court will see that the local Justices have made up their minds to stand no further nonsense. Their decision is quite right and proper, and we commend them for having arrived at it. The police have done, and are doing, their level best to stamp out the illegal and unwarrantable doings of the class of persons to whom we have so pointedly alluded. It has been pretty well accepted as a truism that there is a black sheep in every flock. Biblical instruction shows the vast difference and distinction between the sheep and the goats. In Glossop the sheep from Manchester are always sure of a cordial welcome, the goats – well, may either stay at home, or be sure either of being substantially fined or relegated to one of His Majesty’s hotels, which are usually designated by another expression."


Have things changed?

Complied by Matthew Cox

History of the Dinting Arches

A History of Glossop Railway Line & Beyond..

Part 4 of 6 -  Dinting Arches

The arches have recently under gone major works to maintain, strengthen and preserve the iconic, working structure.

The remarkable structure is part and parcel of the Glossop skyline and has been for over a hundred years. To survive this long it has been modified in several ways and yet still maintains its historic
feel and look.

The viaduct was strengthened with new bearings installed along with repairs to the steel, brickwork and masonry, finished with a new lick of traditional olive green paint.

Dinting Arches originally formed part of “The Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway”. The railway was opened from Manchester to as far as Godley in November 1841. The foundation stone of Best Hill Viaduct (Broadbottom) was laid by John Chapman Esq. on Thursday 17^th February 1842. Then on the 10^th December that same year trains ran from Godley to Broadbottom. It took a further two years to complete the Dinting Viaduct and the first train passed over on August 8^th 1844.

There were originally sixteen arches; five of them were constructed of Baltic timbers each spanning 125 feet. The rest built of stone along with the stone pillars that exist today. The wooden arches stood 121 feet from the river bed.

The original wooden Dinting Arches

A tremendous tragedy took place in the evening of 18^th September 1855 when a train on a journey from Belle Vue stopped on the arches when three passengers stepped out and fell to their deaths.

The wooden arches needed to be strengthened in the 1850s with tie rods but this was not good enough so they were replaced by the wrought iron girders you can see today. Further strengthening took place in 1919 for the requirements after the First World War when heavier goods were imposed. The brick pillars were installed and some of the stone arches were filled in with bricks for added support. The entire works cost over £41,000 some 93 years ago.

The viaduct after 1919

The last major work was carried out in the 1950s in preparation for the electrification. The first electric train passed over in 1954. The recent update cost around  £6.4 million pounds which was part funded and developed by Network Rail, now enabling the viaduct to last for many more years to come.

Matthew Cox

A History of Dinting Station

A History of Glossop Railway Line & Beyond..

Part 3 of 6 - Dinting Station - "Rich Past, Present & Future"

The first train to arrive at Dinting Station was on 24^th December 1842. In the early days of travel the line from Manchester to Sheffield terminated at Dinting, however, in those days the station was in fact called Glossop. Then the traveller would then have to board a coach and horses for the remainder of the way which made the total travel time about 5 hours.


On the 9^th June 1845 the one mile branch to Glossop opened for goods traffic but because it was built by the 13^th Duke of Norfolk it did not have to obtain an Act of Parliament. The former “Glossop” station became known as Dinting. The first station was a wooden structure until it was replaced by a permanent building in 1847. Another outer building was created and was known at “Glossop Junction” as well as an ornate engine shed. A coaling stage was created and a series of goods yards and shunting bays leading to Mottram Yard.

On 18th September 1855 a train stopped short of the platform. Not realising that they were still on the viaduct three passengers left the train and fell to their deaths.
In 1884 new facilities were built on the triangular junction they included ample accommodation, the Station Masters house, first and second class waiting rooms and even a home for the Permanent Way Inspector.  

Dinting Station was given a new lease of life in 1967 in the form of The Bahamas Locomotive Society a working steam engine museum that attracted thousands of people. The museum also attracted world famous engines such as the Blue Peter and Mallard. The Museum out grew Dinting and move to Yorkshire in 1991.

A couple of years ago Friends of Dinting Station was created to preserve and maintain Dinting Railway Station’s rich past.

By Matthew Cox

Check Out More Glossop History

A History of Glossop, Manchester & The Woodhead Railway Line

Samuel Hill-Wood of Glossop: The All-Round Sportsman

An All-Round Sportsman Puts Racing On The Map

Heavy Weapon

Samuel Hill-Wood was a true lover of sport he not only triumphed in football and cricket but in greyhound racing too. This is a portrait of Samuel’s successful coursing Greyhound, Heavy Weapon. He was born in 1905 sired by the winning dog, Wartnaby, who sired a number of useful coursing dogs, out of Garbitas. He was the great-grandson of one of Colonel North’s famous Greyhounds, Young Fullerton, who was the same way bred as the legendary Fullerton, arguably the greatest Greyhound of all time, winning three Waterloo Cups and dividing once in five visits to Altcar.

Heavy Weapon was owned by Samuel the all-sports man, after leaving Glossop North End he captained the Derbyshire cricket team for three seasons and became chairman of Arsenal Football Club in 1929. He was also passionate about coursing but in some quarters was apparently not a popular owner. In 1913 he was considered a ‘parvenu’ by the Stud book correspondent as he had owned dogs for only 11 years!

Heavy Weapon was declared the winner of the Waterloo Cup in 1910 running in the final against J W Fullerton’s Full Stream who was drawn distressed. He also proved very useful as a stud dog siring. He was owned by Edward (later Sir) Hulton, who set up the first picture library.

Hill-Wood won the Waterloo Cup again in 1913 with "Hung Well". His dogs were trained by Denny Smith, who trained more winners than anyone apart from Harold Wright.

Benacre Cup

Heavy Weapon’s portrait was painted by Wright Barker (1864-1941) in circa 1911. A painter of large hunting and sporting scenes, animals and rural landscapes that often featured cattle, he exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists.

In Addition to his Waterloo Cup success, Heavy Weapon also won the 15ct gold Benacre Cup in 1909. The portrait achieve £12,500 in auction two years ago along with Benacre Cup which was also sold for a sum of £11,400. The items went to auction after being passed on by a decadent of Samuel Hill-Wood and some of the proceeds went to the retired greyhound charity.

By Matthew Cox    Check out glossoptours.moonfruit.com