History of Glossop's Paths & Roads - Grab Alley

History of Glossop's Paths & Roads 

Part One - Grab Alley

There are many alleys and hidden roads in Glossop that people forget about these days, unless you are a Glossopian.  You will find that many of these alleys are public footpaths and can prove a great asset in order to get you from A to B in a very short amount of time.

One notorious Glossop alley is barely visible today yet many people use it without realising it. There is very little left of the original walkway which has now been replaced with a pedestrian crossing on the car park of Tesco in Glossop. The original walkway ran the full course of the new crossings today from the river on High Street West up towards the supermarket entrance.

The original path connected the lower part of High Street West, up towards North Road for easy access from the Wrens Nest Mills. It also connected with paths to Glossop, Whitfield & Simmondley used mostly by employees to and from home. The pathway was continuously used down the years as it became a handy access to the football at North Road and cricket matches which were played there. It was also a great link between The Hanging Gate Pub (now demolished) and the new Glossop North End football ground on Surrey Street when they moved in 1955.

This walkway was nicked named “Grab Alley” as young ladies who used this footpath were at risk of being “grabbed” by the young men of the town. It was also known for pickpockets to work this part of town.  The path was enclosed by a high wall either side that was topped with triangular capping stones. The original iron bridge matched the height of the wall but was badly damaged by the Whit Monday floods in 1944.  The house which stood next to the footpath, collapsed due to the damage by the flood.  The woman who lived in the house went to look at the damage from the bridge but it gave way into the water and she was swept away by the strong current. Her body was found in the River Etherow at Compstall the following day.


Today the same walkway is used by hundreds of people everyday as it is part of the Tesco Stores part of the pedestrian crossings but to many locals it will always be known as Grab Alley.

By Matthew Cox 

www.glossoptours.co.uk

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

Over Exposed on Higher Shelf Stones - Glossop

Over Exposed

Glossop is well known for the vast amount of plane wrecks that litter our surrounding moorland. It attracts many walkers, climbers’ historians and explorers from around the globe.  The subject has lured many photographers and film crews over the years and they have become the centre of legends.

There are over 50 wrecks in our area and every single one of them has their own story to tell. The most famous of them is the Boeing B29 Superfortress, “Over Exposed”, on Higher Shelf Stones.

The Superfortress was not a standard B29 heavy bomber; she was actually an RB-29, the photographic reconnaissance variant of the aircraft. Soon after the end of the war it became imperative for the western powers to monitor the build-up and deployment of Soviet troops. So photo missions were flown from the UK right up until the end of the Cold War. "Over Exposed" was one of three RB-29s which were tasked to assist with the deploying of the "Able" atomic bomb.

Results at Bikini Atoll

On July 1st 1946, B29 Superfortress "Dave's Dream", accompanied by "Over Exposed", took off from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands to take part in Operation Crossroads - the Atomic Bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. The B29 was to drop an atomic bomb which was to explode over Bikini Atoll Lagoon. It was then the job of "Over Exposed” and its 25 cameras to photograph 'Dave's Dream', the bomb being released and then to return a few days later, to record results.  The results were truly devastating although they evacuated everyone from the nearby island they sunk three destroyers and two aircraft carriers of their own. 

The Superfortress “Over Exposed” crashed on the 3^rd November 1948, killing all thirteen crew members. Apart from the crew the aircraft was carrying sacks of mail homeward bound to the USA, and a payroll of £7,000 for the staff at Burtonwood.

Sixty four years on, many of the major structural parts remain such as the undercarriage struts, pulley wheels for internal control cables, and even large sections of the fuselage, have survived the ravishes of the Bleaklow weather. The most instantly recognisable parts of the aeroplane are the four 18 cylinder Wright R-3350-23 engines, which are in a remarkable state of preservation.

One of the Wright R-3350-23 engines

A few years ago a gun turret from the RB-29 was found in near perfect condition. It was believed that it had been preserved near a river and was dislodged by recent flooding. It was brought off the moorland by some of the Glossop Mountain Rescue Team and put on display at the Glossop Heritage Centre for the 60^th Anniversary of the crash. 


 By Matthew Cox

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