Bollington Railway History Day

Above: This superb photo appears in Basil Jeuda’s latest book on the Macclesfield, Bollington & Marple Railway.  The photo was taken at Macclesfield Central station on 1st September 1939 and depicts the arrival of nearly 4,000 children evacuated from Manchester, along with some teachers.This was immediately prior to outbreak of war on 3rd September. Another 800 children were destined for Bollington.

For the first time ever, the Cheshire Archive Service will be bringing over from Chester extremely rare railway plans – which will be available for viewing at the Bollington Railway History Day on Saturday 25th May.

The plans cover the route and land ownership for 1849 and 1864 from Macclesfield, through Bollington, Adlington, Higher Poynton, Norbury/Middlewood, High Lane and Marple.

The 1884 plans for the Middlewood Flying Junction, the railway fly-over in the depths of the countryside that connected the Bollington line with the line from Stockport to Buxton will also be on view. This fly-over became part of the express route from London Euston to Buxton – that travelers from Bollington and Macclesfield could join.

Also on display will be the 1902 and 1903 deposited plans for a new tram system covering Macclesfield and Bollington – linking Macclesfield with Bollington, Adlington, Poynton, and Hazel Grove.

Cheshire Archives will also be bringing a number of previously unseen albums of photographs of the Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple railway.

The Bollington Railway History Day will conclude with a symposium – a series of talks given by Martin Welch, David Kitching, and Ian Moss, on the history and operations on the line, the collieries served by the line, and the success in recent years of the surviving Marple Rose Hill station. Contributions from the floor will be welcome, especially from those who travelled on the line before it closed in January 1970.

Basil Jeuda’s 56-page book – Macclesfield, Bollington & Marple Railway, 150th Anniversary, 1869-2019 – costs £5 and is available at the Discovery Centre and Belfields Village Bakery in Bollington and the Macclesfield Visitor Information Centre and Hameston Books at the Treacle Market. It’s also available by post at £8, including postage and packing, from the Discovery Centre, Clarence Mill, Bollington, SK10 5JZ –cheques payable to the Bollington Discovery Centre.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply