Visions of Park Bridge: The old Iron Works.

Just after the steep valley of my path to here we arrive at last at the old Iron works itself. Now a heritage centre park with even a little café and local interest museum (unfortunately mostly closed). The big footprint area had lots of different buildings and the biggest that ran parallel to the valley bottom here has long since gone. Now try to imaging too, a giant railway viaduct arching over this valley in front of us starting and finishing above the high trees. Yes it was all there. See in the mono photo below. (pip)
Wiki: “Samuel Lees junior founded Park Bridge ironworks in 1786 on 14 perches of land rented from the Earl of Stamford. Originally the ironworks produced raw iron; the ironworks was one of the largest in 19th century Tameside, and one of the earliest ironworks in the northwest. The ironworks which produced rivets for worldwide use was expanded including the construction of a weir and a water power building on the River Medlock. The success of the ironworks precipitated the construction of worker housing in the 1820s. Further worker housing was added in the 1840s and 1850s. The ironworks remained the largest such works in Tameside, including a nearby colliery and associated with the Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge Railway. The ironworks started to decline at the end of the 19th century with the cessation of coal mining in the Medlock Valley in 1887. Competition from the steel industry over a long period and the closure of the railway in 1959 further dented the profits. The ironworks finally closed in 1963, still under the control of the Lees family.
The abandoned ironworks fell into decay and was demolished or reduced to ruins in the 1970s. In 1975 the Medlock and Tame Valley Conservation Association opened the Park Bridge Museum to encourage interest in the historical significance of Park Bridge. In 1986, the museum became a visitor centre, and in 1995 was renamed the Park Bridge Heritage Centre. "

This is the end of this journey into my local countryside and industrial heritage. Thanks for joining me here.
As usual best view full screen. PiPs

Ps The figure in blue is my grandson.