Park Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Park Bridge |
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 View of Park Bridge from the ironworks |
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 Park Bridge
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| OS grid reference | SD9402 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE |
| Postcode district | OL |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Park Bridge is a small area in Ashton-under-Lyne, a town in Greater Manchester, England. It is located in the beautiful Medlock Valley. This area is right on the border between Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham. For almost 200 years, from the 1700s to the 1900s, Park Bridge was famous for its busy ironworks.
Contents
A Look Back at Park Bridge's History
The Start of the Ironworks
The Park Bridge ironworks was started in 1786 by Samuel Lees junior. An ironworks is a place where iron is made and shaped. This one became one of the biggest and earliest ironworks in the northwest of England during the 1800s.
When Samuel Lees died in 1804, his wife, Hannah Lees, took over the business. She helped the ironworks grow even more. They built a weir (a small dam) and a building to use water power from the River Medlock. Because the ironworks was so successful, homes were built for the workers in the 1820s. More houses were added in the 1840s and 1850s.
The ironworks stayed the largest in Tameside. It even had its own nearby coal mine. It was also connected to the Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge Railway. The Lees family continued to own and run the business for four more generations.
The Ironworks Closes Down
The ironworks started to slow down at the end of the 1800s. This happened when coal mining stopped in the Medlock Valley in 1887. Also, new ways of making steel became popular, which made it harder for ironworks to compete. When the railway closed in 1959, it hurt the business even more. Finally, the Park Bridge ironworks closed its doors in 1963. It was still owned by the Lees family at that time.
After the ironworks closed, the buildings were left empty and started to fall apart. In the 1970s, many of them were torn down or became ruins. Because these buildings were not fully recorded before they were demolished, the site is very interesting to archaeologists. These are people who study old places and objects to learn about the past.
Park Bridge Heritage Centre
In 1975, a group called the Medlock and Tame Valley Conservation Association opened the Park Bridge Museum. They wanted people to learn about the important history of Park Bridge.
In 1986, the museum became a visitor centre. Then, in 1995, it was renamed the Park Bridge Heritage Centre.
Did you know that the ironworks at Park Bridge made rivets? Rivets are like strong metal pins used to hold things together. The rivets from Park Bridge were used all over the world! They were even used in the building of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris and the huge ship, The Titanic!
See also
- Park Bridge railway station
Images for kids
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A view of Park Bridge from the old ironworks site.
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Another view showing the area around Park Bridge.
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A closer look at some of the remaining structures.
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The peaceful Medlock Valley near Park Bridge.
