Harry Rutherford's Festival of Britain Mural

This week we received these photos and this letter off Meglet....

"Hi All @ Hydonian Blog

This is more of an alert rather than a trip down memory lane.

But, this is a 'Heads up' I think all those who visit the blog should know about.

I've known for a number of years Kerry Foods have been in negotiation with Tameside Council, to create a new access road for their factory at Godley.

No one who knows Godley Hill Road, can deny they desperately need it.

The narrow, curved, single lane, they have at the moment has been inadequate for decades, and the precarious traffic light system they operate from the security lodge is problematic at best.

Well, now planning permission has been given the go ahead, and groundwork has already started, but the plans approved means that one of the least known, but possibly the most awe inspiring, remaining buildings of Hyde's history is about to be demolished.

I know Godley Hill Road, and the current access road have been captured by 'Google Street View', but the old railway sheds on the car park approach can only fleetingly be seen.

So, I have included some quick snaps I took recently, and one from Godley East Station from 1979, where the side of the sheds can be seen in the distance.

I must admit that I know really nothing of the building other than what is seen in the photos.

The building was part of the old railways sidings and marshalling yards of the long closed Godley East Railway Station, and as you can see, it stretches the full length of the Kerry Foods car park approach road, about 100 meters in length.

To me it looks very much like a fortification, with it's tightly packed small stone blocks construction, and so, gives off a wonderful aura of indestructibility and history. So, I was not surprised at all when I spoke to a very old Walls' (now Kerry Foods) employee who told me, that when he was a young lad at the factory he was told that the building was used, during both World Wars, to store munitions prior to transportation.

It's generally considered by those I have asked that the building was built around 150 years ago, which I feel also.  It's roof is in very poor shape, and it has evidently had some repairs done with standard bricks over the years, but it is still very awesome to look at.

At the moment (July 2012) the only work that has commenced is the clearing of trees around the building, as can be see in one of the photos.

I believe work is due to begin proper in October 2012, and the whole project will take 12 months to complete, as the access road is planned to carry on through and up towards Hattersley.

If this building is to be razed then I will try and get as much video & photos of it as I can from all sides, but I'm not sure how much access I will be able to get.

I think the inside will be well off limits, and dangerous, but I would love to explore it.

If anyone is in the vicinity, I recommend you take a look in person, it is a magnificent structure.  There is no problem walking up the road, but walking into the car park around the back of the sheds is not advisable, as they are under CCTV.

Anything on the building true history and function would be fantastic to know, I will update about the demolition process when it happens."

 



Many thanks for letting us know, Meglet. :)

If anyone else knows anything else about the demolition of this building or any other building around the Hyde area , please let us know !!