HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's
Festival of Britain Mural




Sunday 10 June 2012

Cock Brow and Apple Street

It's supposed to be the height of summer, but I'm sure everyone's getting a bit fed up of the clouds and rain and wind and the cold weather we've been having recently. Let me take you back just a couple of weeks that spell of warmth, blue skies and sunshine that we had for a few days, to 26th of May to be precise. We'll start of at the top of Werneth Low, at Windy Harbour, and I'll take you for a walk down Cock Brow and Apple Street:

Years ago, when the horse and cart were the only means of transporting goods, in places where the road had a steep gradient a horse was kept in a field at the side of the road and would be harnessed to any cart going up or down the hill to provide assistance to the horse in pulling the cart up, or for additional braking effort when going down. The horse was known as a cock-horse - hence the name 'Cock Brow' for this stretch of road - and it would presumably have been kept here in the field to the left of the road.






Lowend Farm on the right


I love the pattern of the shadows of the trees and the sunlight here


Nearly at the end now - that's Mottram Old Road you can see at the top

This is what you see when you get to the end. It comes out onto Mottram Old Road just before the railway bridge marking the boundary with Hattersley. You've now got to turn round and walk all the way back or trek up Mottram Old Road, which has memorable views towards Werneth Low on a nice day like this.

Hope you enjoyed the walk!

6 comments:

ceecee said...

in all my years living in hyde ( and thats quite a few ) i have never been down this road, now thanks to you i feel like i know it. great pictures - thank you.

Gerald (SK14) said...

what an excellent series of photos showing the road in all its glory - I didn't know the origin of the name.

Tom said...

Great posting and pictures Dave.. I'm sure many Hydonians have not walked this road... it's certainly a while since I have... I drive up and down in my old land rover and stop to take in the views but that's a year or two back now.

Hydonian said...

Wonderful Dave !
I feel like I've had my morning walk, now I can settle down and have my brunch :)

Beryl Williams said...

I've only ever been down Apple Street as far as the farm, the rest of the road looks really peaceful and inviting. The trouble is walking up the Low to get there and then back along Mottram Old Road afterwards. I'll have to get my husband to give me an arm up and back. Ha! ha!

Trish said...

Nice pictures, great to see the sunshine! I took this route on my vespa scooter last year, in sunny April ( remember that mini heatwave we had back then!) Anyway, one Sunday morning I just decided to ride my vespa down Cock Brow and see if it took me near Bottoms hall wood, as I had seen old photos of this wood and thought it looked so lovely, but hey, that was 100 years ago! But I think I did find part of the wood eventually, it just didnt live up to expectations. And that route I took down Cock Brow on my vespa got a bit hairy at times, but it was fun! but I did choose not to take that route going back home!