Mid Cheshire line historical question

[CosherB]

On Google Earth, if you look at Shaw Heath north of Knutsford in the 1945 view, you can see the rail line entering the picture near the bottom left and leaving at the top righthand corner. Just north of a then-new housing estate there appears to be an 'S' shaped trackbed of a long-gone siding on the other side of the line. It appears to serve 'dispersals' which have the look of isolated explosives or ammunition stores.

Here's a closer look.

Can anyone confirm what it was?

 

[apk55]

I know that Tatton park was used during the war for parachute training and there is a memorial in the park for that. Trainees would be taken to Manchester (Ringway) airport and thrown out over the park!
Also in the Knutsford area at Peover hall was General Pattons pre D day HQ and many solders and much equipment were stationed in the area during this period.
Therefore the existing siding capacity in the area would probably been overloaded so it could have been related to these activities.

 

[northwichcat]

I'm not sure if I'm getting the location spot on from those images. Would you say it's roughly where Parkgate Ind Estate (Haigh Rd) now is? If so that would lead in to Tatton Park.

Additionally to what apk55 has said The Ruskin Rooms, Drury Lane, Knutsford was where an American force based themselves during WWII.

 

[CosherB]

The Parkgate industrial estate now occupies the two fields immediately north of the housing estate, and of course the area is generally far more built up today.

 

[northwichcat]

of course the area is generally far more built up today.

Indeed my house would be on a current view of the same area - on that view there is a field where it is.

Some of the houses that appear on there are on roads where the houses don't appear to pre-date 1960 and are close to a railway line, which is what confused me a little, so it's quite probable that the houses shown have seen been demolished and replaced by newer houses.

 

[CosherB]

And despite the name 'Park gate' there is no access to Tatton Park from the Shaw Heath side today.

 

[northwichcat]

And despite the name 'Park gate' there is no access to Tatton Park from the Shaw Heath side today.

Generally if someone says they are looking for the Shaw Heath area of the town you would point them to the area between the BP Petrol station on Mobberley Road and the start of Longridge, further up than Parkgate Lane. The shops on Parkgate Lane are referred to as Parkgate shops, while the Post Office near the junction between Mobberley Rd and Springwood Ave is referred to as Shaw Heath Post Office.

There is a pedestrian entrance to Tatton Park at the end of Mallard Close via the bridge over the railway line and the path through the woods on the other side of the line from Mallard Close.

 

[CosherB]

There is a pedestrian entrance to Tatton Park at the end of Mallard Close via the bridge over the railway line and the path through the woods on the other side of the line from Mallard Close.

Is there? If you look at the end of Mallard Close in Google Maps street view, the view across the railway bridge apperas to show a steel fence around the Tatton Park perimeter, with closed full-height gates that look as if they might be permanently locked closed.

It looks as though there might be a path from the north side of the railway bridge between the park and the railway?

Is this the case?

 

[northwichcat]

Is there? If you look at the end of Mallard Close in Google Maps street view, the view across the railway bridge apperas to show a steel fence around the Tatton Park perimeter, with closed full-height gates that look as if they might be permanently locked closed.

There is indeed a high fence and gate but access is allowed in to the park that way. The gate is opened around the time the other pedestrian entrances to the park are opened (much earlier than vehicles are allowed in) and is locked at 5pm in Winter or 7pm in Summer. There is a notice on the gate telling you what time it is locked.

The woods didn't use to be fenced off and the only lockable gate was the other end of those woods but they got designated as a Scientific area of Interest and the fence was put up.

It looks as though there might be a path from the north side of the railway bridge between the park and the railway?

Is this the case?

It looks like it might go straight on/north from streetview on the railway bridge at Mallard Close but it actually turns to the left/south west. It's usually a very muddy path which comes out near a pumping station on The Moor here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr...006706&geocode=FdBdLQMdLtrb_w&mra=mr&t=m&z=16

 

[CosherB]

Thanks for that. I'll nip down there sometime soon for a walk in the park.

 

[apk55]

During the war they would not worry if there is not an entrance to the park, they would make one! That area would be as good as you could get for a delivery siding for bringing in material to build a camp in Tatton park and possibly troop trains afterwards.

 

[northwichcat]

That area would be as good as you could get for a delivery siding for bringing in material to build a camp in Tatton park and possibly troop trains afterwards.

Thinking about it there's an area where boats are stored in Tatton Park, which is close to Parkgate, that's possibly the same area that used to be used for storing military materials.