Edgeley
Encyclopedia
Edgeley is a residential area within the town of Stockport
, Greater Manchester
, England
. The suburb is characterised largely by Victorian
close-packed terraced housing and council estates with some larger properties around Alexandra Park. Edgeley includes Edgeley Park
, home of Stockport County F.C.
and rugby union team Sale Sharks
.
. On 27 November 1792 an advertisement appeared in the Manchester Mercury to let land at Edgeley as
William Sykes took the land and established the Sykes Bleaching Company
. There were few trees in the area, but as wood was needed in the drying process, he undertook extensive tree-planting in the area. He built a "stately house" Edgeley House, which was the home of the family for succeeding generations until it became Alexandra Park. Wells were sunk including the "Silver Well", and by 1830 these had quadrupled the water supply. Reservoirs were also built. These undertakings were of great value to people in the area in times of excessive drought. The Sykes originally owned most of the land in Edgeley, and employed many people. They invested their wealth back into the area with parks, churches, schools and Edgeley Park.
The Brinksway Chapel, built in 1823, was nicknamed the 'Beef-Steak Chapel' as it was built to encourage vegetarianism by men with shares of one pound each. Saint Matthew's Church was built on the site in 1843.
The commercial centre of Edgeley is Castle Street.
Alexandra Park is on the former site of Edgeley House and contains a bowling green
, a children's play area and a tennis court. The Sykes' reservoir which originally served the bleaching works, backs onto the Park. The regeneration of the area has seen the mill lodge
developed into a public space popular with anglers.
Edgeley is served by Stockport railway station
(also known as "Stockport Edgeley" or "Edgeley") It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway
, following completion of the large railway viaduct just to its north.
and is also the home of 2006 UK Eurovision Song Contest
contestant Daz Sampson
.
Richard Sykes
, a member of the Sykes family at Edgeley House, founded the town of Edgeley, in North Dakota
, United States
in tribute to his birthplace. Other members of the Sykes family include Thomas Hardcastle Sykes
, Percy Sykes
and Sir Alan Sykes, 1st Baronet
.
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The suburb is characterised largely by Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
close-packed terraced housing and council estates with some larger properties around Alexandra Park. Edgeley includes Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park is an association football and rugby union stadium in Stockport, England. The stadium was initially built for the rugby league club Stockport in 1901, but by 1902, the rugby club was defunct and in the same year, Stockport County Football Club, who were looking for a bigger ground,...
, home of Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
and rugby union team Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
.
History
References to Edgeley, or "Eddyshelegh" are recorded in the early part of the thirteenth century. However the main history of the area dates from the beginning of the industrial revolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. On 27 November 1792 an advertisement appeared in the Manchester Mercury to let land at Edgeley as
An Eligible situation for Bleach Ground or Print Field in which there are a number of Fine White Sand Springs with a Rivulet capable of Turning Wash Wheels etc. The Grounds lie very contiguous to the populous Manufacturing Town of Stockport where Bleachers and Printers are both much wanted and every encouragement will be given to a good tenant
Sykes Bleaching Company
The Sykes Bleaching Company was a cotton bleaching business established in Edgeley, near Stockport in 1792 which grew to become one of the largest bleaching enterprises in the United Kingdom.-Origins:...
. There were few trees in the area, but as wood was needed in the drying process, he undertook extensive tree-planting in the area. He built a "stately house" Edgeley House, which was the home of the family for succeeding generations until it became Alexandra Park. Wells were sunk including the "Silver Well", and by 1830 these had quadrupled the water supply. Reservoirs were also built. These undertakings were of great value to people in the area in times of excessive drought. The Sykes originally owned most of the land in Edgeley, and employed many people. They invested their wealth back into the area with parks, churches, schools and Edgeley Park.
The Brinksway Chapel, built in 1823, was nicknamed the 'Beef-Steak Chapel' as it was built to encourage vegetarianism by men with shares of one pound each. Saint Matthew's Church was built on the site in 1843.
Facilities
Alexandra Park is on the former site of Edgeley House and contains a bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
, a children's play area and a tennis court. The Sykes' reservoir which originally served the bleaching works, backs onto the Park. The regeneration of the area has seen the mill lodge
Mill lodge
In northern England, a mill lodge is a small reservoir of water for the use of a factory....
developed into a public space popular with anglers.
Edgeley is served by Stockport railway station
Stockport railway station
Stockport railway station is in Greater Manchester, England, 8 miles south-east of Manchester Piccadilly station on the West Coast Main Line from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, following completion of the large...
(also known as "Stockport Edgeley" or "Edgeley") It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway
Manchester and Birmingham Railway
The Manchester and Birmingham Railway was built between Manchester and Crewe and opened in stages from 1840. Between Crewe and Birmingham, trains were worked by the Grand Junction Railway...
, following completion of the large railway viaduct just to its north.
Notable people
Edgeley was the birthplace of the British film director Sidney GilliatSidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat was an English film director, producer and writer.He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes for Alfred Hitchcock, and its sequel Night Train to Munich , directed by...
and is also the home of 2006 UK Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
contestant Daz Sampson
Daz Sampson
Darren "Daz" Sampson is a British dance music producer, musician and singer-songwriter.Up until 2006, when he represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, Sampson was best known for his commercial dance music, often reworkings of older songs as a solo act and as a member of various...
.
Richard Sykes
Richard Sykes (Rugby player)
Richard Sykes was a pioneering rugby player who helped found two major clubs and became a landowner in North Dakota, founding five towns there....
, a member of the Sykes family at Edgeley House, founded the town of Edgeley, in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in tribute to his birthplace. Other members of the Sykes family include Thomas Hardcastle Sykes
Thomas Hardcastle Sykes
Thomas Hardcastle Sykes was an English bleacher and businessman and was High Sheriff of Cheshire.Sykes was born at Edgeley House Stockport, the third son of Richard Sykes, owner of the Sykes Bleaching Company, and his wife Jane Hardcastle. He went to Rugby School and then joined the family...
, Percy Sykes
Percy Sykes
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes KCIE, CB, CMG was a soldier, diplomat and scholar, with a considerable literary output. He wrote historical, geographical, and biographical works, as well as describing his travels in Persia. Sykes was born in Brompton, Kent, England the only son of Rev...
and Sir Alan Sykes, 1st Baronet
Sir Alan Sykes, 1st Baronet
Sir Alan John Sykes, 1st Baronet was an English businessman in the bleaching industry and Conservative politician in Cheshire....
.