Heaton Chapel
Encyclopedia
Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport
, Greater Manchester
, England
. It borders the Manchester
districts of Levenshulme
to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor
to the west, Reddish
and Heaton Norris
to the east and Heaton Mersey
to the west and south. Heaton Chapel and its neighbouring areas are collectively known as the Four Heatons
.
Before 1758, Heaton Chapel did not exist but was part of Heaton Norris.
The need for a chapel was identified in Parliamentary Commission "Lancashire and Cheshire church surveys" (1649-1655) but it was a further hundred years before Mr A. Colier raised money by public subscription and Mr Sidebotham petitioned the bishop of Chester
for a license to worship in 1758. It was dedicated 28 October 1758. It is speculated that the need for the chapel was stimulated by the preaching of Charles Wesley
who visited Stockport
in 1745. The Church was built on a field known as Yarn Croft of 1,712 square yards. The building was plain brick, with three rounded windows on the North side and three on the South side, and a small projecting chancel, which served as a place for the communion table, which was lit by means of a long round-headed window, with two long rectangular windows on each side. The church is 'miswent'; that is not built on a true east west axis.
The principal road from Manchester
to Stockport and the south ran through Heaton Chapel along the line of the present Manchester Road. It was turnpiked in 1724. There was a toll gate opposite the church. It entered Stockport down Lancashire Hill. In 1826 a new turnpike was built.
In 1837 Parliamentary approval was given for the railway to be built by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway
, and the first section from Heaton Norris to Manchester Travis Street opened in 1841, but a viaduct needed to be built at Stockport. The London and North Western Railway
completed the Crewe to Manchester Line from Manchester, London Road to Crewe, the rector, Mr Jackson used personal influence, to have a station built in 1851, close to the rectory in Heaton Moor Road. The Station was built in a cutting. There was already a Heaton Norris station(on Georges Road),so the new station was named Heaton Chapel
. The subsequent growth of the Heaton Moor area led to a temporary change of the railway station name, Heaton Chapel for Heaton Moor, then Heaton Chapel AND Heaton Moor - but it has again returned to Heaton Chapel. This line was electrified in 1959. A second line
passes though Heaton Chapel but there is no station.
In the inter-war years there was a tram service along Wellington Road operated jointly by Manchester and Stockport corporation. Stockport used 460v DC and Manchester 400 volts so the Manchester trams would need another resistance in the circuit. The Stockport trams would probably have been able to manage without swapping, they would just be on a slightly lower voltage. The trams stopped at the Levenshulme/ Heaton Chapel border so the resistances could be changed and the collectors manually changed from one set of wires to the others.
A large biscuit works was opened in 1918, McVitie and Price
, later McVitie's
, part of United Biscuits
. In this location chocolate covered biscuits such as Penguin biscuits and Jaffa Cakes were (and are 2010) manufactured.
Crossley
Bros. Ltd commenced motor car production in 1906 after already having had several years experience of building engines and by the end of 1916 had already supplied large numbers of tenders to the Royal Flying Corps
. In addition, production of Beardmore & Bentley Aero engines was undertaken. Wartime expansion of production had led to the acquisition of premises at High Lane, Heaton Chapel. This subsequently was renamed Crossley Road, and marked the spot where Stockport became Manchester.
In 1917 the factory was adapted to produce De Havilland
DH.9 single engined and DH.10 twin engined bombers. It was known as the National Aircraft Factory No. 2
, employed 2,500 people and was managed by Crossley Motors Limited. About 450 DH9s and seven DH10s were completed before production ceased after the Armistice
.
In 1934 the factory was acquired by Mr Charles Richard Fairey
(later Sir Richard Fairey) who wanted additional factory space to meet aircraft ordered under the UKs re-armament programme. Thus Fairey Aviation
was based on Crossley Road next to the railway line.
The factory manufactured the Fairey Battle
, Fairey Fulmar
and Fairey Barracuda
and reconditioned Swordfish
es. Fairey's also built, under sub-contract, over 660 Handley Page Halifax
es and nearly 500 Bristol Beaufighter
s. Heaton Chapel had design staff and manufacturing capacity. Assembly was at Barton Aerodrome
for a short period then at RAF Ringway
from June 1937 onwards.
In 1946 the company diversified into the Nuclear industry, forming Fairey Stainless.
From 1954, the Gannet
was built here. In 1951 the FD1, Fairey Delta 1
was built here. On 10 March 1956, the FD2, with Heaton Chapel components broke the World Air Speed Record at 1820 km/h (1132 mph).
In 1986 Fairey Engineering was taken over by Williams Holdings and became Williams Fairey Engineering Ltd.
It is now known as WFEL. Initial work on the Air Portable Ferry Bridge (APFB) commences, this is a lightweight 40 m bridge that can be transported to site in a C130 aircraft, and erected by 8 engineers in 90mins. It is in use in Iraq and Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Fairey Aviation sponsored the Fairey Brass Band
, who hold rehearsals in Heaton Chapel.
, made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919, was raised in Heaton Chapel.
Heaton Chapel was the home of the Poco-a-Poco Club, many a big name star performed here including David Bowie
27 April 1970. Sited at the junction of Denby Lane and Manchester Road, and formerly, the Empress Cinema, this has now been demolished and has been home to The Hinds Head pub for a number of years.
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...
. It borders the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
districts of Levenshulme
Levenshulme
Levenshulme is an urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish, and is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester City Centre on the A6 road. The A6 bisects Levenshulme. The Manchester to London railway...
to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor
Heaton Moor
Heaton Moor is a suburb located in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is one of the Four Heatons and borders onto Heaton Chapel, Heaton Norris and Heaton Mersey...
to the west, Reddish
Reddish
Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Stockport and southeast of Manchester...
and Heaton Norris
Heaton Norris
Heaton Norris is now a mainly residential area of Stockport, England bordering on Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor. Formerly it was the name of the parish, that included Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor and was in Lancashire....
to the east and Heaton Mersey
Heaton Mersey
Heaton Mersey is a suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The area is situated on the north-western border of Stockport, and is adjacent to Didsbury and Burnage which are both in Manchester....
to the west and south. Heaton Chapel and its neighbouring areas are collectively known as the Four Heatons
Four Heatons
The Four Heatons are four affluent suburbs to the northwest of Stockport, bordering the city of Manchester, England. They are: Heaton Norris, Heaton Moor, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Chapel...
.
History
The need for a chapel was identified in Parliamentary Commission "Lancashire and Cheshire church surveys" (1649-1655) but it was a further hundred years before Mr A. Colier raised money by public subscription and Mr Sidebotham petitioned the bishop of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
for a license to worship in 1758. It was dedicated 28 October 1758. It is speculated that the need for the chapel was stimulated by the preaching of Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
who visited Stockport
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...
in 1745. The Church was built on a field known as Yarn Croft of 1,712 square yards. The building was plain brick, with three rounded windows on the North side and three on the South side, and a small projecting chancel, which served as a place for the communion table, which was lit by means of a long round-headed window, with two long rectangular windows on each side. The church is 'miswent'; that is not built on a true east west axis.
The principal road from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to Stockport and the south ran through Heaton Chapel along the line of the present Manchester Road. It was turnpiked in 1724. There was a toll gate opposite the church. It entered Stockport down Lancashire Hill. In 1826 a new turnpike was built.
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...
, and the first section from Heaton Norris to Manchester Travis Street opened in 1841, but a viaduct needed to be built at Stockport. The London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
completed the Crewe to Manchester Line from Manchester, London Road to Crewe, the rector, Mr Jackson used personal influence, to have a station built in 1851, close to the rectory in Heaton Moor Road. The Station was built in a cutting. There was already a Heaton Norris station(on Georges Road),so the new station was named Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel railway station
Heaton Chapel railway station serves the Heaton Chapel and Heaton Moor districts of Stockport, in Greater Manchester.The station is 7 km south of Manchester Piccadilly towards Stockport...
. The subsequent growth of the Heaton Moor area led to a temporary change of the railway station name, Heaton Chapel for Heaton Moor, then Heaton Chapel AND Heaton Moor - but it has again returned to Heaton Chapel. This line was electrified in 1959. A second line
Stockport to Stalybridge Line
The Stockport to Stalybridge Line is a short railway line in Greater Manchester, running from Stockport north east to Stalybridge. Although it once received a frequent service, for the past few years it has been served by a single train run by Northern Rail, once a week in one direction.This...
passes though Heaton Chapel but there is no station.
In the inter-war years there was a tram service along Wellington Road operated jointly by Manchester and Stockport corporation. Stockport used 460v DC and Manchester 400 volts so the Manchester trams would need another resistance in the circuit. The Stockport trams would probably have been able to manage without swapping, they would just be on a slightly lower voltage. The trams stopped at the Levenshulme/ Heaton Chapel border so the resistances could be changed and the collectors manually changed from one set of wires to the others.
Local economy
McVitie's
McVitie's is a snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The firm moved to various sites in the city before completing the St...
, later McVitie's
McVitie's
McVitie's is a snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The firm moved to various sites in the city before completing the St...
, part of United Biscuits
United Biscuits
__FORCETOC__United Biscuits is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits, McVitie's biscuits, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets...
. In this location chocolate covered biscuits such as Penguin biscuits and Jaffa Cakes were (and are 2010) manufactured.
Crossley
Crossley
Crossley, based in Manchester, United Kingdom, was a pioneering company in the production of internal combustion engines. Since 1988 it has been part of the Rolls-Royce Power Engineering group.More than 100,000 Crossley oil and gas engines have been built....
Bros. Ltd commenced motor car production in 1906 after already having had several years experience of building engines and by the end of 1916 had already supplied large numbers of tenders to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. In addition, production of Beardmore & Bentley Aero engines was undertaken. Wartime expansion of production had led to the acquisition of premises at High Lane, Heaton Chapel. This subsequently was renamed Crossley Road, and marked the spot where Stockport became Manchester.
In 1917 the factory was adapted to produce De Havilland
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
DH.9 single engined and DH.10 twin engined bombers. It was known as the National Aircraft Factory No. 2
National Aircraft Factory No. 2
National Aircraft Factory No. 2 was a World War I UK government owned aircraft factory located at Heaton Chapel, Stockport. It produced over 450 warplanes during 1918/19.-Management:...
, employed 2,500 people and was managed by Crossley Motors Limited. About 450 DH9s and seven DH10s were completed before production ceased after the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
.
In 1934 the factory was acquired by Mr Charles Richard Fairey
Charles Richard Fairey
Sir Charles Richard Fairey MBE, FRAeS was a British aircraft manufacturer.-Early life:Charles Fairey was born was born on 5 May 1887 in Hendon, Middlesex and educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood and later as an apprentice at the Finsbury Technical College where he studied City &...
(later Sir Richard Fairey) who wanted additional factory space to meet aircraft ordered under the UKs re-armament programme. Thus Fairey Aviation
Fairey Aviation
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
was based on Crossley Road next to the railway line.
The factory manufactured the Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
, Fairey Fulmar
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
and Fairey Barracuda
Fairey Barracuda
The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to be fabricated entirely from metal. It was introduced as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore biplanes...
and reconditioned Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
es. Fairey's also built, under sub-contract, over 660 Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
es and nearly 500 Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s. Heaton Chapel had design staff and manufacturing capacity. Assembly was at Barton Aerodrome
Barton Aerodrome
City Airport is a general aviation airport in the Barton-upon-Irwell area of Eccles, in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. Formerly known as both Barton Aerodrome and City Airport Manchester...
for a short period then at RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway, was a Royal Air Force station near Manchester, UK, in the parish of Ringway, then in Cheshire. It was operational from 1939 until 1957.-Prewar years:...
from June 1937 onwards.
In 1946 the company diversified into the Nuclear industry, forming Fairey Stainless.
From 1954, the Gannet
Fairey Gannet
The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning aircraft of the post-Second World War era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm by the Fairey Aviation Company...
was built here. In 1951 the FD1, Fairey Delta 1
Fairey Delta 1
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Sturtivant, Ray. British Research and Development Aircraft. Somerset, UK: Haynes Publishing Group, 1990. ISBN 0-85429-697-2...
was built here. On 10 March 1956, the FD2, with Heaton Chapel components broke the World Air Speed Record at 1820 km/h (1132 mph).
In 1986 Fairey Engineering was taken over by Williams Holdings and became Williams Fairey Engineering Ltd.
It is now known as WFEL. Initial work on the Air Portable Ferry Bridge (APFB) commences, this is a lightweight 40 m bridge that can be transported to site in a C130 aircraft, and erected by 8 engineers in 90mins. It is in use in Iraq and Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Fairey Aviation sponsored the Fairey Brass Band
Fairey Band
The Fairey Band is a brass band based in Heaton Chapel in Stockport, Greater Manchester.Its name comes from Sir Richard Fairey and the Fairey Aviation Company, famous in later years for the Fairey Delta 2 aircraft - the first aircraft in level flight to exceed 1,000mph, and had an important...
, who hold rehearsals in Heaton Chapel.
Popular culture
Sir John Alcock, who with Arthur Whitten BrownArthur Whitten Brown
Sir Arthur Whitten Brown KBE was the navigator of the first successful non-stop transatlantic flight.-Life and work:...
, made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919, was raised in Heaton Chapel.
Heaton Chapel was the home of the Poco-a-Poco Club, many a big name star performed here including David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
27 April 1970. Sited at the junction of Denby Lane and Manchester Road, and formerly, the Empress Cinema, this has now been demolished and has been home to The Hinds Head pub for a number of years.