The next day, Monday, we went to Whaley Bridge.. I talked to the town clerk. They were helpful. The town hall, the library and community hall are all in the same building, the Mechanics Institute.
We went to the street Rock Bank, Whaley Bridge. A chicken came down the street to greet us. This is where my grandfather and his family lived in 1911 just before they moved to Canada. There is a series of 11 row houses. This is the only access. There is no parking. Out the front door and past the shrubs there is a wall protecting a drop to the railway. See below. John Critchlow probably could see where he worked at Botany Bleach Works.
Above is the school that Grandpa Walter probably went to for grade one and two. It was built in 1911, brand new when he went. I went in and the school is charming with tiny class rooms.
A little bit of history of Whaley Bridge. This is a basin for narrow boats. It seems that you can go all through England on the narrow boat system. This is a growing leisure activity. I talked to Martin, a neighbour in our marina if Whaley Bridge was connected to the system. He laughed as he was from Whaley Bridge. He assured me that it was connected. He owns a narrow boat!
Type Whaley Bridge into the search of the above link.
We were delighted with Whaley Bridge. It is a time capsule. I have to do more research on Botany Bleach Works. I imagine it is where the memorial park is now. I have a contact at the New Mills library. It was fantastic to walk on the same grounds as my grandfather. I now understand why they left. The cotton based industry had started to die or had recently died. They must have seen it coming. They took their gains and bought passage to Canada.
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