Burford Lane, Broomedge
My husband and his cousins were born in Burford Lane over 70 years ago and the pictures are just as the lane is now except that cars may be seen parked. In the 1950s there used to be a taxi business at the top of the road and the soldiers who were stationed at High Legh Camp were their constant customers. There was a butcher (Mr. Gregory) and next to him a fish and chip shop which Alice Walker owned. Lower down the lane, Mr. Davies owned the Post Office where everything was available from a library to lace and cotton etc. as well as bread and other food. Mabel was so patient with the children who went in to do their mum's shopping with a note, to the old ladies who just really went for a chat and a sit down on the seat which was always provided for their use.
When I was a child there was a village hall down Chapel Walks and we used to do Morris Dancing there. Plays were held there and children's parties. Mr. Dixon was the caretaker and always made sure it was nice and warm with a big log fire in the centre of the hall.
Margaret Hampson
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RE: RE: Burford Lane, Broomedge
We lived just off Burford Lane from 1982-1988 down Chapel Walks. We bought one of the semi-detached cottages right at the end of the lane, ours facing onto the farmland and down towards the Bridgewater Canal.
We bought the cottage from an school teacher, forget her name at present, but she was very like Beryl Reid! Our neighbours were Bill and Jean Worrall who had lived there for quite some time (they now live on Pepper Street, Lymm) 2011.
Chapel Cottage, as we called it, was a delight. It was a strange layout, with part of our house inside the Worralls and part of their house inside ours - sort of interlinking so in parts, we shared roof space. We had two double bedrooms and we opened up the loft - with the heart shaped window - again looking down towards the Canal, and put in a huge Velux window in the roof. Great in the summer. The kitchen was completely overhauled and we found a Well under the floor at the far end of the kitchen, nearest to the outer door.
We were told that the cottages along Chapel Walks had been used by families working on the canal and that the stables at the rear of the cottages at the top end of the Walks, nearest to Burford Lane, were where the canal barge horses were stabled. Sadly all these buildings have gone now.
Both our sons were born at Broomedge (though they actually arrived at Wythenshawe Hospital) and we spent many, many happy years there.
During the restoration work we did on the cottage we found an old Memorial Card (after we took down one of the bedroom ceilings) belonging to Samuel Cowap. To be continued!
Comment from Judy Popley on Tuesday, 29th November 2011.
RE: RE: Burford Lane, Broomedge
Continued /......
That started me off trying to find out who he was - eventually found that he had farmed Yew Tree Farm in High Legh and how's this for coincidence - its the next big farm next to our place now. We moved up to High Legh in 1988 to an old farmhouse once owned by the Fryers of Knutsford. The house was in a terrible state so after new roof, new wiring, new windows, kitchen, cleaning of parquet floors, etc, etc, it is now a little palace.
Another coincidence - the lady who had farmed our farm (when it was a working farm) had a son who,once married,moved down to Broomedge Farm. Their land adjoined the garden at Chapel Cottage. So all these strange links and ties connecting our lives with High Legh and our farm. It was definitely meant to be.
Yew Tree Farm is no longer a working farm. All the buildings have been converted into private dwellings and sold off. The land is still farmed by the Morton family - father was called Stanley Morton and they had a milk round. Now its all arable.
Comment from Judy Popley on Wednesday, 30th November 2011.