Didsbury Park Historical Update & Volunteering Highlights
DIDSBURY PARK HISTORICAL UPDATE - TITHE MAP OF N.E. DIDSBURY 1845
In a recent visit to the Apple Fair at the Didsbury Environmental Centre I met Diane Leitch, our Didsbury Historian, and managed to purchase a copy of a Tithe Map of N.E. Didsbury dated 1845. A tithe map is an historical map created in the 19th century to record land ownership and usage for the purpose of calculating tithes—a form of tax traditionally paid to the Church of England.
I have copied a section of the Tithe Map which includes the location where Didsbury Park is today. This section of the map is attached as picture 1 and reveals the following interesting features:
The majority of where the park is today is made up of two fields used for agriculture (rather than grass).
The two fields were called Lane Field and Near Black Ley
The fields were owned by John Atwood Beever (& others), and Daniel Hampson respectively
According to the map, John Atwood Beever also owned School Field which was located where Atwood Road and Beaver Road are today (maybe there is a clue in the name there!)
There is another clue in this map related to the naming of today's Warburton Street and School Lane too!
Sandhurst Road does not exist on this map. However in 1845 where Sandhurst Road is today there is a road known as College Lane after the nearby Wesleyan College.
College Lane was about half the length of Sandhurst Road today but it did continue as a path up to and along what is now the Poppy Path until it reached White Hall farm (just over where the current Poppy Bridge is today).
The nearby mansion called Didsbury House on the map was located where Viceroy Court and the Esso garage are located today. Clearly it does not exist now.
So far therefore we definitely know from the Tithe Map that Didsbury Park did not exist in 1845 and we know from old photographs that it did exist in 1898 - so at the moment we have narrowed the establishment of Didsbury Park down to a 53 year window. Not very exciting!!
So far this challenge of finding out when Didsbury Park was established has not been proving to be easy.
During this week we also even tried asking a couple of AI engines. One came back saying the park was opened to the public in 1855 and the other said 1902. Unfortunately after further research by Louise into the documents being used as the basis of these AI results we can definitely prove that AI is not correct in either instance. The search goes on...... Maybe we should try the Land Registry?
LAST WEEK - THE DIDSBURY PARK BIG LEAF CLEAR UP ON SATURDAY
We had an amazing turnout of volunteers in the park on Saturday morning to help us clear up lots of autumn leaves from paths and grassed areas. We had so many volunteers in fact we could not count them all. As a rough estimate we believe there were between 80 and 100 volunteers. Thanks to Xin, our volunteers included 30 Chinese students, we also had lots of young families with children from all the Didsbury Primary Schools.
We had volunteers from the Manchester and Salford Air Squadron, and Augustine, Allan, Sonia and myself. We had so many volunteers working throughout the park that by mid-morning we had allocated all our leaf picking tools, brushes etc. including all the Parsonage Gardens stock which we had borrowed. It was a really great morning which everybody enjoyed.
Picture 2 (approved by the parents) shows some of the younger children having a great time compacting the leaves in the skip!
TODAY
It is no exaggeration to say that between 08:30 and 09:30am this morning the rain was torrential - and the number of volunteers in the park was limited to Denise, Allan and myself.
By the time the first volunteers arrived there was already an inch or two of rain in the wheelbarrows! However it was amazing that as soon as the rain stopped, we had a surge of volunteers, including a group of 10 from Time Finance and 5 volunteers from Colliers.
In addition we had Simon (see picture 3) and his Mum, returning once again after Saturday to help with more leaf clearing. We also had a return visit from Luke with Mum Lorna. Picture 4 shows Luke in more relaxed mode in the sunshine later in the morning. We also welcomed Masiye once again from Autotrader and Ashley from NatWest. All of our 43 volunteers this morning were made very welcome.
TODAY - NEW FLOWER BED
With work about to start imminently on the wild flower meadow re-fencing project, we took the opportunity today to implement a plan (inspired by Ilma and master minded by Jude and Julie), to enhance a small corner of the wild flower meadow with some attractive winter plants to provide some colour and interest during the winter months.
Picture 6 shows Ashley, Masiye and 2 volunteers from Colliers, digging out the new 'pizza' shaped flower bed in the corner of the wild flower meadow. Picture 7, taken later on this morning, shows Sandra and Tristan midway through planting it up. This was a great piece of work - thank you all.
TODAY - NEW MOSS GARDEN
We also started work today on another new concept for the park (again inspired by Ilma) of creating a moss garden in one of the shadiest, dampest places in the park.
Picture 8 shows Luke and Lorna about to dig in some rocks which had been collected from nearby. Conveniently today MCC Estates also arrived to start the work of scraping off the moss from the roof of the volunteer's shelter so that we can collect clean water from it. Coincidentally it also gave us the added bonus of lots of moss to start off our new garden with - talk about efficient re-cycling and sustainability! We had it today in literally buckets full! Well done Lorna and Luke!
TODAY - DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS
Picture 9 shows Augustine hard at work digging out drainage channels at the path edges. These channels were later filled with drainage pebbles by Ashley, Masiye and volunteers from Colliers. All these guys worked incredibly hard today and the resulting improvements were excellent. Thank you all.
TODAY - THE FLAG
We have had to wait some time for it - but I am delighted to report that we now have the Kings Award for Voluntary Service flag proudly flying at the top of the flagpole at the main entrance to the park.
I must admit, I did not realise just how difficult it would be to photograph a flag. When there is no wind it just lies limply down the pole and when there is a wind it seems to flap all over the place.
Picture 10 is my best picture so far. Please consider that it is still work in progress. If you do not look too closely then the fact that it is a photograph of the back of the flag and that there is that awful telecoms post in the background may be overlooked!! I'll keep trying
ELSEWHERE IN THE PARK
There was a lot of other great work taking place across the park this morning including the following:
Brenda made a huge improvement to the Gillbrook Road entrance. Well done Brenda
Greg and Kevin continued their work in the woodland area. The bug habitation is coming on superbly. Thank you guys.
Sonia and volunteers from Colliers made a huge improvement in the flower beds and willow fencing around Buddy and Lucy. This is looking super - thank you.
Tristan and Louise planted the remaining hellebores in the rose beds and along the path to Wilmslow Road. Thank you both.
Adrian and Richard dug out part of the foundations for the new bench - thank you guys.
Allan, Chris and two volunteers from Time Finance worked on tidying up the poppy path ready for the Act of Remembrance on Saturday 8th November. This is looking great -thank you all
Christine and Jane planted a lot of the cyclamen bulbs received from MCC. Thank you and fingers crossed that they take.
Jude, Julie, Gill B, Joyce, Carl M and Lucy continued with the autumn pruning of shrubs on the path to the Wilmslow Road entrance
Last but not least, the ten members of the volunteers from Time Finance worked their socks off today applying fresh woodchip along the whole length of the children's woodland trail and then having completed that they then topped up the woodchip along the path to the children's playground. This was a huge piece of work and wonderfully completed. Thank you all.
SOME BAD NEWS
I was informed today that the cafe prices for volunteer's drinks at our 11am break will be increased next week by 100% to £2 per cup. Please can you bring extra cash with you next week.
IMMINENT EVENTS - ONE DOWN SIX TO GO
Just a quick reminder that following Saturday's very successful BIG Leaf Clear Up event, the next event, later this week, is the Didsbury Beer Festival starting on Thursday.
Thursday 30th October to Saturday 1st November - Didsbury Beer Festival. Please book via Murray
Wednesday 5th November - RHS Awards Presentation in Bolton
Saturday 8th November - Act of Remembrance - 11am on the Poppy Path.
Wednesday 19th November - Curry Night at the Sangam. Please book via Sonia
Monday 8th December - Christmas Carols sung by the children of Didsbury CofE Primary School, with mulled wine, and mince pies before we break up for Christmas.
Monday 5th January - The volunteers' shelter opens once again for the start of another fun year of volunteering activities
Thank you once again for your fantastic support.