Member Article

We are Stockport unearths story from the past

Stockport’s leading news and events portal We are Stockport (WAS) is starting to make a name for itself in digging up great local stories, none more so than this gem.

Oxford North Archaeology allowed reporter Rachel Wallace from WAS exclusive access to the site uncovered as part of the Redrock leisure development on Bridgefield Street and unearthed some amazing Victorian artefacts.

This is the first time a discovery of this nature has been made in Stockport and the WAS team has recorded it all here in partnership with video company Cavalier Studios.

Rachel takes up the story: “Some fascinating things were revealed, including the foundations of different homes; a central courtyard and a late Victorian toilet! Dating from different points during the 1800s, the homes are of particular interest to historians as they show how housing and living conditions evolved in industrial Stockport. It was amazing to see and capture for WAS and we’ve had lots of interest in the video.”

Norman Redhead from the Greater Manchester Archaeological Advisory Service said: “Stockport has an incredibly important industrial heritage. There have been a number of archaeological investigations of textile factories in the area, as these were a key part of the region’s rise to world manufacturing prominence in the late 18th and first half of the 19th centuries.

“But in Stockport we have not yet investigated the impact of this process of industrialisation on ordinary people’s lives.

“The site at Bridgefield Street gives us the opportunity to record the worst sort of worker’s housing, such as back-to-back cellar dwellings, and to chronicle improvements to housing through the 19th century.”

Rachel Wallace added; “This was the perfect story for us and now lines up alongside a growing gallery of videos all about the Borough and its fantastic hidden gems.”

Rachel and her team of reporters are looking for new and interesting stories for the portal which is uniquely placed at grassroots, covering ten different areas of the Borough as well as topics like food and drink, culture and heritage and shopping.

The site now has weather and transport news making it the one stop shop for all things Stockport and will start to include special offers and vouchers to draw in more people.

Rachel again: “We are just seven months into the site and we have thousands of returning visitors. There is certainly an appetite to go local when looking for news or events in the area and we want to capitalise on that.”

To contact the WAS news team go to the contact section of the website www.wearestockport.co.uk and email your story idea over or call Rachel or Dawn on 0161 974 0650.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Souter .