South Western Tour

The Southwestern corner of Longsight is made up of a handful of streets located in a roughly rectangular formation between Stockport Road in the east, Beresford Road in the west with Dickenson Road marking the northern boundary and Old Hall Road the south. Ironically, it contains the oldest building in Longsight and, in 2014, the newest.

We begin the tour by walking along Stockport Road from the corner with Dickenson Road. This stretch of the road up to the junction with Slade Lane is home to a wide variety of retail outlets.

Little has changed here in the last hundred years. There are still shops and they still sell food, clothes, newspapers and sweets. There are still services like travel agents and banks. Only the names have changed along the way.

We branch off from Stockport Road to follow Slade Lane.

A toll booth once stood at the apex of the junction (the white building on the left).

Since I was a child, a small park has occupied that site.

As you progress up Slade Lane, a large white fronted building stands on the corner with Slade Grove. The attractive displays of fruit and veg disguise the fact that this was once a popular billiard hall.

A little further along Slade Lane on the same side is the former Longsight Baptist Church and associated Sunday School dating from 1898. Today, it is the Church of God Seventh Day.

Off to the left, where Crowcroft Road joins, are two parades of shops.

If you take a diversion between the shops down Crowcroft Road, you will find the former Bethshan Tabernacle now the Bethshan International Church, built in 1957.

Back on Slade Lane, as you pass Norburn Road on your left, you will notice a half-timbered house peeking out through the shrubbery and trees. This is Slade Hall which has stood on that spot since the 13th century.

With an attached garage and burglar alarms on its walls, only the half timbering might reveal its age. Thomas Siddall purchased the Hall in 1580 and his family's name is preserved in nearby Siddall Street.

To your right at this point is the beautiful St Agnes' CofE Church. The foundation stone was laid by the Bishop of Manchester on the 19th of July, 1884 and the completed building was consecrated in 1885.

If you walk along St Agnes Road and take the first right you are on Hamilton Road. If you head north for four blocks you arrive at Montgomery Street and the site of Longsight's newest building when I was there in April of 2014. St. Robert's Church used to sit on the plot of land between Mongomery Road and Farrer Road.

The image above is shown with the permission of Graham Todd

Behind it, extending along Montgomery Road, was St Robert's School.

Both were demolished circa 2007.

Today the site is home to Longsight Sure Start Centre and under construction is Longsight Community Primary School, scheduled for completion in late 2014.

Continuing North along Hamilton Road you encounter the impressive St Agnes' School.

At this point the road becomes less residential and more commercial. The building below, judging by its architecture, dates from the 1930s and is apparently involved in the garment industry.

Looking to your left down Stamford Road you will see a mosque occupying another former commercial building ....

... and the remnants of a former ladies underwear factory.

The car park at the end of that building was once the site of a cinema.

If you look to your right from Hamilton Road you will see the substantial remains of the CWS Print Works that occupy a whole block between Hamilton Road and Rainforth Street.

It extends along Hamilton Road where you can still find the former main entrance.

Here it is in its original glory along with the workforce.

We are now approaching Dickenson Road with Longsight Market across the way. To our left is the Church of God of Prophecy.

The church today serves an evangelical congregation from Longsight's West Indian Community, but when it was built in 1907, it was the College Chapel Methodist Church. The building was closed in 1978 but later re-opened in its new role.

Between Hamilton Road and Stockport Road are more shops.

In earlier times Dickenson Road looked quite different.

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Beresford Road marks the western edge of the district.

At the corner with Slade Grove is this Community of Christ church which, as the plaque above the entrance says, was once The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The sign on the building beside the church says that it is home to the British Asian Girls Youth Club.

Slade Grove stands between the church and a parade of shops.

At the corner of Duncan Road is the former Anson pub now the Burhan Centre, home to a food cash & carry and a branch of the Asian clothing retailer Burooj.