Everything about Glossop totally explained
Glossop is a historic
market town within the
High Peak
borough of
Derbyshire,
England. It has a total resident population of 32,428.
Lying about east of the city of
Manchester and west of the city of
Sheffield, Glossop is close to Derbyshire's borders with
South Yorkshire,
West Yorkshire,
Greater Manchester, and
Cheshire .
Glossop is described as
"the gateway to the Peak District National Park" (from the east of the National Park) as it's surrounded by some of the most magnificent scenery of the Peak District.
History
The town was initially developed by the
Romans, and was known as
Ardotalia. In the 19th Century the remains of a
Roman-built fort, named Melandra Castle by modern historians. The fort was discovered by an amateur historian in the
Gamesley area of the town. The fort was first built in the last quarter of the 1st century AD. It stands on high ground above the
River Etherow. The extensive site has been excavated, revealing fort walls, a shrine and the fort headquarters. The site has been landscaped to provide parking and picnic areas.
Glossop is mentioned in the
Domesday Book and became the property of the monks of
Basingwerk Abbey in North
Wales. Later on, it became the property of the
Dukes of Norfolk who have been closely involved with the town ever since.
Old Glossop is the name given to the original old town (Glossop itself was formerly Howard Town). This most attractive area has some fine 17th- and 18th-century cottages clustered around the Market Square and Cross. The church is
Norman in origin and has an 18th-century sundial (and reputedly a ghost in the vicarage). Glossop Brook runs through the centre of the village. There is a history trail around Old Glossop, which is also the starting point of "Doctor's Gate", which is a bridleway leading from Shire Hill up to the
Snake Pass and
Pennine Way.
In the early part of the 20th century, the Glossop Estate was sold by the Duke of Norfolk, and Glossop became a town in its own right.
On
6 April 2007 a huge blaze devastated the Wren's Nest mill in the centre of the town. It restarted around 7am after originally breaking out the previous night, allegedly through suspicious circumstances. The apartments were only recently converted from its former use as a (disused) cotton mill by a local business tycoon. Ironically, the Mill building is only the surviving half of the original mill complex, the other half of which was destroyed in a blaze in 1995.
Governance
Glossop is located close to the county borders of
Greater Manchester, and boasts good transport links to the city of
Manchester, making the area popular for commuters. For these reasons, Glossop and the western area of High Peak (including such nearby towns as
New Mills,
Whaley Bridge and
Buxton) fall within Greater Manchester's sphere of influence. However, the area maintains a degree of separation from this conurbation due to its somewhat rural location, and upholds its own strong identity in terms of architecture, dialect and geology (for example buildings made of characteristic
Peak District stone). The
council estate at
Gamesley was built in the
1960s to house overspill population from
Manchester.
Glossop has a two-tier local government, with a county council based in Matlock, namely
Derbyshire County Council and a borough council based in Chapel-en-le-Frith, namely
High Peak Borough Council. The
High Peak Borough Council was formed on April 1, 1974 by absorbing the
municipal boroughs of Buxton and Glossop, the urban districts of
New Mills and
Whaley Bridge and the rural district of
Chapel-en-le-Frith, all of which had previously been in the
administrative county of
Derbyshire, as well as the rural district of
Tintwistle which had been in the administrative county of
Cheshire.
The villages of
Tintwistle and
Charlesworth have a further level of local government in the form of
Parish Councils, which have certain limited powers.
Glossop was included in the "South East Lancashire Special Review Area" under the
Local Government Act 1958, and the
Redcliffe-Maud Report of 1969 recommended to include it in a
South East Lancashire–North East Cheshire metropolitan area. Glossop wasn't ultimately included in the Greater Manchester area established by the
Local Government Act 1972. Local people voted to stay within the County of Derbyshire in 1973 (Sharpe 2005). The county council, originally based in Derby, moved to
Matlock in the late 1950s to facilitate easier travelling to the county hall from the northern extremities such as Glossop and the High Peak.
The Member of Parliament for the
High Peak constituency since 1997 has been Tom Levitt MP, representing
Labour. His majority in the 2005 General Election was 735 over
the
Conservative candidate Andrew Bingham.
In the
2007 English Local Elections,
High Peak Borough Council was returned as a
Conservative Party controlled council after four years of there being
No Overall Control. The current Leader of
High Peak Borough Council is Councillor John Faulkner (representing
Burbage ward in
Buxton).
The current
Mayor of High Peak Borough Council, the civic leader, is Councillor
Jean Wharmby
, 50, who has represented Dinting Ward at High Peak Borough Council since 2005.
Geography
Glossop nestles in the foothills of the
Pennines, with
Bleaklow to the northeast and
Kinder Scout to the south. It lies on Glossop Brook, a tributary to the
River Etherow, in the area commonly known as the
Dark Peak. Glossop is the largest town within the borough of High Peak, and is very similar to other north Derbyshire towns in relation to its terrain and scenery.
In addition to Glossop proper, there are several districts and villages. These include:
Demography
Glossop has a population of 32,428 according to the 2001 census
Economy
The open moorlands of the Dark Peak lie directly to the east of Glossop and it isn't surprising that the town is often dubbed
"The Gateway to the Peak". The town is skirted on three sides by the Peak National Park and provides a convenient stopping place for the many thousands of tourists who visit the Park each year. The moorland setting is a haven for walkers of all abilities.
The town has a permanent
Tourist Information Centre, which is currently located on Henry Street, sharing the Glossop Heritage Centre.
Landmarks
Manor Park commands spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and is just a short walk from Glossop's centre. The park is a holder of the prestigious
Green Flag Award, the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country.
Howard Park, another holder of the Green Flag Award, is described by the Award organisation as "a good example of visionary layout from the Victorian era retaining many original features".
Transport
The main road through Glossop is the
A57. To the west, this road (with the parallel
M67 motorway) leads to
Manchester, while
Sheffield lies to the east, via the
Snake Pass. The B6105 leads north then east, along the
Woodhead Pass and eventually to the
South Yorkshire town of
Barnsley and the
M1 motorway.
Chapel-en-le-Frith and
Buxton lie to the south, along the A624.
Public transport is governed by
Derbyshire County Council, with rail travel and some bus services being subcontracted out to
GMPTE.
Glossop has regular train services operating from the town's
station. The trains runs every half-hour (every 20 minutes during peak times) to
Manchester Piccadilly and
Hadfield along the remaining stub of the former
Woodhead railway. This line has been electrified for over fifty years.
A recently formed Friends group,
Friends of Glossop Station, is working to bring back the station into the heart of the community and encouraging greater use of environmentally friendly public transport. The group has already carried out many jobs to make the station more attractive, such as the installation of planting pots, re-painting the station railings and general tidy-up parties. The trains operated on the line are 3 car
Class 323 Electric Multiple Units built in 1992 - 1993 by
Hunslet TPL just before its collapse.
Other public transport connections include regular bus services running to towns in
Tameside, and an infrequent service to
Manchester. There is also an hourly bus service to
Buxton,
New Mills and
Whaley Bridge to the south and infrequent services running to other towns and cities such as
Macclesfield. The Bus Services in Glossop are run primarily by
Stagecoach Manchester and
Speedwellbus(External Link), although other companies also operate some Services. See
Derbybus or
GMPTE. There are infrequent Sunday services to local tourist attractions such as
Chatsworth House and the local villages such as
Castleton.
Education
Glossop educational facilities include:
Secondary Schools
St Philip Howard R.C. Secondary School
Glossopdale Community College.
Primary Schools
All Saints RC Primary School
Charlesworth School
Dinting C of E Primary School
Duke of Norfolk's C of E Primary School
Gamesley Community Primary School
Hadfield Infant School
Hadfield Nursery School
Padfield County Primary School
Simmondley Primary School
St Andrew's C of E Junior School
St Charles RC Primary School
St James's C of E Primary School (formerly Whitfield Primary School)
St Luke's C of E Primary School
St Margaret's RC Primary School
St Mary's RC Primary School
Adult Learning
Glossopdale Adult Community Education
Public libraries
Glossop Library - Victoria Hall, Talbot Street, Glossop
Hadfield Library - Station Rd, Hadfield
Eric Read Community Library- Gamesley Primary School, Grindleford Grove, Gamesley
Culture and Sport
The Glossop Victorian Weekend, Glossop Carnival and Bank Holiday Markets are held annually in the town. The Victorian Weekend is the biggest weekend event in Glossop and was featured on the BBC's Songs of Praise. The weekend includes many activities, including a Grand Victorian Costume Competition and a Shop Window Competition.
Running parallel with the Victorian Weekend is Glossop Beer Festival, run by The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and featuring over 30 beers and a barbecue in Glossop's Labour Club.
In recent years, Glossop has become quite well known musically for staging jazz and world music festivals.
In 2005 The Moon and Sixpence introduced the 5 daze in May festival to Glossop. Rae Leeson local promoter and Glossop Advertiser columnist along with Landlord Paul Keegan and Landlady Julie Gordon have now made this an annual event.
Glossop has a range of other cultural activities including Peak Film Society, an innovative new film club.
Glossop North End, the town's then professional football club, was the first football side in the world to play in, and register its strip as, all-white in colour, well before Real Madrid. The club were members of the Football league between 1898 and 1915. Glossop is one of the smallest towns in England to have had a Football League club.
Public services
Glossop is served by the Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust. The trust operates Tameside General Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne and an ambulance station within the town. The trust serves two separate communities because there are no district general hospitals (hospitals with Accident and Emergency Department) within the borough of High Peak, and patients would have to travel over 20 miles to another hospital within the county.
Policing in Glossop and the surrounding area is provided by Derbyshire Constabulary. The force covers an area of over 1,000 square miles with a population of just under one million.
To police the county the force is divided into four territorial divisions. The territorial division for Glossop is B Division, based in the town of Buxton. The senior officer for this area is Divisional Commander Roger Flint.
Glossop's police officers are based at the new-look station on Ellison Street, which has a custody suite, five cells and a community room for meetings or for any major incidents. The senior officer for Glossop is Inspector Stuart Thompson.
Calls for service in the rural areas usually increase during the summer as the population is boosted by approximately twenty million visitors each year to the Peak District and its surrounds. Winter weather on the unforgiving high ground around Glossop and Kinder Scout can also cause problems for traffic and residents.
In addition to statutory police officers and a team of volunteer Special Constables, Glossop has six Police Community Support Officers. As uniformed civilian staff, they don't have the powers of police officers but support the police in dealing with issues such as dropping litter, dog fouling, cycling offences and throwing fireworks.
In addition to the Emergency services, Glossop also has a volunteer Mountain Rescue Team, which is frequently called upon to assist in emergencies on Bleaklow or Kinder Scout.
Literature and the Media
Despite Derbyshire being technically an East Midlands county, High Peak's regional TV service has always been Granada Television, which covers North West England.
"Glossop" is defined in The Meaning of Liff, by Douglas Adams & John Lloyd as a globule of hot food which lands on your friend's newly polished solid wood dining table.
Glossop is mentioned in the satirical book, England, Their England by A. G. Macdonell. The town and its fictional newspaper, the Glossop Evening Mail are described as the lowest rung in the journalistic profession.
Students from Glossopdale Community College appear in The League of Gentlemen, first season as audience to the Legz Akimbo theatre group in a play about homosexuality.
Students from Glossopdale Community College also appear in The League of Gentlemen second season, episode one as German students on an exchange program with their teacher, Herr Lipp.
The character "Lord Morgan" in the radio show Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge came from Glossop.
J. W. Mettrick & Son butcher's shop in the High Street featured in The Independent's Saturday 50 Best Food Shops listing of 16-22 September 2006 (at number 2). The panelists were Sue Lawrence, one of Scotland's leading cookery writers; Dan Lepard, Britain's top baker; Roopa Gulati, Deputy Chanel Editor for UKTV Food; Lyn Hall, acclaimed cookery teacher; and Mike Cook, general manager of food importer and distributor R H Amar. The shop was also the 2005 winner of Best Local Retailer in BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards.
Town twinning
Glossop is twinned with the spa town of Bad Vilbel, which is in the state of Hesse in the south-west of Germany, only 10km from the city of Frankfurt. Each town has a Twinning Association which organise annual visits to one town by the other. Residents from Bad Vilbel will be in Glossop in the summer of 2007.
The Glossop/Bad Vilbel Twinning Association was established in 1985 and the formal twinning ceremonies were held in Glossop and Bad Vilbel in 1987. The aims of the association are:
"To promote and foster friendship and understanding between the people of Glossop and district and those of Bad Vilbel and district in Germany.
"To encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from the linked towns, particularly by children and young people, and the development of personal contacts, and by doing so to broaden the mutual understanding of the cultural, recreational, educational and commercial activities of the linked towns."
Notable people
John Aston (b. 1947) — former Manchester United footballer who currently lives in the town and works in the market. He won the European Cup under the management of Sir Matt Busby and played in the era of Best, Law and Charlton.
Mark Berry ('Bez') (b. 1964) — a British dancer and percussionist; member and the mascot of Manchester band Happy Mondays.
Eileen Cooper (b. 1953) — an English contemporary painter and printmaker best known for her stylised paintings of women or couples, often featuring unexpected animals (particularly tigers)
Andy Crane (b. 1964) — a television and radio broadcaster
John Goodall (1863–1942) — described as soccer's first star player
Stuart Hall (b. 1929) — BBC Radio & Television Presenter
Malcolm Hebden (b. 1940) — a British actor, best known for playing Norris Cole in Coronation Street.
Hilary Mantel CBE (born 1952) is a novelist
Paul Raymond (b. 1925-2008) — a billionaire English pornographer, property developer and owner of the Raymond Revuebar strip club and several major English erotic magazines such as Razzle and Mayfair.
Shaun Ryder (b. 1962) — an English singer and songwriter; lead singer of Manchester band Happy Mondays.
Kathy Staff (b. 1928) — a British actress, best known for her portrayal of Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine.
Dame Vivienne Westwood D.B.E. (b. 1941) — an English fashion designer largely responsible for modern punk and new wave fashions was born here.
Scott Wright (b. 1972) — a British actor, best known for playing Sam Kingston in Coronation Street and the winner of the 2002 'Rear of the Year' competition
Tony Booth (b.1931) - a British Actor and Cherie Blair's father.
Horror writer Joseph Freeman (b. 1979) - (also published as Joe Rattigan) has lived here, and used the area in his writing and photography.
Ludwig Wittgenstein (April 26, 1889 – April 29, 1951) — Lived in Glossop while studying and working at Manchester University.Further Information
Get more info on 'Glossop'.
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