Stockport Town Centre Heritage Trail is a 2.5 mile walk round the centre of the town. This multi covers only part of the walk but should take you through some of the history and culture of the centre of the town.
A follow up to the initial Stockport Heritage Trail multi this cache will see you take in some more of the history of the town with old pubs, Stockports industrial Heritage, the site of a tragic fatal accident, Catholic Riots and the home to Stockports Ecclesiastical Gentry! Follow the waypoints round and gather the information to give six numbers that will give you the coordinates of the final cache.
The Final Cache may be found at N53 24.ABC W002 09.DEF
1) The Thatched House. No longer a pub but now a private dwelling this building was built in 1899 but there is history of a previous building on the site as a doctors surgery where Dr Briscall gave free advice to the people of Stockport. Look high up on the wall for a black plaque containing two words both have A number of letters.
2) The Carrs. Look for the new information board here which should provide the information you seek. The site features a deep valley which runs through the centre of Stockport which was known locally as The Carrs. The meaning of this old English word literally means marsh. Hempshaw Brook flowed through the valley. Originally the Carrs appear to have been partially forrested but by the 1750s these were being felled and five acres of land were sold which were transformed into one of the earliest Industrial sites in the country. The board lists much more information about the site up until its decline of cotton spinning on the site in the 1930s and the demolition of the mills here. You are looking for the date of the earliest factory on the site which was a silk mill built here in 175B.
3) The Bishop Blaize. Another former pub named after the Patron Saint of Wool Workers. In 1852 a series of Catholic Riots broke out in the pub when a 23 year old Catholic Irishman Michael Moran was killed by a local protestants following unrest and street brawls. The riots were large scale and resulted in 100 arrests and St Peters Church in the centre of the town was badly damaged by the riot. Loook above the door to see a sign with two numbers 6C.
4) Stockport Liberal Reform Club. This building built in 1889 was known originally as Cobden Place named after Richard Cobden Stockport MP 1841 - 47. Originally a Gentlemans Club it changed over the years to become Cobdens nightclub and is now residential appartments. Look for the number on the lamp post nearest the heritage plaque ?? - 7 = D
5) Mealhouse Brow. Although it doesn't look much now this was the site of a horiffic accident. The route was previously known as Wynn Hill. At the top of the hill was the site of a medieval dungeon but the site is better known for the crushing of seven people following a firework display where 30,000 people had turned out in Castle Yard to see the nightime spectacular. Look around for the phone number to the nearby Chiropody Clinic, the last digit is E.
6) The Old Rectory. This building was erected as a rectory in 1744 by Rev Samuel Smith and acted in its original role as home to Stockports Bishops and Rectors until 1965. There is eveidence of previous buildings on the site back to the 16th Century. Now its a pub but if you havent already been on the other Stockport Heritage Trail Multi make sure you visit the Ice House in the Old Rectory Grounds. Up the steps and head out to the right. You are lookingfor a yellow plaque with a Black Letter H, the lower number on the plaque is F.
Hopefully now you have all the numbers you need to make the find which is just a few feet off a public footpath. To check your answers if you add up A, B, C, D, E and F the checksum is 28.