Building record 2609/0/4 - Worth Clough Cottages, Middlewood Road

<1> Ashmore, O, 1982, The Industrial Archaeology of North West England, p.56 (Book). SCH3181.

Poynton Colliery. The Vernons in the 19th century built rows of cottages for Poynton Colliery Workers. Petre Bank is the earliest surviving row, date 1815 on central pediement. Sixteen two-storey brick built cottages, windows with stone sills and lintels, stone lintels over doorways, yards and extensions at rear, gardens at front. Restored and re-roofed.

<2> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 3/116 (Report). SCH1934.

Nos. 85-98(consec) Worth Clough Grade II listed line of 14 terrace cottages: dated 1815 for the 7th Viscount Bulkeley, extensively refurbished later C19 and with C20 alterations. White-washed brick, with purple-red tile roof and 13 brick chimneys. A line of 2-storey, 2 unit cottages is arranged about a central, symmetrical 3 bay element under a gable. This was a shop, with a warehouse above and the shopkeeper's accommodation. The end bays have 4-pane casements under flat, wedged stone heads. The door is under a gabled hood and a blocked window above was formerly a loading bay. The date is in an elliptical surround in the gable. Similar windows but mainly glass doors in cottages. The left end cottage has a hipped roof and an additional former cottage to the rear. Also known as Petre Bank.
No.84, the cottage at the right end is a C20 rebuild and is not included in the item.

<3> Shercliff W H, Kitching D A & Ryan J M, 1983, Poynton, A Coalmining Village, p.66 (Monograph). SCH2683.

Large block of cottages erected in 1815 near to the pits such as Quarry, Clough and Anson. These are often described as Petre Bank or Pear Tree Bank, the name of the large sandbank behind them that were removed in the late 19th century. Originally there were 12 cottages plus a double one at the centre used as a grocers shop with a store on the first floor. Originally two up two down in brick with stone slate roofs. They were restored in the early 1970s and a plaque on the centre cottage commemorates this work. Photo dated 1915 in this source shows the cottages in 1915 with original roof and sandbank behind.

<4> Commercial Archaeology Ltd, 2018, 92 Worth Clough, Middlewood Road, Poynton, Cheshire: Heritage Impact Statement, R4267 (Client Report). SCH8621.

Heritage statements were prepared for number 92, also number 86 (see also source 5), Worth Clough, in 2018, prior to proposed renovation and extension. The focus of the heritage statements was to understand the significance of the cottages in greater detail, to assess how much of the historic fabric of the structures remained in situ, and to assess the impact of the proposals on the cottages and their wider setting.

Cartographic evidence suggests that from the time of the earliest OS map of 1874, until the present, few changes have taken place to the Worth Clough terraced row, or to its environs. It is evidenced from the maps that the name “Petre Bank” from Pear Tree Bank has remained throughout the life of the row and is still in evidence on a date plaque on the gable located in the centre of the row. The map of 1874 shows a tramway to the south of the site, a similar feature is seen on the 1909 map, however this has disappeared by the 1977 map.

The row of cottages making up Worth Clough, including numbers 86 and 92, has already undergone changes to the rear, in order to improve and extend them as modern dwellings. However, the front façade of the row still retains a good degree of the cottages' original character and fabric, so retains heritage significance. Internally, with respect to both number 86 and 92, the traditional look of the cottage has been compromised by considerable alteration during the twentieth century which has diminished any appreciation or understanding of the earlier 19th century workers’ cottage.

<5> Commercial Archaeology Ltd, 2018, 86 Worth Clough, Middlewood Road, Poynton, Cheshire: Heritage Impact Statement, R4268 (Client Report). SCH8622.