The Feathers

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 4 Jun 2011

Old Square, Stamford Street. Ashton grew rapidly from a hamlet to a small town during the second half of the eighteenth century due to an influx of people from the countryside attracted by the prospect of work in the emerging textiles industry (as with Lancashire’s other “cotton towns”. It was during this time, that the town was first laid out with Stamford Street as its “spine” and other smaller streets running parallel to it. Like other “squares” in the town, Old Square is not really a square, more an octagon. Its original name of The Circus was probably more appropriate. It was re-named King's Square and then again to Old Square some time around the 1780s, when New Square was created at the other end of Stamford Street. New Square, however, was renamed Henry Square in 1800, while Old Square has remained Old Square until this day (https://ashton-under-lyne.blogspot.com/2013/05/old-square.html Ashton-Under-Lyne Photblog). Only a few of the original three storey buildings remain, with the others having been rebuilt at various times. The Feathers public was first licensed in 1812 and called the Kings Head. Its name was changed to The Feathers in 1842.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0