Audenshaw Trough and Transformer Pillar

Image: © Gerald England Taken: 27 Jul 2016

The Audenshaw Trough was erected at the junction of Manchester Road and Audenshaw Road in 1879, this cattle and horse drinking trough is made of polished Cornish granite. It is a low elongated rectangular trough comprising two basins, one raised above pavement level the other positioned above it and set on two piers at either end of the lower basin. Spur stones protect the front faces of the piers. The front of the trough carries the inscription "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN REGARDETH THE LIFE OF HIS BEAST". Nowadays it is used as a flower tub. Behind the trough is a transformer pillar built about 1900. It is of cast iron and consists of a circular pillar on a 20th century concrete base topped by a street lamp. The face is split vertically into panels and horizontally into three stages. On the front it bears the Manchester coat-of-arms Image and a plate records the maker: the British Electric Transformer Company Image Another plate records the restoration by Norweb in 1983. Enriched cast iron panels are on the top stage. The conical top is above a bead and reel band. The structure is topped by a hexagonal lamp on a decorative spindle. The concrete base is now topped by wooden seating. At one time it had three lamps which used to the light the way for trams.

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