Old stones with a story they could tell

Image: © Chris Morgan Taken: 27 Mar 2020

Almost completely overgrown by trees and rhododendrons this was once the fine, stone columned, Summer House for Ebenezer Hall's, Abbeydale Hall. For almost 5 years before the Dore & Chinley Railway (the current Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester) could be built Ebenezer put up a fierce battle to have it put in a tunnel beneath his land. He lost, but it was placed in a cutting to shield the trains from the view towards Poynton Wood above. When originally built the Summer House was down a path from the front of the Hall, across Baslow Road and over a footbridge to the other side of the River Sheaf. In order to build the railway, including the cutting and connecting lines (through Dore Tunnel) towards Chesterfield and the south, the Sheaf had to be diverted. Ebenezer retained a strip of land beyond the railway, including his Summer House. He insisted on retaining access and a footbridge was provided. Confronted with the new railway, opened in 1883 and mostly used by heavily laden coal trains heading from the Derbyshire and South Yorkshire coalfields towards Manchester and the cotton towns, the Summer House quickly lost its charm. It was very near the tracks and Summer House users would have had no peace from the many dirty and heavily laden trains only a few yards away. It seems to have been very quickly abandoned and the footbridge was demolished. 40 years ago there was a little more to see, but now it's hardly recognisable. Network Rail needed that narrow strip of land to add an extra track in this area. It took some time to trace the residual owner who may not have realised it was still theirs. Network Rail have promised not to disturb these ruins when/if they eventually start work.

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