Welcome to Marple Local History Society website
Quick links to the Society's Online Archives & many of the Society's images
The Iron Bridge is one of a very few cast iron bridges surviving from the period when it was built, in 1813, for the then owner of the Brabyns Estate, Nathaniel Wright. Its purpose was as a carriage bridge across the River Goyt, creating access to Wright's estate from the village of Compstall. The bridge was one of the world's first cast iron bridges and is one of the few remaining from the period.
The Iron Bridge was deemed to be dangerous in 1991 and a temporary "Bailey" type footbridge was installed to carry pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists over the River Goyt. The restoration project started in 2003 and works to restore the bridge started in September 2007. The restored bridge was opened on the 22nd June 2008.
Next Meeting: 11th December:
Claire Moores - 'Chimney Stacks and Climbing Boys: the art and mystery of Chimney Sweeping'
A full list of this season's meetings is here.
Featured Article:
13th November: 'Marple in the 17th century' - Anthony Burton
In November’s talk Anthony Burton tried to show us that there is more to Mellor’s history than Samuel Oldknow and more to Marple than John Bradshaw. Admittedly John Bradshaw was given a mention but Anthony was much more interested in Henry, John’s brother, because he stayed in Marple and left a diary which tells us a lot about the everyday life in the Marple of the mid seventeenth century. He then went on to show the links that we still have with that period - surnames of people living then whose descendants are still in the area and gravestones which tell a similar tale. However, the most tangible links are the houses, both large and small, that survive from that era. Anthony showed pictures of many of these and briefly explained how they fitted into the society of that time.
Read more: 13th November: 'Marple in the 17th century' - Anthony Burton
