church steeples

On this page I present photographs of Edgeley and Cheadle Heath from my portfolio of photographs. I have a special interest in the area as this is where I grew up as a child. Click on the images to view the pictures at larger size, with captions.

Canada geese on Sykes reservoirs, Stockport. Capture date: 21 November 2000. As a child I played near the reservoirs, but at that time they were closed off by a fence. After closure and demolition of Sykes bleach works, the reservoirs were opened up for public use.

Bowling pavilion, Alexandra Park, Edgeley Stockport. I have happy memories of playing on the crazy golf course here as a child, and watching people playing bowls on the green. 19.05.2019

Cheadle Heath, Stockport – Eva Road with setts. I grew up not far from here.

Edgeley Road, Cheadle Heath, Stockport. I lived in the house immediately to the left of the lamp post and bus stop sign, number 140. Photo taken 11 Sept 2002

Woods, library and steeple, Alexandra Park, Edgeley, Stockport 11 Feb 2011

Path between the reservoirs, Edgeley, Stockport. The posts prevent cars from entering the path. I often rode my bike here as a child.

Grainy view over Cheadle heath from Edgeley Road, close to where I grew up. In the distance are the blocks of flats in Wythenshawe

View along Edgeley Road Cheadle Heath towards flats, Wythenshawe. This is the same viewpoint as my earlier, grainy view, but a wider field of view.

St Mathews Church steeple, telegraph pole and rooftops, Edgeley Stockport 08.10.2019

Dale Street, Edgeley Stockport and 328 bus – Another still from my short film The Train to Funky Island, made in 2012 and 2013.

St Matthews Spire, Edgeley, and rooftops, seen from platform 4, Edgeley Station, now known as Stockport Station. The weathervane at the top of the spire merges with the dark clouds above Edgeley.

Berlin Road, Edgeley, at dusk

View of St Matthews Church and Hollywood Park steps from Heaton Mersey, Stockport

Edgeley Library is close to where I grew up in Cheadle Heath. This is the first library I ever used. 05.05.2019

Panorama of the reservoirs, Edgeley, Stockport

Grenville Street Stockport, with setts, which have since been tarmaced over. On the right is my VW Beetle. Captured on Ilford HP5 film, 1988.

View of Edgeley and snowy Pennine hills from Heaton Mersey, Stockport. The spire of St Matthews Church is in the centre. The chimney is Stepping Hill Hospital 6.2.2019

Remaining Monkey Bridge, Cheadle Heath, Stockport.The previous bridge was much longer, a cast iron lattice work footbridge dating from around 1902 when the line and nearby Cheadle Heath station opened. On the right is Bilson Drive.

Still from The Train to Funky Island – Michael looks for a crocodile in the pool – next to Alexandra Park, Edgeley, Stockport

Lamp post, telegraph pole, chimney, aerial, rooftop late afternoon, Kensington Rd Cheadle Heath, Stockport

Snowy, Alexandra Park, Edgeley Library and houses in midwinter 21.2.2010

Kensington Road Cheadle Heath at dusk

Rainy window – Still from my short film The Train to Funky Island, set in Edgeley, Stockport. This view is actually in Chorlton Manchester, where a friend lives and shot this videoclip for me.

Sykes Reservoirs and birds 26.07.2019

Black and white image of a footpath behind houses on Bilson Drive, Cheadle Heath. As a child I rode my bike along this footpath, which leads to the Monkey Bridge. It has since been closed off. 15 August 1994

Still from the film ‘The Train to Funky Island’ – Sykes reservoirs

Old Berlin Road street sign, Edgeley, Stockport

Bench, Sykes Reservoirs, Edgeley, Stockport. This image was used by Stockport Borough on their social media. 26.07.2019

Sykes reservoirs, Edgeley at dusk 02.03.2011

Berlin Road, Edgeley, Stockport 01.01.2019

I grew up in the neighbouring suburbs of Cheadle Heath and Edgeley in Stockport, just south of Manchester.

I lived on Edgeley Road Stockport and went to Our Lady’s primary school, Edgeley.

As a small child, I played in Alexandra Park with its bowling greens – some now fenced off, its pavilion, children’s playground and woods.

Sykes reservoirs, to the south of Alexandra Park are one of the most striking features of the area. They belonged to Sykes Bleach works, which was later closed and demolished. The reservoirs were then opened for public use.

They are overlooked by rows of terraced houses. There are footpaths around and between these small stretches of water, which at various times of the year are populated by birds.

On the south side of the reservoirs are residential streets with interesting names – Vienna Road, Berlin Road, Stockholm Road and Petersburg Road. As a child I never imagined I would eventually live in Berlin.

Then, as today, Edgeley seems a long way from Berlin. Planes to and from Berlin and other destinations fly directly above Edgeley on their way to Manchester Airport.

The area has a quiet nostalgia about it with streetscapes that have not changed much since the 19th century.

Unlike Cheadle, Chorlton or Didsbury, Edgeley is not regarded as a fashionable or sought after place to live, For some, it’s a just stepping stone onto the property ladder, as there are usually inexpensive terraced houses for sale.

The photos I present here are taken over many years. When taking the photo I am often trying to recapture my childhood. The grainy view over Cheadle Heath is what I saw as I walked home from school. The trees and footpaths of Alexandra Park are mostly the same as they were when I was a child.

As for the reservoirs, I could only look at them through the fence, but I imagined them to be a remote coastline or lake in some far off country, maybe the United States, where I also lived.

A few years ago I was inspired to make a short film drama set in Edgeley. It is available to view by invitation.

All photos are copyright Aidan O’Rourke. Some of them may be suitable for licencing or as prints. Please contact to order.