Grimshaw Lane runs from the junction of Henshall Road and Wellington Road up the hill to Kerridge, at Stakehouse End, the junction with Jackson Lane and Chancery Lane. The top 40m is in Kerridge.
Approach off Henshall Road, Jackson Lane.
Leads to Field Close, Clough Bank, Adelphi Mill, Bailey Business Park, Pearson's Yard, Beechway, Cedarway, Greenfield Road, Bamford Close, Fairfield Avenue, Bishop Road, Hurst Lane, Chancery Lane. Footpath to Grimshaw Avenue.
Nearest shops - corner of Greenfield Road, Wellington Road.
Nearest pubs - Bayleaf, Bull's Head.
|
 Grimshaw Lane passes through the Middlewood Way at its only road crossing without a bridge, then under the Macclesfield Canal aqueduct. The road used to be two roads - the part below the canal aqueduct was known as Commercial Road and that above the aqueduct Greenshaw Lane; it is marked as such on the 1862 map but when and why this was changed I don't know. It is possible that Greenshaw was simply a misunderstanding on the part of the map draughtsman.
|
|
 Between the Middlewood Way and the canal there are a number of commercial activities. Clough Bank is a small industrial estate built on the Macclesfield, Bollington & Marple Railway goods yard. In fact the now demolished railway bridge over Grimshaw Lane was exactly where the entrance to Clough Bank is today. Opposite is the Middlewood Way and the location of Bollington passenger railway station. The railway was closed in 1971. Other industrial activities include Bailey Business Park with the vet's surgery next door and opposite, against the canal, Adelphi Mill (above). On the uphill side of the canal is Bollington Wharf where various boating activities take place and is also the mooring place for White Nancy [YouTube video], the restaurant boat. The Sea Cadets have their hut there too.
|
|
Bailey Business Park is the yard and industrial units opposite Adelphi Mill. Pearson's Yard is a further industrial area behind Bailey Business Park with access via the drive to the right of the business park.
|
Further up Grimshaw Lane is St John's School and its playing field. This school was built in the 1970s when the old one in Church Street was cleared for the Vine Street re-development.
Hollin Old Hall is close to the top of the road. The junction with Hurst Lane was once known as Gatley Green, probably in recognition of the Gatley family who lived nearby and quarried stone in Kerridge Hill. Alfred Gatley was a notable sculptor in the 19th century.
|
A series of names along the route suggests that perhaps Scandinavian soldiers and settlers came this way. Grimshaw Lane may be derived from the Old Norse 'haugr', which can mean hill, with 'Grimr', a Scandinavian personal name - as Kenneth Cameron suggested for Grimshoe in Norfolk.
|
Extract from a history of Kerridge Hill and Ingersley Vale by George Longden for KRIV.
In view of the fact that the street had different names in the 19C it is possible that Grimshaw was named after a member of the notable local family of that name living at Errwod Hall.
|
View Larger Map | Google maps assistance
The junction with Chancery Lane and Jackson Lane is known as Stakehouse End. This name probably refers to there having been a stake or timber cattle enclosure there in earlier times. Grimshaw Lane is one of the original roads in the area and has a very long history. There are various thoughts about the origin of the name Grimshaw - could it have been the Grimshaw family (of Errwood House) or a corruption of a Nordic word (see box above)? Your guess is as good as mine.
The very top end from its junction with Hurst Lane is in Kerridge.
Listed buildings
The links are all to the Images of England web site provided by English Heritage.
Rose Cottage, 58 Grimshaw Lane; II, Formerly a farmhouse now a house: 17thC with 19thC alterations.
Macclesfield Canal aqueduct over Grimshaw Lane; II, c.1830 by William Crosley.
Adelphi Mill; II, 1856 (not yet noted on English Heritage site)
