One of the most important streets through Bollington, Palmerston Street begins outside the Dog & Partridge at the junction with Wellington Road, Adlington Road and Round Gardens. It continues under the Macclesfield Canal
aqueduct, past the Memorial Gardens, through the shopping area and finishes at the junction with Hamson Drive, Shrigley Road, Ingersley Road and Church Street - marked today by a mini-roundabout.
Approach off Wellington Road, Shrigley Road or Ingersley Road.
Leads to Round Gardens (both ends), Hurst Lane, Clarence Road, Water Street, Church Mews, Beeston Brow, Queen Street (both ends), High Street, Pool Bank car park.
Nearest shops - in the street.
Nearest pubs - Dog & Partridge, Holly Bush, Spinners Arms all in the street, New Con Club, Cotton Tree and Church House nearby.
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We used to have a post office in Palmerston Street.
Palmerston Street, named after Lord Palmerston who was a minister of the Crown for 45 years before becoming Prime Minister in 1855, has been heavily developed in the early 19thC. The stimulant was, no doubt, the building of the Macclesfield Canal in the late 1820s which involved much change to the Dean valley around the point where the street passes under the canal. It is possible that the original road connecting West Bollington with 'old' Bollington went through what we today call Round Gardens - they cut off that loop with a straightened road that went all alongside what is now the Recreation Ground, then under the aqueduct and across some marshy ground, where the river had run before it was routed to Water Street and the tunnel, to the foot of Beeston Brow.
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The original through road continued along what is today the lower part of Queen Street (see Queen Street and the Old Route). So the section of Palmerston Street from Beeston Brow to, say, High Street was built from about 1830 on. It is possible that there was a street along some of this prior to that date. For instance, I suspect that the section from the junction with Church Street to The Plaice is a very old road; it may even have gone as far as High Street.
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The bridge over the Harrop Brook at Bridge End is relatively recent, there being report of a ford here in the mid to late 19thC.
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In 1920, after WWI, a Memorial Garden was built between Palmerston Street and Water Street. This contains a sandstone cross which now records the names of all those Bollington men who fell in both WWI and WWII.
A Service of Remembrance is held here each year in November.
On the opposite side of Palmerston Street is Coronation Gardens which is devoted to a young children's play area with all kind of fun equipment to keep them happy for hours! Older children will find their play area in Adlington Road.
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The many varieties of house type and structure suggests that they were built over a period of time by many different builders. This pair of two up two down cottages were refurbished around 2000. One was used for many years by the Kirk family as their coal order office.
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The Bridgend Centre (previously known as the Drop-in Centre) is located in a very old farm house at Bridge End.
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Pleasuregate / Pledgegate
These names refer to the track beside the Macclesfield Canal by the aqueduct, between the canal embankment and the Recreation Ground. This is said to be where the young men of the town took their young ladies to make their pledge and take their pleasure!
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Listed buildings
The links are all to the Images of England web site provided by English Heritage.
Macclesfield Canal aqueduct over Palmerston Street
; II, Built c.1830 by William Crosley.
Canal quarter mile stone
; small stone 20m north of aqueduct on towpath. Note that EH page pictures wrong stone.