Leek's Edwardian Charm

Just before the Christmas of 2007, I came across Leeks own Edwardian Charm, the name as such belongs to a shop just off the market square in Leek, thus 'Market Street'. The owners are very relaxed and charming in themselves, and the shop is like stepping back in time! At Christmas they open their top floor to reveal such lavish Edwardian charm in a Christmas theme, from tuneful mini Edwardian village style houses that have lights on and sing Christmas music, to snow globes and garlands that take you back in time to yesteryear!

The gentleman that owns it gave my daughter a couple of Christmastime treats, one being a little dolly with plaits in to hang off our Christmas tree and the other a little wooden heart and snowman festive decoration with proper string on.

They won an award for their Christmas 2007 window display! Believe me, it was truly well earned! It is the best quaint little shop in leek other than that of the ones in Getliffes yard which in itself is truly a step back in time.

...don't know much about geology...

ok im not singing the rest of the song yet here we go... accumulative history of Leekbrook and Leek, Staffordshire as I know and as I learn...
this photo was taken on the Leekbrook line, if I'm right the unused junction/signal box should be behind to the left and to the right, a view to the new Wainhomes development at Wardle Gardens.. Where WE live!




this photo is further down the line, just before you reach the Leekbrook line tunnel




This is a great tunnel! the children love to shout and hear their echo's in here and I do believe that when its really icy you can see really beautiful icicles in here yet we've not seen any as yet, I do believe there is plenty of time to see them though!







On walking to town yet avoiding the old railway due to bad weather, this is one of the roads we use to get into town via car/bus/walking. The catholic church is the stone walls you see to your left of the road.





Here is Derby Street, the main Shopping area, behind are shops like Woolworth's and the Edinburgh wool shop, down to bottom of the street you can see the old square! If you travel down a bit to the left, just before the bargain booze shop, you will find a little alleyway to your left, this is known as Getliffes Yard! Its a quaint alley with a few small gift shops and then there is Coffee Clique including Internet access and Guava Guava for a Tapas or two.

Here are the roaches, lovely, splendiferous rocks on the edge of Leek, travelling towards Thorncliffe and Flash.





A fair few weeks ago we took the children up to the roaches! We rambled up the paths and around the rocks, down the steep steps built into the rocky hills and despite me holding on (god what a wimp) I have to say that I really enjoyed that walk with the family! It was a lovely sunny Sunday, it was warm, and not too cold up in them their hills! Well Mountains as EJ calls them! We came across the well known house in the rocks.. here it is in all its glory...

... i have to say though! it wasn't open when we went by, could have had a nice cuppa tea in there we could!








There are some wondrous old buildings around Leek, Cheddleton and Wetley Rocks. Down the road in Cheddleton we have a flint mill, apparently free entry but I've not been in YET...



Here is a link to a picture taken from half way up St Edwards Street to the foot of it, by the crossroads, in the near distance you can see the Alms Houses from the mid 1600s.



Here are the infamous Alms Houses!
and now for a black n white version...

Alms House: The Gift of Elizabeth Ash, widow, the eldest daughter of William Jollife Esqr. A.D. 1696. Restored 1911

I had always guessed they may be Alms houses yet weren't quite sure, after searching for a while on the net for images around the area of Leek, Staffordshire, I finally came across proof that they are in fact, Alms Houses.

Further down the road, back towards home is a little road that leads to what were old mills in Leek, These are the Albion Mills, here is a black n white picture of what they look like before fully transformed to trendy apartments...

why oh why can't old be left to their original glory! these could have easily been renovated to look like, well, what they used to look like in their hay day without modernising them!

Not many buildings have gone as I can see, there is a pink building, and a blue building on what's known as Clark Bank, however it originally looked like this...