APEDALE HERITAGE CENTRE, CHESTERTON, STAFFS.

I came across this great museum on the web while I was doing a brick search in the Chesterton area. My cousin had previously mentioned it's brick collection when she had visited Apedale Country Park. So while I was visiting Jean in Congleton, in July of this year, Apedale was on the list for us to visit.

The museum covers Chesterton's Romans, Mining & Rescue, through to daily life in Staffordshire, but I went mainly to see & photograph Ken Perkins & Eddie Grela's  North Staffordshire brick collections. There is a good collection of roof tiles owned by Gordon Howle who's father Selwyn owned & made tiles locally from 1932 to 1939. There is also a collection of chimney pots loaned to the museum by Lance Bates.

The museum is open on Saturday & Sunday plus other days in the week during school holidays & it's free. There is also a steam train to ride on, plus a drift mine to go down (these you have to pay for), so there is plenty to see & do. 

https://www.apedale.co.uk

History & finds of the Romans living in the Chesterton area.

Life in the 1920's or 30's. No television in those days, only the radio & piano, to keep you amused. 

Computers & the internet were a dream in someone's mind back then !

"Right son, you're in the bath after your dad, it's not that mucky ! "

"Mam, it's not arf cold in that outside privy." 

"While you are out there son, bring some coal in."

How would we cope today, without our little luxuries !

Collection of miners safety lamps.

An underground engine.

Ken's brick collection.

The Potteries Brick Company. 

This was a group of around twenty manufacturer's who produce bricks under the PBC name as well as their own, each stamping the bricks with a different letter to signify the maker.

Gordon Howle's tile collection. 

Ken has sent me this information from Gordon's book about his father's tile works.

Howle Brick & Tile Ltd.

Selwyn Howle at the age of 19 started up the "Merry Hill Colliery" in the Apedale Valley, employing 30 workers. He then sold the colliery in 1932 to start his tile works.

This was a new works, built by Selwyn now aged 23, with his main financial backer Mr. Archie Wood. Modern machinery was installed, producing 14,000 tiles per day. In 1938, the company employed 140 workers.

Selwyn died in a car accident at the age of 38 in Vancouer, Canada. His father was left as the remaining director of the company. G.H. Downing took over the company in 1939, continuing to produce tiles until 1961. The works was then converted to produce engineering bricks until it's closure in 1967. The Rowhurst Industrial Estate off Apedale Road is now built on Selwyn's Brick & Tile Works.

The Train Journey

At £2.50 return, the steam train ride was great value. The track is only about a mile or so long, but you still get the enjoyment of seeing the steam engine in action. On other weekends a small diesel engine pulls the carriages.

Cousin Jean on the left with her friend Thessalie, who joined us for the day.

No matter what their ages, boys still want to be engine drivers !

Ticket's Please ! 

We could not return until our tickets had been punched, So with a wave of the ticket collectors flag, we set off back to the station & a nice cup of tea.

View of one of the sheds & restoration work for the future.

If you would like to see some of the bricks I photographed that day, please click the link below.
https://uknamedbricks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/apedale-heritage-centre-chesterton.html