Whaley Bridge group given £13k heritage grant

The Whaley Bridge Canal Group, which is based out the Grade II listed Transhipment Warehouse, has been awarded the money as part of Historic England’s ‘Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class History.’

The £13,000 grant will be spent on running Transhipment Tales which will involve local pupils researching the lives of the working-class people who lived in the High Peak town from the early industrial revolution to the present day.

A launch event at the end of the project will highlight findings and bring the community together to watch a related performance, choreographed by renowned pairing of story teller Ian Douglas and his puppeteer wife Jo Douglas.

The project will also have a legacy artwork, designed in conjunction with Andy Comley with QR code links to the performances for posterity.

Nev Clarke, founder of the community interest group and manager of the warehouse said: “A huge thank you to Historic England for this money.

“The Transhipment Warehouse opened in 1801. Originally a three-storey gritstone-built warehouse, its role was to help transport coal and lime from the numerous works in Whaley Bridge and the surrounding area to Manchester.

“The warehouse’s history is integral to Whaley becoming a major player in the industrial revolution and the grant will allow those stories to be told and live on for future generations.”

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, added: “I’m delighted that we are able to provide funding for this project which will help to bring our collective and shared history back to life.”

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