Ordnance Survey Map, 1907
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Ordnance Survey Map, 1907, featuring the Ford Bank estate
Note the position of Ford Bank House immediately above the letter ‘S’ and how it was connected with Hayescroft by a footpath, enabling the Ashton families and staff to visit each other in earlier times. When Hayescroft was built for Mr and Mrs Mark Ashton, Mr Ashton’s parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Ashton, were living at Ford Bank House. Also note the position of Northenden Ford, near Simon’s Bridge, and the large number of trees on and around the estate. These may be linked to the naming of some of the roads later.
Hayescroft was renamed Heyscroft at some point. Exactly when and why this was done cannot be said but it was before 1912.
Enlarged extract from 1907 Ordnance Survey
Map showing current roads etc in red outline over the 1907 Ordnance Survey Map
From the map, note the following:
Ford Bank House (Whitehaven Gardens) and the Lodge (Dene Road) leading to it;
Drive beginning from near the Ford Lane/Deneford Road junction. Notice its route, eventually merging with Spath Road;
The Lodge on Ford Lane leading to Highfield;
The Lodge on Ford Lane about 70 yards to the right of Fordbank Road;
Number of outbuildings etc on Ford Bank Farm and estate;
Narrowness of Ford Lane near its junction with Deneford Road before the splitting of the lane, leaving the current croft/green ‘island’ in the middle;
The wall/fence extending across Ford Lane, to the right of Deneford Road. Remnants of this wall are still to be seen and extend at the sides and rear of gardens of properties as far as Victoria Avenue.
The footpath linking Ford Bank (once the home of Thomas Ashton) with Hayescroft (once the home of his son, Mark).
Map showing current roads etc in red outline over the 1907 map
Note how a road – Dene Road – already existed in 1907, off Palatine Road and alongside Marie Louise Gardens. When the estate was built in the 1930s, its name presumably changed to Dene Road West as the current Dene Road was built from Spath Road to Wilmslow Road. It had been suggested that this Dene Road, which is very wide, might one day join up with Dene Road West enabling traffic to more easily bypass Didsbury village.
Enlarged Map showing current roads etc in red outline over the 1907 Ordnance Survey Map
Again, briefly note the following:
Position of Ford Bank House (Whitehaven Gardens);
Position of farm building (across Fordbank Rd/Dene Rd junction);
Lodge to Ford Bank (Dene Rd);
Pond (between Fordbank Rd/Woodford Gardens);
Lodge on Ford Lane.
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