I walked down to Manor Park the other day, along Cliffe Road and through Milltown. I seem to do that a lot recently… the joys of having an 18 month old who is obsessed with swings. At the bottom of the hill, just before the road becomes Milltown, I noticed that the tarmac surface of the road had come away to reveal the original road surface underneath. Fantastic, and an opportunity for a new blog post. As an archaeologist, you find yourself, as a reflex and completely unconsciously, looking into any hole you see in the ground – like a moth to a light, we cannot help ourselves. I have often seen holes in and around Glossop that have broken through the original surface in order to access a sewer or some such, the stones piled up by the side of the spoil heap. But it is really nice to see the stones in situ, as they are here.
Technically, these are setts, not cobbles – these have been quarried and shaped by hand, whereas cobbles are naturally shaped and have simply been taken from a beach. So there you go.
I love the thought that not so long ago, people would have swarmed over these stones on their way to work in the mills, hob-nailed clogs striking the surface, chattering and joking. And that now, by chance we might be able to do the same. And with that thought in mind, I drove James’ push chair over the cobbles… and nearly pitched him out of it as the wheels jammed on the uneven ground!
No doubt the council will come along soon and fill it in, which is understandable and probably the right thing to do. But I can’t help be a little disappointed. Enjoy the sight of this little peek at history whilst you can.
The Glossop Cabinet of Curiosities 