We shall have to risk incurring the wrath of Horwich Ender on this one Gem.
Horwich Ender does not take kindly to anyone straying from Whaley Bridge on this forum although later today I shall be putting a photo on of a place in Belgium so we shall have to wait to see how he takes that.
Anyway back to Bibbington Hall:
Long ago Dove Holes was famous for its lime and in a way I suppose it still is today.
There were two major independent producers of lime: Samuel Taylor and Samuel Bibbington but as Sam Taylor only had limited supplies and only two kilns he had to buy more lime in and it was supplied to him by Sam Bibbington who quickly became the biggest lime producer.
The Bibbington family did, as you say, own Perseverance Quarry from about 1847 but when the railway was extended from Whaley Bridge to Buxton (you see Horwich Ender I have managed to mention Whaley after all so we may just get away with this Gem) Sam Bibbington opened the Victory Quarry which you can see on your left hand side travelling from Dove to Buxton.
There was a set of sidings from the main line to load from Bibbington kilns and the huge spoil tip which was left was removed in the early 1970’s by DCC and dumped in the old Victory Quarry on the other side of the A6.
It was called Victory because nobody thought there would be any lime there and Sam named it Victory as he thought he did have a victory over his doubters.
Two lots of workers cottages were built, Lower Bibbington and Higher Bibbington, and Bibbington Hall was built in a court yard at Higher Bibbington but as the Victory Quarry raced towards Higher Bibbington Sam had the property carefully taken down and in 1906 had it rebuilt on its present site.
Higher Bibbington was at the top of Longridge Lane and Lower Bibbington was about 300yards or so up the A6 from Bibbington Hall itself just above the blue coloured pond on the opposite side of the road.
That pond is known as the Cup and Saucer if it is of any interest to you.
Both sets of cottages were demolished in the 1960’s
In the 1930’s Bibbington tip collapsed and blocked the A6 and almost demolished the Lower Bibbington Cottages. I think the Victory Quarry was closed in the 1950’s and I have been told that the tip once again collapsed and blocked the A6 in the 1950’s but I have no definite evidence to back that up.
Below is an old photo of Lower Bibbington and the farms which have all now disappeared and you can see how perilously close to Lower Bibbington the spoil tip actually was and the children playing on the deserted A6 didn’t realise just what danger they were in either.
If you need anything else just contact me on here but I would advise against starting any new threads on Dove Holes but there is no reason why you shouldn’t use this one.
R. S-S
Edited by user 21 March 2012 13:46:09(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified
