Wyken Slough

Where about was/is this cottage? There is a cottage next to what used to be a butchers shop, by the Slough, which has been left derelict for many years and google shows trees growing through the roof.

Yes Greg it looks right to me although its about 65 years since I was there. Its such a shame that a part of Aldermans Green history should be left to rot. What is left inside I wonder. I would like to get inside the house as there could still be hidden things inside.

Greg hi, Norman, I think the cottage Greg means was next to the butchers but not in line with the row, a few yards nearer the road. Then there was a garden with a small cottage in the middle, and the far end of the garden was May Mitten's house, and another row of houses opposite the Bird in Hand. The butchers was the far end of the row, that started at the slough entrance, opposite the cottage and the garden were allotments. If I'm right, the house stood solitary, and always seemed in bad condition, my brothers school mate, Bert Born from Parrots Grove moved into it around war time, it did have a tree next to the wall, if my memory serves me well. Greg, there was a small row of houses opposite the butchers that stood end on to the road (doubt them being there now), behind them was the field where May Mitten kept her horses. But the gate entrance was in Jackers Road.

When we moved up here, 47 years ago, those cottages were still there, Kaga, but they were pulled down (I would guess in the early 70`s) and flats built. On the Slough side of the road, you are right about the butchers being on the end of a terrace of houses and there still exists a brick building next to it which sits much nearer the road and looks to have some significant history. Then (coming towards the city) there is a small terrace of derelict cottages (or it might be just one big one) with trees growing through the roofs. Given what has happened to most of the other very old buildings round here, it is only a matter of time before these buildings will disappear to make way for new houses.

Greg, hi, Then the house you refer to, has to be May Mittens, for I thought you where referring to the brick building next to the butchers, belonged to Bert Born. There was a cinder path opposite May's that led over to Hurst Rd. I've spoken to my younger brother and he his convinced he was told way back that the Roses at one time (1920's) had racing row boats on the slough, I've looked at the post with the photo of the 'huts' but see no signs of rowing boats. One of those huts had a lean-to attached that was used as a washroom, there was a brick built fire under the copper, in one corner, one winter it was so cold my Aunt found the resident pair of swans one morning huddled up near the now dead fire, they were also starving, so she fed them, put straw down, and they stayed several weeks in the wash-house, but only she could get near them, anyone else and they started hissing and upset. There was also a very large mangle that we kids had to turn the handle on wash days, the rollers were as thick as telegraph poles. Yes, the slough has history.

We went there today for the first time. We had some duck/swan food left over from holiday. The kids enjoyed feeding the ducks and swans. It's a nice little spot, but the car park was closed and the amount of litter and rubbish was shocking.

I go there every day, to walk my dog, and regularly litter pick. I cannot understand the mentality of people who carry bags full of food down there and, when they are empty, they dump them or tie them to the railings or push them in the hedge. There is a bin by the car park and it is usually emptied once a week so there is no excuse. Some of the rubbish in the car park is possibly due to it being used as a drop off point for children attending the school.

Even so Greg there is no excuse for litter even if it is a school drop off point. Catch 'em young and teach children that dropping litter is not acceptable. In a previous house I was about ten minutes walk from a chip shop, just long enough to eat a bag of chips then throw the chip paper in my garden. Sadly I was never fortunate enough to catch anyone doing it.

Greg, thanks for the pictures of the school that field was the feeding grounds for the water birds. From the above posts, sounds a bit of an eyesore. Greg you wouldn't believe the peace and tranquility the slough once was. I'll stop now.

I was there on the day the new boat shed was opened by the then Lord Mayor Pearl Hyde. She was rather a large lady but she managed to get into one of the small paddle boat and did a tour of the paddle boat area.

Steve Chaplin, I have no idea of the ins and outs of this computer, so sorry for not answering you months ago, my father's house was vandalised by a relative some years ago and we lost photo's, mementos etc. so sorry, can't help you there. My uncle, name of Baldwin, worked in Keresley pit all his working life, think he was an overseer. There were a lot of Chaplins in Aldermans Green Road, any relation? Regards Kaga.

I think I posted somewhere that I thought they had racing canoes on the slough in the early 20s, I may have seen photos or some old boats when I was very tiny, and the two huts were quiet large enough to take them, I have no idea when my uncle first moved there, but from the photo you posted you can see his eldest boy, who the last time I saw him was flying bombing missions over Germany, some of the swan fights I saw down there was out of this world, the slough was a second home to me, hence my interest. So thank you for the info. Regards Kaga.