Road and rail
Romans | Packhorse roads | Turnpike road | Railway
The Romans
A Roman road crossed the Pennines at Standedge, connecting the garrisons of Slack and Castleshaw, on the way from York to Chester.
The road seems to have approached Marsden along the northern slopes of the valley, along Towngate, and out onto the southern slope of Pule Hill.
The road was built in AD80.
Packhorse Roads
The Packhorse road (more of a track) went from Clough Lea to Hey Green and Easter Gate. Then it went over Clowes Moor to Rochdale. There are packhorse bridges at Clough Lea and Close Gate Bridge, from where it went up Willykay Clough to Denshaw and Ogden.
In 1908 Marsden Council went to court to defend the rights of Marsden Citizens to use the Packhorse Road. The general opinion, which was opposed by the lord of the manor, was that this was a public right of way and had become so under what is described as 'public by user'.
Turnpike roads
The Huddersfield to Manchester road was built in 1760. It entered the village down the road from Chain, through Gatehead, along Brougham Road, went along Towngate to Throstle Nest, then to the south of Pule Hill, along Old Mount Road.
The Coach road was built by Blind Jack of Knaresborough in 1791. It passed along Carrs Road and Mount Road, to cross the Pennine ridge south of the present Standedge cutting.
The Toll Road followed the same route as the present A62 Manchester Road, passing north of Pule Hill. It was called the Wakefield and Austerlands Toll Road, and was built in 1839. Trenches were cut in the Coach road, to prevent it being used as a free alternative. Tolls were paid at Gilbert's house, near the Great Western pub.
The Railway
The Huddersfield and Manchester Railway Company bought the canal in 1846 for £150,885, which spelt the end of the canal as a commercial concern. The railway to Stalybridge was opened in 1849, and trade on the canal declined, till it was abandoned in 1944.
The station at Marsden, which is still in operation, had extensive goods sidings, which were used to supply the mills with coal.
There are 3 railway tunnels at Standedge. The first was a single track tunnel, finished in 1848. The second, begun at the same time, wasn't completed till 1871. The third tunnel was for a double track, and was finished in 1894. It is 3 miles 64 yards long, and is the tunnel which is used today by the Manchester-Leeds line.
Visit Subterranean Standedge - a trip back in time, courtesy of Phill Davison