Old House Next To Dovestones

Q. I am trying to locate any information on the old house that was situated in the trees next to the Dove Stone Reservoir - see Walks

- and as of yet have found nothing whatsoever, I remember seeing it probably back around 30 years ago whilst walking around the lake and being drenched in a heavy storm which made the building look even more creepy.

Alas, it has been knocked down for many years now, but I have always been intrigued with the sight I came across that day, and always wondered what its history was. It certainly looked very old considering the reservoir was only built maybe 50 years ago (unless I am mistaken).

The fact that something so original and looking like it belonged on a "Hammer Movie Set", is nothing but a memory, and finding nothing about its existence let alone its history has always left many questions unanswered.

I would truly be grateful if anyone can shed any light on this matter.

Thanks.

Alex Doyle, Ashton

A. Just a Note to say that, I made visits to Chew Valley over 60 years ago, as a 14 year old lad. At that time, of course, Dove Stones Reservoir did not exist, so of course, I saw the Valley in it's, "Natural State." So, although having a walk around the reservoir today, is most enjoyable, if you could have seen the valley in those now far-off days, with it's huge boulder-strewn fast flowing brooks, (full of wild trout by the way!) together with the majestic peaks and lowering skies, then it really was a place of great beauty and solitude. There were no paths as such, and even fewer people. But at least,nowadays, it's become very well known, and rightly enjoyed by so many of us-and long may it continue to be so!

John Sutcliffe, Bury, Lancashire.

A. Look up "ashway gap house" and you will find plenty of images.

Andrew W, Uppermill

A. Well there has been some strange goings on in the forest next to the house a black figure was seen on the 21/05/2013

Georgie Owens, Greenfield, Oldham

A. Lived across from it yrs ago but have moved now it was used for dinner parties for a long time then left empty played in it yrs ago

Jane Fox, Fleetwood

A. To add to/update information given by Wendy Wolstenholme, the gamekeeper was called Dransfield, his wife was the housekeeper and the child was indeed called Athur Ashway in honour of the place he was born. Athur was my great uncle, having married my Dad's Mum's sister. I have just checked my records but can only find dates for Athur's wife, Marjorie {Madge} she was born in 1901 and Arthur was older than she was. He used to tell tales of his time at Ashway Gap, one thing I remember was that he had a horse {I have a photo of him with it, he looks about 9/10}, he used to ride the horse to St Mary's school {near the Clarence Hotel} accompanied by his Dad, who then walked the horse home, returning at hometime so Arthur could ride the horse back to Ashway, some walK for his Dad! Arthur served in WW1, RAF I think, and in WW2 he was an RAF dog handler. Unfortunately I do not know the names of his mother and father, I should have asked more questions when I was a chlid. Aunty Madge died in 1993, Arthur having died some years before, they were childless and there are no surviving relatives to ask, Though I will keep searching as my interest has been renewed.

Julie Carter, Austerlands, Oldham

A. Think you're talking about Ashway Gap built by James Platt in the 1800s. It was a shooting lodge and he wad killed on the moors above it during one of his shooting parties. There's a memorial cross where the accident happened. It was knocked down late 70s/ early 80s

Nadine Wilkinson, Saddleworth

A. in Answer to the question about the Hurst family I think they moved into our house a few years after we left. I remember visiting them when I would be about fifteen. They had son but I can't remember his first name. I think they still lived there when Dovestone Reservoir was started but I don't know if they moved to the new houses across the valley at Bin Green. The gamekeepers cottage when I lived at Ashway Gap was just further up the valley from Hay Top just before the wooded area going towards the old scout hut at the bottom of Chew Brook.

Colin Lowe, Ashton-under-lyne

A. I lived at Number 2 Ashway Gap Cottages for about 2 years from 1958. I was 8 years old then, my father worked in the filter house, the man next door was Harold Walker. I remember Ashway Gap house was where the board meetings were held for the Water Works. I also remember the bowling green at the front right hand side of the house and the lawns at the front. As you stood in front of the house there was a small courtyard and out buildings on the left hand side. In one was a big stone shelf with a stream running underneath. My mother used this to keep the milk and butter cool in the summer. Part of the house was used by the Peak District National Park wardens and The Oldham Mountain Rescue Team in the mid sixties. I remember sitting in the front room watching the climbers on Dove Stone Rocks. I also remember them falling off and running to our house to use the phone to call the ambulance.

On the moor at the top is a cross where Mr Platt tripped over his gun and shot himself. He was brought to Ashway Gap house but didn't survive. One of my father's duties was to stand at the gates at the front of the cottages at the weekend and stop people coming onto what was then private land. I remember walking from St Marys School up the works drive past Hays Farm and straight up the dirt road at the side of the river. I visited Ashway Gap on Saturday 1/10/2011 and took some videos of what is left of Ashway Gap house and Ashway Gap cottages. I think Ashway Gap house was used in the film Yanks for one clip and it was used in a TV series before the but couldn't swear to it.

Anyway being there on Saturday and writing this has brought back many happy memories that some one may find interesting.

Colin Lowe, Ashton-under-lyne

A. Who was the gamekeeper before this one? I am looking for info about a gamekeeper at Ashway House (I was always told it was a hunting lodge built by the Platt's but look into the story about the wife who was murdered on at the front door).

The gamekeeper was called Dronsfield or Dansfield or Dronfield. His son Arthur Ashway was the only child ever born in the house. I have no dates but Arther served in WW2 and lived at that time in the house I now live in, so I would guess he was born in about 1910 - 1920. His wife was Madge and they were married before(?) WW2.

Any ideas?

Wendy Wolstenholme, Greenfield

A. The Hirst family lived in the cottage close to the big house I know as Ashway Gap House for several years, don't know the exact years, as Mr Hirst was the gamekeeper. When I knew Rita Hirst and family, they lived in a cottage on the hillside in Mossley known as Green Top and another one called Top o't Green! They moved somewhere over the Snake pass with Mr Hirsts job and I lost contact. They came back to Saddleworth when Rita was 13 or 14 until age 17 and lived in the cottage at Ashway Gap.

Kath Mayall, Mossley

A. I believe the house as I knew it, Ashway Gap, was owned by the water company. My dad John Mayall, worked for them in Ashton-under-Lyne and we were sworn to secrecy when the reservoir plans were first drawn up. We used to spend summer weekends in Chew Valley and I remember swimming in a deepish area under a small waterfall, called Jabez Baths, which is featured in a Saddleworth mnagazine. The annual garden party for the water company was held, at least once, at Ashway Gap House and somewhere I have a photo of me and family on the lawns. I vaguely remembered the rhodendrons when a friend and I went for a walk there recently. There is a memorial to Mr Whitson, an engineer, who was my father's boss. It was very nostalgic for me to see the steps and as we looked across the valley I imagined the house above the rhodendrons. I wonder how we got there,as youngsters, for this party. We must have walked miles!

Kath Mayall, Mossley

A. My Dad recalls the house being called Ashway House and a family called the Ashton's lived there... Oldham Council took it down without any notice in the 1980's sometime unsure when exactly... The valley behind it is called Ashway Gap... My Dad recalls it being a landmark around Dovestones and we sheltered there during the rain on walk's.

Clive Sharples, Mossley

A. Ashway House, I think. On the hill above the house is the Ashway Cross, a memorial to James Platt, MP for Oldham, who was killed in a grouse-shooting accident in 1857. I believe the house was built by his brother. The house was used as a camp for Italian prisoners-of-war during WW2 and possibly as a hospital, before falling into disrepair and being demolished (in the 1970s?). All that's left now are the front steps of the house. The three reservoirs at Dove Stones are Dove Stones Reservoir (built 1967), Yeoman Hey Reservoir (built 1880) and Greenfield Reservoir (built 1903). Ashway House was between Dove Stones and Yeoman Hey, on the east side.

Colin Robinson, Manchester

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