From wool to cotton; Kate Raine paints a picture of how the area surrounding Bottoms Reservoir looked before and during the building of the reservoirs. Including Crowden Bleach Works, Bottoms Lodge and the mystery behind Torside Paper Mill…was it actually a pub?!

And - what connects Rhodeswood Reservoir with the Victoria Hall in Glossop? Spoiler alert: It’s Herbert Rhodes, one of the owners of the many mills in Hadfield and Padfield, and once mayor of Glossop.

Plus, how did the reservoirs get their names? Your daily dog walks will never be the same again!

For more fascinating history about the mills of Glossop and Longdendale, it’s worth reading Kate’s series about Glossop’s Lost Mills via the Glossop Heritage Trust website: https://glossopheritage.co.uk/ghtarchive/lostmills/ 

The Longdendale Tales project was supported by Glossop Creates as part of their Pairings programme, matched with Matt Ross at the Peak District National Park’s Longdendale Environmental Centre in Tintwistle.

Visit LongdendaleTales.co.uk to see our digital interactive map. 

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Owain Paciuszko (videos and visuals), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).