Images of Audley
Transport
Click the title against each description to view the picture. The reference number in the school's archive for each picture is included.
Images of Audley
Transport
Click the title against each description to view the picture. The reference number in the school's archive for each picture is included.
Talk o'th Hill Colliery Ltd. (img0018). Much of the local rail traffic was connected with the Coal Industry. This photo shows a very typical Victorian wagon. This view shows their own wagon number 5. (Photo taken 1890 at the Talke Wagon Works) The colour of the wagon would have been red oxide with white letters and black shading. At the time each company owned their own wagons. This view shows a wagon that has been re-fitted persumably by the men in the photo - see how old the wheel look) Wagons were made in Halmer End Village until the early 1900s.
Station Bridge Bignal End. (img0047) This railway line was built by the North Staffordshire Railway (known as the Knotty) and ran from Stoke Station through Newcastle and Silverdale Stations to Halmer End to re-join the main line at Alsager Junction. It mainly served the many collieries along the line. Here the line crossed the main road in Bignall Enf near to the Plough Inn. Audley station was to the right of the photograph
A Day out by bus!. (img0049) The vehicle is a charabanc and on the point of departure from outside Castle Hill Farm, now the local Parish Council Offices. The unifromed man in front of the vehicle is the village policeman PC Hancock The farm house was taken over by the Audey Rural District Council as their offices and after re-organisation of local government in the 70s became the Parish Council Offices.
Another day out! (img0051) Motor Transport was starting to take its effect in the area when this photo was taken. This local outing was organsied by the Proctor family. The owner of this vehicle is Frank Proctor, who owned a garage in the village of Bignal End
Buses (img0032) This photograph shows typical 1920s buses. These are owned by Messrs Johnson of Audley and are standing in Church Street opposite the present Co-op. The view has hardly changed otherwise.
Halmer End Station (img0042) The station stood opposite the school, near to where the modern flats now stand. North Staffordshire Railway Co were not renown for their stations this was a primitive affair being mainly constructed of wood for both platforms and buildings. The line opened on July 24th 1870. It closed to passengers in 1931 but continued to be open for goods until British Railway days. Riley of Halmer End used the line until after the war ti import explosives for the mines.
In the 1920s Elizabeth Poole and some of her sons founded Poole and Sons of Alsagers bank, a bus company operating services from Halmer End and Audley to Newcastle. The company ceased operating in 1987. (img0037)
In 1913 King George V and Queen Mary drove through Audley en-route to the Wedgewood Factory at Etruria. Here the car is about the leave Bignall End (near the Plough Inn) The railway bridge carried the main line from Halmer End to Audley Station and was part of the route from Stoke to Alsager Junction (img0052)
Audley Station was opened by the North Stoffordshire Railway in 1880. Built to a similar standard as Halmer End Station facilities were poor and primitive. This photograph was taken in 1895 and shows Diglake mine to the right of the line. (img0058)
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