Alderley Edge was originally wild woodland but this was lost
during the Bronze Age and
the area became heathland. The trees were burnt and
used as a source of charcoal which was required to extract the copper from the
ore [1]. While Alderley Edge was heathland the Edge had significant
strategic importance as it offered uninterrupted views in every direction. Sir
James and Sir Edward Stanley, who owned much of the land around Alderley Edge,
started to convert the Edge back to woodland by planting Scots Pine between 1745
- 1755 [2]. Many of the beech trees such as those by Artists Lane
were planted in the late 1770s making them more than 200 years old.
Unfortunately many of the beech trees are reaching the end of their life and
their numbers are declining as new saplings fail to take hold in the thin soil.
Around Beacon Lodge in particular you can see the stumps of many beech trees
which are being lost at the rate of at least one a year.
There is evidence that the Celts, Saxons and the Romans all took an interest in Alderley Edge. In fact the name itself indicates the area had special mystical significance because the alder tree was sacred in northern England [3]. In 1745 the Jacobite army passed over the Edge on its way to Macclesfield. The people of Alderley Edge took the precaution of hiding their cattle and belongings in the ravine of Waterfall Woods [4].
Rumours of witches using the Edge abounded and in the early 1960s a local newspaper took a picture of them. They were walking around a fire in a circle dressed in white robes. The Coven (from Manchester) was forced to leave the area soon afterwards due to the publicity that ensued [3].
Alderley Edge Village
Before the railway arrived in the mid 19th century Alderley Edge was an agricultural hamlet known as Chorley. The buildings were mainly small cottages but a smithy and the De Trafford Arms were also present at this time [5]. The railway encouraged wealthy Manchester businessmen to settle in the area and in 1864 Alderley Edge town was officially created [6].
The Chorlegh estates belonged to the Fitton family way back
in the 13th century before they were passed into the hands of the Venables in
the early 14th century [6]. In 1403 Richard de Venable drowned in the
River Bollin and the estates were passed down to his sister
s,
Alice and Dulcea. Sir Edward Trafford de Trafford married Alice at the tender
age of 11 in 1409 and became the owner of the Chorley Township in the process
[6]. Most of the estates remained the property of the de Traffords
from the 15th century onwards.
During the 16th century the Davenport family became the owner of several estates and became the first family to be resident in Chorley. After remaining in the family for several generations the land was sold to Sir Thomas Stanley in 1640 [6]. The Edge was enclosed by the Stanleys in 1779 with access only being permitted on certain days [2]. The merestones that mark the old parish boundaries are still scattered across the Edge such as those at Saddlebole and the Golden Stone.
The Alderley Park Estates were put up for sale in October 1938 but on the eve of the sale 218 acres of woodland around Wizards Wood and the Edge were withdrawn. Misses Dorothy and Margaret Pilkington purchased the land with the help of the Cheshire County Council [4]. In 1948 Misses Pilkington presented the land to the National Trust in memory of their parents and this is acknowledged by a memorial at Stormy Point.
