Hartshead Pike
Encyclopedia
Hartshead Pike is a hill in Tameside
in Greater Manchester
, England. The name is however more commonly associated with the monument on its summit. It overlooks Ashton-under-Lyne
, Mossley
and Oldham
.
Before the arrival of the Romans, the local tribes lit fires here to celebrate the cycle of the seasons; there were many ancient sites close by. It is highly probable that the druids worshipped at Hartshead Pike during the Iron Age, and sacrifices may have been held to appease their gods.
During the Roman occupation the area took on a more mundane role and became a beacon site, the trackways became routes for the Romans to navigate to the Roman road at Limeside. The beacon may have been lit in times of unrest to warn the local garrisons.
Although the name "Hartshead Pike" is generally used to mean the tower, it was originally the name of the hill itself. The pike is not the highest part of the hill, but, at 940 feet (286.5 m) above sea level, its prominent position has meant that, from early times, it has been the site of a beacon or signalling station. Hartshead Pike may have been the site of a beacon in the late 16th century.
The tower was rebuilt in 1863 by John Eaton to commemorate the marriage of HRH Albert Edward
to Princess Alexandra
, replacing a building that had been on the site since 1751. An inscription stone reused in the tower states "This Pike Was Rebuilt By Publick Contributions Anno Domini 1751". In the 1930s the tower was open to the public and contained a sweet shop; this closed at the outbreak of the Second World War and the tower entrance was bricked up.
The inscription on the tower reads "Look well at me Before you go And See You nothing at me throw". Horsee :)
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. The name is however more commonly associated with the monument on its summit. It overlooks Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, Mossley
Mossley
Mossley is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. The town is located in the upper section of the Tame valley in the foothills of the Pennines, northeast of Ashton-under-Lyne and east of Manchester.Mossley has the distinction of...
and Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
.
History
During the Roman occupation the area took on a more mundane role and became a beacon site, the trackways became routes for the Romans to navigate to the Roman road at Limeside. The beacon may have been lit in times of unrest to warn the local garrisons.
Although the name "Hartshead Pike" is generally used to mean the tower, it was originally the name of the hill itself. The pike is not the highest part of the hill, but, at 940 feet (286.5 m) above sea level, its prominent position has meant that, from early times, it has been the site of a beacon or signalling station. Hartshead Pike may have been the site of a beacon in the late 16th century.
The tower was rebuilt in 1863 by John Eaton to commemorate the marriage of HRH Albert Edward
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
to Princess Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, replacing a building that had been on the site since 1751. An inscription stone reused in the tower states "This Pike Was Rebuilt By Publick Contributions Anno Domini 1751". In the 1930s the tower was open to the public and contained a sweet shop; this closed at the outbreak of the Second World War and the tower entrance was bricked up.
The inscription on the tower reads "Look well at me Before you go And See You nothing at me throw". Horsee :)