Steve Cliffe
Encyclopedia
Steve Cliffe a former Stockport councillor was the founder member who started Stockport Heritage
and Stockport Heritage Magazine
c. 1987. He and his late wife, Jean, co-ordinated the efforts of Stockport Heritage to persuade English Heritage and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
to support the purchase and restoration of semi-derelict Staircase House
, a 15th C. merchant's townhouse, as the town museum.
After many years of campaigning and two fires begun by vandals, the house was restored with a £4 million grant and opened to the public in 2005 as a living example of the development of vernacular architecture in a working building in a northern market town-up until the mid 20th century when it was last inhabited. It has since won Civic Trust and architectural awards as an outstanding example of far-sighted restoration by a local authority.
Steve first became interested in Staircase House after supervising an historic buildings survey in the town during 1983-84. He further developed an interest in the regeneration and interpretation of buildings in Stockport's old town centre when working with the Centre for Environmental Interpretation at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Metropolitan University
) in 1986-87 provided a practical framework for the implementation of the project, utilising volunteers and specialist advisors. In his book,Stockport History & Guide, published in 2005,re-issued 2009, he details the hard struggle to get the project off the ground.
Stockport Heritage
Stockport Heritage was formed by volunteers in 1987 as a campaigning conservation group to help preserve and regenerate historic and architecturally sensitive buildings in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England....
and Stockport Heritage Magazine
Stockport Heritage Magazine
Stockport Heritage Magazine was started in 1987 by two founder members of Stockport Heritage, a voluntary conservation group campaigning to save buildings and traditions in the Borough of Stockport, historically in Cheshire, now within Greater Manchester....
c. 1987. He and his late wife, Jean, co-ordinated the efforts of Stockport Heritage to persuade English Heritage and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The council is currently in no overall control since the 2011 local elections when the Liberal Democrats lost their majority. The Liberal Democrats now have 31...
to support the purchase and restoration of semi-derelict Staircase House
Staircase House
Staircase House is a Grade II* listed medieval building dating from around 1460 situated in Stockport, historically in Cheshire, now within Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
, a 15th C. merchant's townhouse, as the town museum.
After many years of campaigning and two fires begun by vandals, the house was restored with a £4 million grant and opened to the public in 2005 as a living example of the development of vernacular architecture in a working building in a northern market town-up until the mid 20th century when it was last inhabited. It has since won Civic Trust and architectural awards as an outstanding example of far-sighted restoration by a local authority.
Steve first became interested in Staircase House after supervising an historic buildings survey in the town during 1983-84. He further developed an interest in the regeneration and interpretation of buildings in Stockport's old town centre when working with the Centre for Environmental Interpretation at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
) in 1986-87 provided a practical framework for the implementation of the project, utilising volunteers and specialist advisors. In his book,Stockport History & Guide, published in 2005,re-issued 2009, he details the hard struggle to get the project off the ground.
Sources
- Stockport a History, Arrowsmith P.,1997
- Stockport History & Guide, Cliffe S.,2005
- Stockport Express 1987-2005