Friends of Etherow Lodge Park.

History of Etherow House and Garden- now the Park

History taken from ` The Land of the Etherow’ Neville T Sharpe

Old Ordnance .Survey Map 1907. Script by Helen Perkins.

In 1759 John Sidebottom a nailer from Stalybridge married Elizabeth Kelsall whose brother was a mill owner.

John went into the mill business buying the Waterside Mill complex in 1820.

Three generations of Sidebottoms went into the mill business owning Waterside, Millbrook Mill and Bridge Mills.

John and Elizabeth had 10 children

In 1787 John Sidebottom moved to Hollingworth Manor opposite what is now Etherow Lodge.

The Sidebottoms sons Thomas and William remained single but went into the family business

Thomas Harrop Sidebottom lived in Etherow House, was MP for Stalybridge. For 20 years.

William became the first MP for the High Peak in 1885.

By the end of the 1880’s the Waterside and Bridge Mill complexes were the largest in Glossopdale.

In 1896 however the Sidebottoms went into liquidation.

Following the death of Tom Harrop in 1908 Etherow House remained empty for a few years.

Etherow was house was then purchased by Sir William Clare Lees manager of Etherow Bleaching Company.

The workers cottages on the A628 became the home of Bill Sowerbutts in the early 1950’s, he named the cottages Etherow Lodge, making what was formerly 2 worker’s cottages into one house.

Bill bought the grounds as well and the now derelict Etherow House.

Bill had the house demolished

Bill was a radio personality and a famous gardener of his day a founder member of the Radio 4 Gardener’s question time team.

Bill later sold most of his land to Greater Manchester Council for a nominal sum, this is now known as Etherow Lodge Park.