Page 12 - THE QUIRKS OF CHORLTON-CUM-HARDY

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The area surrounding Chorlton Green and what is now
Beech Road was the centre of old Chorlton and was
larger than its neighbouring hamlets of Hardy and
Martledge.

And superficially it maintains that image of a rural
settlement with its village green, old parish church yard and
school, along with two farmhouses and of course those two
pubs.

But as we shall see, for nearly a century the village green
was lost to its villagers, our picturesque lych gate was only
built in 1887 and the half timbered appearance of the Horse
and Jockey was only added in the 1920s.

Added to this, the village school closed long ago and, after a
period as a factory followed by offices, it underwent a
conversion into residential properties.

Nor does it stop there. The water fountain, once a feature of
the village green, followed its ornate drinking cups and was
scrapped, and even the telephone kiosk, much loved by all who
either didn’t have a phone or wanted a romantic assignation,
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