Компсталл: История английской деревни и текстильного производства

Village in Greater Manchester, England

Compstall is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England; it is situated between Marple Bridge and Romiley and is historically part of Cheshire. It was formerly a mill village, built by George Andrew in the 1820s to house his 800 workers. Most of the original mill cottages and other structures remain unchanged. The waterways were also constructed by Andrew to carry water from the weir, on the River Etherow, to turn the mill wheels, which stood where the car park is today. A water wheel called "Big Lily" was the largest in England when it was built in 1839. The former millpond forms part of Etherow Country Park, one of the oldest country parks in England.

Compstall was first noted as a place where farmers would meet to trade and sell their sheep. The sheep were held at Barlow Fold, Greave Fold, Ratcliffe Fold, Beacom Fold and Lower Fold. In the market place today can be seen the touch stone where deals were made. The touch stone is a glacial erratic deposited during the last ice age. The deal having been agreed, the parties would spit on their hands and hit the stone, sealing the deal. In 1804, the Andrew family established a water driven calico printing business downstream from the present mill site. In 1821, Thomas Andrew died. The Manchester Guardian of 22 September recorded "On Friday morning the 14th inst. suddenly of angina pectoris, under which he had laboured for some years, Thomas Andrew, Esq, of Harpurhey aged 68. He has left a widow and numerous family to lament his loss." His son George Andrew I reorganised the business. He built a water powered cotton mill and a reservoir to power the wheels. He had a steam engine to provide backup power. The earliest workers' cottages had been built in the southern side of the bridge in 1806; in 1823, cottages were built along Market Street on the north side and this became the heart of the village. With further mills, further houses were added to the north of the village and, by 1839, the village was almost complete. As with any scheme, there would be landscaping, the site would be tidied, parking provided and public open spaces constructed.

Compstall Hall was built by George Andrew in 1825 in the Grecian Villa style, with an imposing driveway and entrance. It was owned by James Walton during the 1850s. Compstall Bridge is a Grade II listed building and carries the B6104 road over the River Etherow.

Etherow Country Park was established in 1968, making it one of the oldest country parks in England. It covers 240 acres and includes several millponds and other industrial relics alongside the River Etherow. The Goyt Way starts in Etherow Country Park and runs through Compstall, Marple and New Mills to Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, a distance of 10 mile (16 km).

There are regular bus services on a circular route to and from Stockport town centre: the 383 travels anticlockwise to Romiley, Bredbury and Portwood; and the 384 clockwise to Marple Bridge, Marple and Offerton.

Compstall does not have its own railway station; the nearest is over a mile away at Marple railway station. It is on the Hope Valley Line between Sheffield, New Mills Central and Manchester Piccadilly. Services are generally half hourly on Mondays to Saturdays, hourly on Sundays.