I have thought on this for many years, if anyone is familiar with the road.
The road is a single track moorland road, part cobbled, part wheelstoned and
runs between Spotland in Rochdale and Stacksteds in Rossendale. Along the
moor were many quarries and small collieries. The larger quarries were served
by main line railway and 2 of the collieries had their own tramway.
However this left an awfull lot of traffic on what was effectivly a single track
road with some very steep gradients. If anybody is familiar with the area I
would be interested in ther theories about traffic movements. Surly over such
a large area a one way system would have been unworkable. But a coal cart
coming down Rakehead past what is now Kymes scrap yard (Brandwood
Quarry) couldn't give way and in any case there is hardly a passing place.
Clive
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