| Description | The first privately owned gas works in Marple were at Lower Fold in Marple Bridge. These works were supplying gas by 1845. A separate Marple Gas Co was established in 1865 which acquired the Lower Fold gasworks and erected a new gasholder among other improvements. In 1887 the undertaking passed to Marple Local Board which became the UDC in 1894. It also increased its area of supply to include Chisworth, Mellor and Ludworth. In 1905 the works were expanded and improved but by 1910 they were too small to cope with the increased demand for gas and the need for further expansion was urgent. Large scale reconstruction of the site took place in 1911-12 and further improvements were made after WW1. In 1924 a small privately owned works at Compstall was finally absorbed by Marple UDC and closed down in 1925. The Lower Fold works continued in operation until 1949 when the undertaking formed part of the North Cheshire Group of the NWGB. There are only two items in this collection. |