Hollingworth Hall Farm is located in Hollingworth (near Mottram, outside of Manchester). Coming from Manchester on the Manchester road (A628), turn left onto Green Lane. (It is across from the Methodist Church, which has no sign! Green Lane is also near The New Inn) Continue on Green Lane until it curves...you will see hills....turn left on Cow Lane. Go straight up an unpaved, narrow road. At the top, turn right to Hollingworth Hall Farm. Until we asked for directions at the Mottram Church, noone knew where the Hollingworth Hall area was. Don Parker, the overseer of Hollingworth Hall Farm, has a photo of the old Hall before it was demolished. The buildings used for the �Holiday Cottages� are refurbished out-buildings of Hollingworth Manor. The cottages are self-catered and can be rented for 60 British Pounds per day. The restaurant was closed at the time we visited. Don has a scrapbook with names of various Hollingsworths who have visited, clippings about the Manor House and Hollingworths. He has a photo of the stone with 3 holly leaves from over the door of the now demolished Manor House. Currently the stone is in the museum at Abram�s Delite, Winchester, VA. Phone number for booking the Holiday Cottages is 01457 766188. Don told us that there is another Hollingworth Home at which Valentine and Robert (his brother) lived. They later sold it and moved in with their parents. The present owners of that home are not cooperative in showing it or having visitors. (Mary�s note: This doesn�t seem possible, since Valentine was born in Ireland. But, it would be interesting to know who lived in the other Hollingworth residence.) We were told that the records from the Mottram Church and the whole area are in Chester. Leaving Hollingworth Hall Farm, we continued up a lane toward the site of the Manor House. Remaining are the pair of gate entry posts which used to lead to the Old Hall. Several barns are visible as one proceeds along the road. Then an attractive stone house, which served as the servants� home, with an old stable building behind it comes into view. The gentleman who lives there pointed out paving stones between his house and the stable which originally extended to the edge of the Manor House. Hollingworth Hall Farm as well as this property lie high atop a hill overlooking the surrounding countryside. There are lovely vistas from numerous points on these properties. The Church Of St. Michael and All Angels at Mottram-in-Longdendale, Cheshire, sits high above Mottram, a suburb of Manchester. On the Sunday of our visit in late May, a stiff cold wind blew atop this hill, making it feel like it was at least 40 degrees. At 10:30 a.m., the church bells began tolling and continued until 11 a.m. when the service began. Preceeding the service there was a feeling of enthusiasm as various parish members prepared coffee to be served after the service, dressed children in choir robes, adjusted microphones, prepared communion. Everyone was extremely cordial and let us know that it was exciting to have members of the Hollingworth family present for the service. It was a lovely service which included baptism of a baby and communion. Peter Elwood, a member of the congregation and historian of the church, stayed after the service to give us a guided tour of the church. He pointed out the Hollingworth chapel, the coat of arms in a stained glass window, a Hollingworth plaque, a Hollingworth grave marker in the floor JH 1661, and a Jacobean dining room chair from the Manor House. A brass plaque on the chair is inscribed with Mr. J C de Hollingworth DDDMDCCCXXL (or possibly Mr. J. I. de Hollingworth). Additionally, on the exterior of the church, over the door by which the Hollingworths would have entered the church, can be seen the Hollingworth coat of arms with initials J H. Another chapel in the church was built by a local cotton mill owner. It has an elaborate wood ceiling, detailed woodcarving on pews, very decorative tall back chairs. The church roof was raised during the 1800s and, because of this, the church has many more windows than before and is much brighter. Wood beams in the ceiling of the�choir� of the building are held together with visible pegs exhibiting the age of the structure. Many gravestones line the floors of the church & the yard outside. Vents in the foundation of the church, visible on the exterior, were used to vent the odor of the bodies decaying under the church. Peter Elwood is most interested in the Hollingworth family and expressed an interest in having the address of the Hollingsworth Society, which I will provide to him. He says he will be glad to meet Hollingsworth family members at the church any time they are visiting the area and give them a tour. His address is: Peter Elwood, 9 Stalybridge Road, Mottram VIA Hyde, SK146NF England
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Ken Hollingsworth