Monument record MDR12163 - Leevale Rope Works (site of), Marple Road, Charlesworth

A rope walk appears at this site on the 1st edition 25" OS map. (1) It is named as 'Leevale Rope Works' on the 2nd edition OS map and appears as long, narrow buildings. (2) It does not appear on the 3rd edition OS map, and the buildings on the previous edition have since been lost. (3) Lee Vale rope works is listed in Kelly's Directory in 1891 as belonging to Booth John & Son, cotton band manufacturers. (4) Lee Vale Mill was first built in a field off Higher Mill Lane (now Coombes Lane) and made cotton ropes. After a boiler explosion in 1889 when Robert Booth, partner, aged 60 years and Harry Booth, manager aged 25 years were killed, new premises were built along Marple Road in 1908 by John Booth and Sons. The business survived extremely difficult times and eventually expanded successfully, manufacturing cotton twine. By 1916, it was owned by Jacksons of Hobroyd. The twine was made in Charlesworth and then transported to Hobroyd, Glossop, to be made into ropes [please note that it is uncertain whether 'Lee Vale Mill' refers to this rope works, or the cotton mill just up the road (SMR 3676), or both. It is difficult to correlate this information with the historic mapping]. (5) Long, narrow strips of land where the rope walk was situated can still be seen on modern OS mapping. It is not known whether anything now remains of the former rope works. (6)