One of the old lanes of Bollington, Flash Lane once called Bench Lane up to 1881, is short narrow and winding, leading up from the Stockport Road to Bollington Road beside the Cock & Pheasant inn. It has a very few houses alongside the road plus driveways to The Mount and to a farm. It also provides access to properties originally alongside Stockport Road but which became isolated when the Silk Road was built in the 1990s. One theory as to the reason for the name Flash was that ‘Flashing’, (no not that sort!) was escaping after a robbery. It used to be one of the main routes from Manchester for the robbers to off and go into the hills. When you’d been ‘on the rob’ as it was known in Manchester, you did a flash – you did a runner! Another thought is that there is often water running in the road after rain and this can be known as a flash – as in flash flood.
Approach off the roundabout at the northern end of the Silk Road or Bollington Road.
Nearest shops – Bollington Road, Ovenhouse Lane.
Nearest pub – Cock & Pheasant.
Council Ward – West.
Flash Lane was known as Bench Lane in the 19thC; marked as such on the 1862 map. The Orange Tree inn was located just beyond the bottom end of Flash Lane, approximately where Stockport Road begins today.
The Mount
This fine country house was built by Philip Antrobus, the builder of Lowerhouse Mill, in the 1820s. It was positioned on the high ground to the southwest of Lowerhouse so that he could overlook his achievements.
The Mount was later (from 1838) lived in by Samuel Greg after he had taken over Lowerhouse mill and the surrounding property.
During the 19thC (and later?) the house seems to have been known simply as Mount. I am not sure when it became The Mount.
Today The Mount is a retirement care home.
Greg Fountain
 |
The excellent Greg Fountain, horse trough and seat was provided by the Greg family in 1904 to the memory of Samuel Greg. Today it is elaborately and beautifully decorated by the Well Dressing committee for their annual celebration of water. The celebrations are usually held at the fountain on the first Saturday in July each year. |
 |
Amy Greg (1840 – 1902) was a daughter of Samuel Greg and we include this picture on the Flash Lane page because it shows the lane as it was in about 1898, and from almost the same spot as the picture at the top left of this page – notice the ramp to the left of the road in each picture. |
Listed structures
See Listed Buildings page for the full list and notes regarding Listed, Article 4, and SPD properties.
The links on the structures are to the Historic England web site. Any links to local history pages are to this web site.
 |
(SPD) Greg Fountain; Gift to town from the Greg family, unveiled in 1904 in memory of Samuel Greg. |