Longdendale Tales

An ambient, musical, manipulated reworking of the everyday sounds of Glossop, by Clare Savory and Simon Galloway.

The two sound artists have taken samples from the soundscapes of episode 31, and transformed them into warped loops, sprinkled with plenty of reverb, added a bit of synth - and voila, this is Glossopdale as you’ve never heard before!

The result is a half hour long sonic journey from spacious calming chords accompanied by nature, to harsh rhythmic percussive-like loops created from the town’s machines and traffic.

Longer versions of the original soundscapes are available on our digital map, visit www.longdendaletales.co.uk and search ‘soundscapes’ where you’ll see/hear plenty more pins across the whole of Glossopdale! (Thank you Helen Newman for doing this)

All of our Longdendale Tales episodes are also available as video podcasts, you can watch visualised film versions via YouTube: www.youtube.com/@longdendaletales

Or audio versions are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Longdendale Tales, presented and produced by Clare Savory of ASFB Productions.

With music and binaural sound created by Simon Galloway.

Films directed and produced by Glossop filmmaker, Owain Paciuszko.

Thank you to funding support from Derbyshire Makes and High Peak Community Arts.

Enjoy listening to Glossop and its surrounding towns closer than you’ve ever done before!

Soundscapes and snippets of audio have been captured over several years, and now with the public’s help, sound artist Clare Savory has transformed everyday moments in Glossopdale into a visualised piece of art.

From the dawn chorus in Hadfield, to the owls tooting in Simmondley.

To the sizzle of the chippy fryer in Gamesley to the rhythmic whirring of Spring Clean launderette in Glossop.

There’s curlews in Crowden, grouse on Wormstones and plenty of ducks in Manor Park.

The away fans are singing loudly at Glossop North End, whilst the trains roll on above over the viaduct.

Listen to Longclough brook from above, and below.

To Graeme baking bread on Shrewsbury Street.

To the wind in the trees near Moorfield.

And sneak inside the parish church in Old Glossop to hear the bell ringers’ practice!

Thank you to Simon, Jason, Margaret, Claire, Liz, Mark, Mark, Kaleb, Jane, Carys and more of you for sending in your recordings!

Longer versions of these soundscapes are available on our digital map, visit www.longdendaletales.co.uk and search ‘soundscapes’ where you’ll see/hear plenty more pins across the whole of Glossopdale! (Thank you Helen Newman for doing this)

All of our Longdendale Tales episodes are also available as video podcasts, you can watch visualised film versions via YouTube: www.youtube.com/@longdendaletales

Or audio versions are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Longdendale Tales, presented and produced by Clare Savory of ASFB Productions.

Films directed and produced by Glossop filmmaker, Owain Paciuszko.

Thank you to funding support from Derbyshire Makes and High Peak Community Arts.

Curator Clare Savory tells the stories behind the making of episode 31’s full Glossop audio tapestry.

Whilst out walking ‘the nab’ near Chunal and Charlestown, she explains why it’s become her mission to help people reclaim ‘sound’ to better their health - and their connection to others and the world around them. 

By recording everyday sounds, she hopes people who live in the area will take notice of the town’s and moor’s wonderful noises - before it’s too late.

In this episode, you can enjoy willow warblers, a horse purring, meet some of Gamesley chippy’s regular customers and drift off to a wonderful soundscape of dawn chorus in Glossop as recorded by Kaleb.

Longer versions of these soundscapes are available on our digital map, visit www.longdendaletales.co.uk and search ‘soundscapes’ where you’ll see/hear plenty more pins across the whole of Glossopdale! (Thank you Helen Newman for doing this)

All of our Longdendale Tales episodes are also available as video podcasts, you can watch visualised film versions via YouTube: www.youtube.com/@longdendaletales

Or audio versions are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Longdendale Tales, presented and produced by Clare Savory of ASFB Productions.

Films directed and produced by Glossop filmmaker, Owain Paciuszko.

Thank you to funding support from Derbyshire Makes and High Peak Community Arts.

Our podcast theme tune is called ‘Begging’ and is by the wonderful, once-Glossop-resident - Harry Heart. 

Back in March (episode 8), Clare Savory visited an almost forgotten chapel on the hillside between Woodhead and Crowden... Now a group of volunteers from across the Longdendale valley (and beyond) have rescued St James' Church.

In this special Christmas episode, Clare invites Longdendale Tales listeners in for a sneak peek of the first concert at the chapel in years.

Music is provided by Adrian Loader and Arnfield Brass Band. Tintwistle-based celebrant Steph Baker leads the service.

You can support the volunteers repairing St James by donating to their crowdfunder campaign here: crowdfunder.co.uk/p/st-james-church-restoration-fund

If you've enjoyed this episode of our podcast, make sure you visit our digital interactive map for more of the valley's fascinating history at LongdendaleTales.co.uk

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).

As the series draws to a close, Clare Savory follows an old path underneath the Longdendale Trail, where there’s another railway tunnel marked ‘The Old House’.

She ponders over words Robert Macfarlane shared about the origins of paths and “the secrets they keep of adventures, meetings and departures”.

Clare walks from one end of the tunnel to the other - listen closely to the buzz of the pylons, to the raindrops inside, to the heavy rain and birdsong at the opposite end.

And she tells a tale of a cat called ‘hero’ that is said to haunt the area, along with its owner who cursed all that tread the path of the railway…

This pilot project was supported by Glossop Creates as part of their Pairings programme, matched with Matt Ross at the Peak District National Park’s Longdendale Environmental Centre in Tintwistle.

Visit LongdendaleTales.co.uk to see our digital interactive map. 

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Owain Paciuszko (videos and visuals), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).

It’s the final instalment of the bard of Longdendale’s story about a group of day trippers (and their plentiful hamper) travelling the region in June 1867. Actress Cordelia Howard completes the tale of the party’s return journey from Crowden to Manchester.

The Longdendale Tales project was supported by Glossop Creates as part of their Pairings programme, matched with Matt Ross at the Peak District National Park’s Longdendale Environmental Centre in Tintwistle. 

Visit LongdendaleTales.co.uk to see our digital interactive map. 

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Owain Paciuszko (videos and visuals), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).

Nanny Greenteeth and Nell Nettlespike, Baron de Morland and Sir Mottram De Mossland…some of the characters presented in the myths and legends about the Longdendale Valley. In particular, they feature in many of the explanations of how a hairpin along Woodhead Head earned the title ‘devil’s elbow’.

Walking from The Peels Arms in Padfield to Peak Naze, Clare Savory is joined by Glossop-based science-fiction writer Matt Hill (M. T. Hill). Together they talk about how the landscape inspires their work, and savour a precious moment to welcome the lapwings back to fields surrounding Padfield.

Links to buy The Breach and Zero Bomb are available via Matt’s website: mthill.co.uk 

The Longdendale Tales project was supported by Glossop Creates as part of their Pairings programme, matched with Matt Ross at the Peak District National Park’s Longdendale Environmental Centre in Tintwistle. 

Visit LongdendaleTales.co.uk to see our digital interactive map. 

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Owain Paciuszko (videos and visuals), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).

Whilst recording this podcast series, Clare Savory met retired-clergy-now-fellow-Hadfield-ers Janet Lees and Bob Warwicker. As passionate long-distance walkers, they’ve explored many of the corners and paths of the Longdendale Trail (and much of the country by foot). 

During lockdown their observational rambles inspired their prayers to fall in the form of poetry, which are published on one of their many blog sites and have been mapped out as walking trails along the valley.

In this episode, the three Hadfield musketeers walk along the Transpennine trail, south of Rhodeswood Reservoir and finish taking shelter inside ‘The Old House tunnel’ aka Secure.Campsites.Workouts !

You can find Bob and Janet’s ‘prayers for places’ project here: bobjanet.org.uk/PFP/

This pilot project was supported by Glossop Creates as part of their Pairings programme, matched with Matt Ross at the Peak District National Park’s Longdendale Environmental Centre in Tintwistle.

Visit LongdendaleTales.co.uk to see our digital interactive map. 

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Owain Paciuszko (videos and visuals), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).

From the Bulls Head in Tintwistle to Arnfield Farm; Clare Savory walks along the boundary of the Peak District National Park with Cora Glasser and David Ball of Glassball Studio.

Their latest project, GUIDEline, explores the nature of the park’s boundary, its history and how it was formed from Glossop to Diggle.

Together they share some of the work and research they’ve uncovered over the last 4 years, whilst collaborating with artists Alison Lloyd and Dr Tony Hall.

From politics, to airshafts, to memorials and brambles…there’s plenty to notice if you look closely on this relatively short and sweet walk.

To read more about Cora and Dave’s work visit: https://guideline.org.uk/

The Longdendale Tales pilot project was supported by Glossop Creates as part of their Pairings programme, matched with Matt Ross at the Peak District National Park’s Longdendale Environmental Centre in Tintwistle.

Visit LongdendaleTales.co.uk to see our digital interactive map. 

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Owain Paciuszko (videos and visuals), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).

Enjoy a windy walk with Clare Savory along the northern path of Torside Reservoir; taking time to notice the colours, the patterns, shapes and lines through an artists’ lens.

Local painter Liz Armstrong from Glossop Art Society offers tips to get started sketching when out on your walks. Plus, they share the story behind the idea of open air painting, also known by the Italians as ‘pro loco’ (of and on location).

Visit https://hadfieldhall.wordpress.com/art-show/ for information about Hadfield Open Art Show and contact Glossop Art Society via their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/glossopartsociety/ 

This pilot project was supported by Glossop Creates as part of their Pairings programme, matched with Matt Ross at the Peak District National Park’s Longdendale Environmental Centre in Tintwistle.

Visit LongdendaleTales.co.uk to see our digital interactive map. 

Special thanks to Holly Close (assistant producer), Harry Heart (series theme music ‘Begging’), Owain Paciuszko (videos and visuals), Lauren Riley (logos and artwork) and Kate Raine (Glossop Heritage Trust research library).