It is believed that a beacon or tower has stood on Hartshead Hill (formerly known as Hartshead Pike) since Medieval times.
The first record of a tower on the site was at a meeting of Ashton Court Leet in Oct 1750 which wanted to impose fines for those who threw things at the structure.
A new tower was built by public subscription in 1751 and inscribed with the reproachful verse, ‘Look well at me before you go, and see you nothing at me throw!’
The tower was repaired in 1758 but it began to worsen in 1794, possibly due to a lightning strike that cracked the stonework. The tower then remained in a damaged state until 1863.
In Feb 1863 the people of Ashton-under-Lyne decided to restore the Pike as a tribute to the marriage of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra of Denmark that was to be held on the 10 Mar 1863.
On the 17 Sep 1863 the foundation stone was laid on land donated by the Earl of Stamford & Warrington (George Harry Booth-Grey
) who had,
‘acted very generously towards the committee who were appointed to carry out the rebuilding of Hartshead Pike.’
The stone was laid by the mayor, Alderman Samuel Duncuft Lees MD JP (1812/13-1883), who used a specially made silver trowel.
The architect was John Eaton Sr of Ashton-under-Lyne. The circular tower was built of hammer-dressed stone with a steep conical roof. It has cusped lancet window openings, corbelled eaves, dormer roof lights with cusped openings and stepped gables. The door in the west side has a shouldered head with five inscribed plaques above it.
The uppermost plaque shows the Arms of the Earl of Stamford & Warrington
with the motto,
‘A MA PUISSANCE’ (‘To the best of my strength’).
The second plaque is from the previous Pike and it is inscribed with five lines but the first and second lines are mostly illegible. The three lowermost lines are:
This Pike Was Rebuilt By Pub lick Contributions Anno Do 1751.
The three lowermost plaques are inscribed:
AND RE ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION TO COMMEMORATE THE MARRIAGE OF H.R.H. ALBERT EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES TO H.R.H. PRINCESS ALEXANDRA OF DENMARK AND TO RESTORE THE ANCIENT LANMARK OF HARTSHEAD PIKE. THE RT. HON. GEORGE HARRY, 7TH EARL OF STAMFORD & 3RD OF WARRINGTON BEING LORD OF THE MANOR. ARTHUR ERVINE (?) ESQ. STEWARD. THE FOUNDATION STONE WAS LAID BY SAMUEL DUNCUFT LEES M.D. MAYOR OF THE MANOR SEPTEMBER 17TH 1863.
By 1928 the Pike had fallen into a poor condition and a drive for restoration began. A meeting was held at the town hall on 12 Apr 1928 which proposed substantial repairs and invited subscriptions. The Pike had been damaged by a combination of severe gales the previous December and vandalism. The restoration work was supervised by the Manchester architect, James Lindsay Grant, and by October the work was complete and the Pike was reopened on the 17 Nov 1928. During World War Two it was used as an observation post but afterwards the door was sealed.
The Pike is listed Grade II, List Entry No. 1067991.