The Group was constituted in August 2017 with the aim of reviving and stimulating interest in the past social and economic history of the Ardsley and Stairfoot Basin (which includes the Coal Mining, Linen, Tar, Glass and Brick Industries as well as the transportation links via the Canal and the Railways).

The Group meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Keele Inn at Stairfoot at 7:00pm to generate future plans and activities in order to achieve its goals. The Group would welcome anyone with an interest in Stairfoot and Ardsley’s past to attend future meetings at any time.

In Autumn 2017 the Group delivered its initial project by creating Storyboards around the area on the Trans Pennine Trail behind McDonalds where the original Stairfoot and Ardsley Station was situated. 3 posts (1 near the Travelodge, 1 at McDonalds and 1 opposite Tescos) have been erected which contain further details and a bar Code Scanner so that anyone with a Smartphone Scanner Reader can access the Group’s dedicated website which contains many aspects of the areas social and economic history in much greater detail.