Councillors have reacted with dismay after an historic landmark site in Audenshaw has again been 'destroyed' after being hit by a car.

The Grade II listed monuments standing at the junction of Manchester Road and Audenshaw Road were obliterated in a similar incident in May last year.

The historic cattle and horse drinking trough and transformer pillar had stood on the site since being installed in the late 1800s.

But last year a drink driver ploughed into them causing huge damage to both.

Residents living nearby were appalled and offered to raise money themselves to restore the site to its former glory, some having regularly planted up ‘The Trough’ each spring with flowers.

But as owners of the monuments Tameside Council took on responsibility for paying for the restoration of the site.

A ‘temporary trough’ had been put back in place following last year’s catastrophic crash. 

However, a similar incident on Friday night when a car again smashed into the site could now force a rethink for a new and safer location for the heritage feature.

Audenshaw councillors Oliver Ryan, Teresa Smith and Charlotte Martin released the following statement yesterday: “It is hard to put into words this morning just how angry we are that ‘The Trough’ - the temporary ‘Trough’ thankfully - has yet again been the victim of a driver, apparently under the influence.

“When the historic Cornish stone Trough returns, it will have been repaired a handful of times already - if this continues and happens again, there will be no Trough.

“We are looking at more protection measures for when the Grade II listed stone Trough returns, but we all need to seriously consider what happens next.

“The roads seem to be a wild west at the moment - we need more police action on speeding and dangerous driving. We know that the last 10 years have brought huge cuts to the police by the Government which hasn’t helped, but enough is enough.”

The original cattle and horse drinking trough, made of Cornish granite, was installed at the site in 1879.

The low elongated rectangular trough comprises two basins, one raised above pavement level, the other positioned above it and set on two piers at either end of the lower basin. 

The front of the trough carries the inscription ‘The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast’ history’. 

This trough was positioned at the junction of Manchester Road and Audenshaw Road in Audenshaw at a time when both cattle and horses were still regular users of public highways. 

Later, in around 1900, a circular transformer pillar and street light on a concrete base was installed adjacent to the trough. 

The front bears the Manchester coat of arms and a plate records the maker - The British Electric Transformer Co. Another records the restoration by Norweb in 1983.

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