Aughton or Holt Green Coronation Cross

Aughton lies to the south of Ormskirk. This is agricultural land. I had the greatest pleasure of attending a wedding here and I couldn’t resist the chance of photographing this very nicely proportioned cross. It commemorates the coronation of George the fifth and Queen Mary in 1911. I cannot recall many coronation crosses, especially George and Mary. He seemed a popular KIng.  coming to the throne after his father Edward the Seventh. George was the grandson of Queen Victoria.

This photo is dated soon after the cross was built. As you can see from the photos below, not much has changed!

I liked Aughton!

Turton Tower Pill box

Slap bang on the Two Crosses route is the Turton Tower Pillbox. It is difficult to see what it protected, or even how effective they have been. However it has stood the march of time and remains quite spooky in the half light and early in the morning. I've been past it several times. It remains quite graffiti free and seems quite uncared for. World War II Pillbox near Turton Tower on Chapeltown Road, near Edgworth. This Pillbox is of type FW3/24. During World War II, these bunkers were used for the defense of the United Kingdom against a possible enemy invasion, and there are examples all over the country. They were built in 1940 and into 1941.
The map references are  53° 37′ 58.16″ N 2° 24′ 14.90″ W

53.63282 -2.40414

Approaching from the reservoir and heading towards Hoghton tower.
There is a railway line in the dip at Hoghton Tower.
The Chapeltown road is behind the pillbox.

Stuck my head inside - Graffiti free - well almost

Looking back into the sunrise!

There really is not much else to say about it! 75 years old and still surviving!

Queens Park, Layton

"Demolition teams have moved on to a high rise housing estate to begin its transformation into a £22m development.
Workmen and diggers have begun to take down maisonette flats on Healey Street as part of redevelopment work on Queens Park estate in Layton.
The scheme will change Blackpool’s skyline forever as the first two towers, Charles Court and Ashworth Court, will come down in the coming weeks."

This is the report from the Evening Gazette in November 2013.

I have been in these flats and although the actual flat I visited was really good inside, the tenant hated going back there. It is an Iconic landscape. It also overshadows much of North Shore.

View from East - Collingwood Avenue

I have a collection of photos on my datastore page here. I will continue to add and update the page as I get the opportunity to.

Heyhouses School St Annes

Heyhouses school is being rebuilt, these are pictures of the old school together with the framework to the rear of the school. Maybe I will get inside before they flatten it!

Panorama from the rear of the school.
The old school is visible through the framework.

The entrance

The pictures were taken during the Christmas break in 2013.

Cabin Lift at Uncle Tom's Cabin

This is the first video I have posted. Using the Ipad as a video camera. This is the lCabin Lift at North Shore Blackpool Promenade. It connects theUpper Promenade with the lower prom, Got to admit never seen it in operation.

More information is included on the youtube details. This is the northern paddling pool, there was one opposite what is now the solarium. The actual location is about 600 yards north of the Gynn Square. These are artificial cliffs. When I used to live in North Shore I used to run up and down these slopes. This is about the only area on the sea front that has not been remodeled.

Pilgrims' Cross

I came here frequently in my childhood, I have been here with 2 of my 4 children, now grown. But most of all with my Grandma Jane - she figures elsewhere in the family story.  I certainly visited with Dad, although I cannot remember him actually getting here, but sunbathing on Harcle Hill. There was a pole stuck in the top in the 60's as I recall. There is a farm below Harcle which was owned by a vet we knew, she kept white rats, so we had a break there.

My Grandma thought it was the end of the Earth, I think and she sort of persuaded me to go no further - I did, frequently, sometimes with my dog - but often on my own - even as far as the Grane and beyond. Fifteen hour days! I also had more pace - perhaps 40 mile days. I occasionally met my "Old" friend Hamish up here and we climbed a lot of the grit that is here, generally unroped but occasionally roped. - I learned much hill craft from him. Pilgrims Cross is the second Cross on the Two Crosses challenge walk organised by the LDWA. The first cross is at Affetside. More information can be found here together with pictures. A search in the blog will give you more Affetside information.

The Photos and the transcriptions:

The moors are wonderful - full of wildlife.
In winter they have a savage beauty.
Not to be taken lightly without proper kit.
The 2 Crosses was the first or second Saturday in January.
Today was like spring!
I am not even  sure which way this photo is pointing!
I used to live here!

This is coming from the Haslingdon, Bull Hill direction
The little lump on the skyline is the top of Peel Tower!
About a mile away!

IN AD 1176
AND IN AD 1223
THE PILGRIMS CROSS
IS NAMED IN CHARTERS
OF GIFTS OF LAND IN
HOLCOMBE FOREST
IN AD 1662
KING CHARLES II GAVE
THIS MANOR TO GENERAL
MONK DUKE OF ALBERMARLE
THROUGH WHOM IT HAS
DESCENDED TO THE
PRESENT LORD OF THE
MANOR

ON THIS SITE
STOOD THE ANCIENT
PILGRIMS' CROSS
IT WAS EXISTING IN
AD 1176
AND PROBABLY MUCH
EARLIER.
PILGRIMS TO WHALLEY
ABBEY PRAYED AND
RESTED HERE

NOTHING
IS KNOWN OF THE
REMOVAL OF THE
ANCIENT CROSS
BUT ITS MASSIVE
SOCKETTED FOUNDATION
STONE REMAINED HERE
UNTIL AUGUST
1901

THIS
MEMORIAL STONE
WAS PLACED HERE
MAY 24TH 1902
BY THE COPYHOLDERS
OF THE MANOR
AND OTHERS

This reference describes the erection of this cross. Normally I would have copied and pasted in the article but here is the link. I have saved the page in case it disappears.

The stone is on the edge of the Army's firing Range.
The path cuts across it!

Looking back from the Cross. Bull Hill is up
to the right.

The opposite direction. Harcle Hill is to the left.
The path to Peel Tower goes over this.
Slightly shorter if you just skirt to the right.

Coming off Harcle. This is thick deep bog.
Very difficult to run over.
Can easily suck your trainers off!
Hard in Winter - Boggy at every other time of the year.

Well marked path to Peel Tower.
There is quite a deep cutting at the bottom.
Possible to find a good place to get over though.
This is quite hard going especially at the 20 mile mark!
Quite a lot of people here today.
We are very close to Ramsbottom, which is down to the left.

The walk goes past the tower and straight on down the other side. Descends to Greenmount, through Reddisher Woods and on through the golf course past the Bull and along the old railway track to Tottington.

Gaunts at Springfield near Farsley

Not sure where this quite belongs, but it is really about a place as opposed to a person. People figure highly however.

The Power House

"Evelyn" a steam powered turbine
manufactured by W H Allen of Bedford

was situated in this building and generated electricity
for Springfield and Broom Mills until about 1960.

The building, erected in the the early 1900's was known as 

"the Power House"

Steam to drive the turbine was provided by

three hand fed Lancashire Coal Fired Boilers

in an adjacent building

The turbine was named after Evelyn, the daughter of 

Gerald Rayner Gaunt, known affectionately as "GRG"

who spent his life serving the Company

from 1887 until his death in 1957 aged 84.

This plaque is erected in memory of

Father and Daughter,

by his Grandson, her Son,

John C. Bostock

Reuben & Sarah Gaunt

IN AFFECTIONATE MEMORY OF

REUBEN GAUNT OF "SPRINGWOOD" FARSLEY,

BORN MAY 27th 1824, DIED FEB 15th  1907
A CONSTANT WORSHIPPER IN THIS CHURCH.

A GENEROUS DONOR TO THE COST OF ITS ERECTION, 

AND OF THE SCHOOLS ADJOINING.

A FAITHFUL FRIEND OF THE SICK AND NEEDY,

HELPING THEM DURING HIS LIFE,

AND PROVIDING FOR THEM BY HIS REQUESTS

TO THE BENEVOLENT FUND OF THIS CHURCH.

A SUCCESFUL MAN OF BUSINESS,

KIND AND CONSIDERATE TO HIS WORKPEOPLE,

REMEMBERING THEM ALSO BY HIS REQUESTS,

HUMBLE IN SPIRIT, SIMPLE IN MODE OF LIFE

EVER WILLING TO HELP ANY JUST CAUSE.

ALSO OF

SARAH GAUNT, HIS WIFE,

BORN DEC 1ST 1823, DIED JUNE 30TH 1904,

A DEVOTED WIFE AND MOTHER,

GENEROUS HELPER OF THIS CHURCH AND A 

ZEALOUS WORKER FOR THE BUILDING OF THE SCHOOLS

ERECTED BY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE CHURCH AND CONGREGATION

This is the inscription on the bottom of the plaque:

This tablet in honour of Reuben Gaunt was removed from Farsley Baptist Church on its demolition in 1970. In 1875 he founded Reuben Gaunt & Sons which was converted into a limited company in 1896

THIS TABLET 

WAS SET BY THE WORKERS OF 

SPRINGFIELD AND BROOM MILLS

TO

PERCY REGINALD GAUNT
C.B.E.

BORN 1875 DIED 1926

TO RECORD THEIR APPRECIATION OF

HIS STRENUOUS LIFE AND UNGRUDGING SERVICE FOR THE WELFARE OF ALL

WHO WORKED WITH HIM

A BUSINESSMAN

BLESSED WITH THE COMMON TOUCH

A GENTLEMAN

 VIEW OF THE MILLS 2012

THE PLAQUES ARE ON THIS WALL

ANOTHER VIEW

VERY SIMILAR VIEW

The use of the property has changed, we visited a craftshop in the complex, more information can be found here about renting out units. It was quite busy.

Sir Nigel Gresley at Pickering Station

Sir Nigel Gresley needs no introduction. I visited Pickering in the summer of 2012 and visited the church, the castle and the station. The station with the historic feel of my childhood needs revisiting. What a magnificent engine - power and the majesty of the engine together with the ambience makes for something special. Here are the photos - but for once no substitute for the real thing.

On the platform of Pickering station

Sir Nigel Gresley coming in to the station pulling a special

Close up of the front of the engine

One of the original carriages

The British Rail Logo

This is seriously impressive, the heat was just emanating from this big wheel

Sir Nigel Gresley was the worlds fastest steam locomotive at one time
This was succeeded by Mallard

Close up of the valve gear

Close up of this majestic engine

Another close up

I like this shot! I don't know why?

ID Plate

This is really large, and hot, and smelly and wonderful!

Inside of cab complete with brew-cans for the driver and fireman

Close up of guages

Sir Nigel Gresley reversing back to the back of the train

Inside a carriage

Ready to be coupled to the coaches

Showing the lights

Right above the bogies

Reattaching the lights at the rear

Close up of the valve gear

Speedo!

To be attached to the rear of the train

Close up

The Brake! The last shot!