Beautiful Lancashire

[Mathos]

We were really impressed with this Morris 1000 parked up in the courtyard here.



I almost forgot this next one too. Flobo spotted it as we were driving along. We couldn't work out what it was or has been. It resembled a minature canal, it might have been a simple but well constructed channel to convey water from one point in the area to another.

There had certainly been some cost incurred here though with the brickwork and capping.

Any ideas, Happyman?



This was really nice a small hamlet in the middle of a valley amongst the hills.



The property looked really well built and attractive.

I can't help but reflect though as to how isolated and lonely these places must be in the depths of winter. Still if you are born to it, or prefer a quieter type of existence, it would be perfection.


Obviously not a very big community, but the same would have some form of attachment to the nearest larger village and so on.

Looked nice though.



This was beautiful an additional snap from the small village of Jack Bridge, Blackshaw.

[Happyman]

Originally Posted by Mathos

I almost forgot this next one too. Flobo spotted it as we were driving along. We couldn't work out what it was or has been. It resembled a minature canal, it might have been a simple but well constructed channel to convey water from one point in the area to another.

There had certainly been some cost incurred here though with the brickwork and capping.

Any ideas, Happyman?




.

It looks like a leat feeding water to a mill of some sort.
The bricks appear to be a dark colour and the cement very white .
If I am correct then the bricks are oil fired "Staffordshire Blue" waterproof bricks and the white cement is a high lime content waterproof cement.
Both indicate the mid to late Victorian period.
Any reference as to where it is ?

[Mathos]

The house here was nicely placed by the side of the river. the foundations actually appeared to have been built in the river bed. Perhaps the river had simply worked it's way to the gable end due to flooding and or general conditions. I often wonder if damp courses really can protect from water seepage when the obvious concentration of permanent wetness is so apparent.




It is in a simply gorgeous location though.

The brickwork/stonework looked to be of a really first class calibre too.



I think this section of the river had once carried a bridge of some description across. You can see the foundations and sides of the load bearing walls on each side of the river.


Property is somewhat expensive in this particular area as well. A small two bed room cottage would cost in the region of £175,000..00 whilst an old type Barn, ripe for conversion but basically only a Barn when all is said and done without any utilities would cost a cool £250,000..00. A nice decent sized home period type residence would easily be in the £750.000..00 bracket.



The surrounding countryside is fabulous though.




I have to admit to being fascinated by such beautiful settings.

This was typical of the roads we used up in the Moorland we travelled through.

It's fortunate for us though that the roads had been built. Otherwise it would be 'horseback'

I did a few posts on the thread regarding Hebden Bridge earlier on in the year. We detoured to pass through the area again as Joe and Ann had never been there. It was really quiet this time due to the weather conditions no doubt.



We couldn't get a clear photograph of the bridge last time due to the never ending run of tourists in the location.

[Happyman]

More rivers
The last two look are what fishing dreams are made of !!!!

[Mathos]

Happyman Wrote:-

It looks like a leat feeding water to a mill of some sort.
The bricks appear to be a dark colour and the cement very white .
If I am correct then the bricks are oil fired "Staffordshire Blue" waterproof bricks and the white cement is a high lime content waterproof cement.
Both indicate the mid to late Victorian period.
Any reference as to where it is ?

It was on a section of road between Eshton and Kirkby Malham in The Yorkshire Dales. There is only a distance of some five miles between the two points so it shouldn't be too difficult to pinpoint.

Thanks for your brilliant input and knowledge...again.

[Mathos]

Originally Posted by Happyman

More rivers
The last two look are what fishing dreams are made of !!!!

There really are some fantastic looking stretches up in the Dales.

It's unfortunate that some of the settings which look the most spectacular are out of reasonable reach, at the bottom of very deep gorges etc.

They must be 'fisherman's dream' though.

Nice section here as well running below Hebden Bridge.




This looked interesting too.



The Old mill had been converted to living accommodation, flats, and they looked really impressive. The flags under the windows, I assumed to have been some old type of landing platform?

Some additional information from The net:-

The old packhorse bridge
Known as the "Pennine Centre", Hebden Bridge takes its name from the packhorse bridge over Hebden Water. The town developed in late medieval times as a river-crossing and meeting point of packhorse routes from Halifax to Heptonstall, Burnley and Rochdale.


Textiles have been important in the Upper Calder Valley for centuries, but it was not until mechanisation and steam power were introduced from the late 18th century that Hebden Bridge began to grow significantly.


Hebden Bridge The arrival of the canal and railway attracted industry to the valley bottoms, but with limited flat land and a growing army of textile workers, dwellings were ingeniously built on the valley sides, giving the town its characteristic "double-decker" housing.
Hebden Bridge has seen great change in recent years. Traditional industries are no longer a major force, but buildings have been stone-cleaned and revitalised, the Rochdale Canal has been restored, and the locality has become a desirable place to live and visit.

[Happyman]

There is a reference to an old mill at Airton and this could have been a regulatory leat for that mill .
When the river was in flood the water pressure would be too great to operate safely so a controlled water supply ( regulator) would be used.
In normal conditions the leat would be dry.

Those slabs are for lucky buggers who live there to fish from !!!

[Mathos]

Originally Posted by Happyman

There is a reference to an old mill at Airton and this could have been a regulatory leat for that mill .
When the river was in flood the water pressure would be too great to operate safely so a controlled water supply ( regulator) would be used.
In normal conditions the leat would be dry.

Those slabs are for lucky buggers who live there to fish from !!!

Thanks again Happyman, that is interesting information. It had us puzzled.

I bet it's brilliant on a sunny day especially sat out on those slabs, couple of beers, a nice roast beef and onion sandwich, and a fishing rod.

Bliss!

[Happyman]

Originally Posted by Mathos

Thanks again Happyman, that is interesting information. It had us puzzled.

I bet it's brilliant on a sunny day especially sat out on those slabs, couple of beers, a nice roast beef and onion sandwich, and a fishing rod.

Bliss!

oh very funny !

[Mathos]

I need a cure for bullet holes.



This map gives a general view of the areas we have been driving though of late, and other places yet to visit.



There was a tower atop this hill as well, I haven't been able to find any reference to its origin though. Numerous hills of this nature were used as beacon signal points in days of old though.

The Packhorse bridge below which I was able to obtain a fairly decent photograph of the under belly of, shows just how well the arches were constructed and how good the levels of craftsmanship really were.




Nice road photograph in the village of Stainforth. Really this was a very tidy and attractive place. We didn't manage to photograph as much as we would have liked to, it really threw some heavy rain down whilst we were there.



The superbly presented Church was a credit to the architecture and builders.

Magnificent.




I don't think there are buildings anywhere on the planet which can compete with these old Churches.

Amazing.



I thought this one in particular, graveyard and all was an absolute classic.

St Peter's Church Stainforth.

It's quite amazing but frustrating when you find some of these hamlets whilst on the road, and then when you return home you discover there were some amazing places within a couple of miles from were you have been stood.

[Mathos]

Stainforth

Population:260 Est.Information Site:Click HereGrid Ref:SD8267Distance:18 miles drive from SkiptonDirections:Head North for Settle on theA65 and then branch off right on the B6479 Car Parking:Large parking areaFacilities: Pub : Walks : Caravan and Camp Site : Clean ToiletsNearby Interest:Waterfall : Bridge : Kiln : Hoffman KilnChurch:St Peters : TowerCragFace Walk:Lancliffe to Stainforth


Stainforth is tucked out of the way, but has lots of interest in the surrounding area. It's name derives from the 'stony ford' which linked two settlements half a mile apart on opposite banks of the Ribble north of Settle.


In the 1670s, Samuel Watson replaced the ford by a packhorse bridge (now National Trust) whose graceful arch spans an attractively wooded stretch of the river, and a grassy path The packhorse bridge connecting Great Stainforth and Little Stainforth leads downstream to Stainforth Force, where the river falls over limestone ledges into a deep, broad pool.


In the village grey stone cottages centre on a rough green by Cowside Beck, and spanned by a little clapper bridge. Goat Scar Lane is a stony track leading to Catrigg Force on Stainforth Beck about a mile away.


The Settle-Carlisle Railway runs through here, and one of the best preserved limestone kilns stands nearby.

Click on above thumbnails for a higher resolution.

Links

YHA
St Peter's Church
Page and Pictures by CragFace

We had no idea we were so close to all of this.




It deserves another visit.





Some of these places are beyond description.






Click on above thumbnails for a higher resolution.

[Happyman]

That kiln is an industrial one - not like the local one that you showed us before.

Is that Hadrians wall running under the pic of the hill with the tower?

[Mathos]

Thanks again Happyman.

No it's not Hadrians Wall, it was in the same district of the Yorkshire Dales as the other photographs. Probably about eighty miles south of Hadrians.

Tell you what though, the walls in this particular area are amazing, they are all over the place.




Cast your eyes on these, there must be millions of miles of these walls throughout the country.

[Mathos]

There was an outstandingly unique School House in the village of Arncliffe.




You don't come across School Houses of that calibre nowadays. Brilliant i thought.

The property in the village was outstanding as well.




There were two properties for sale.

I checked out the prices and was stunned. I hadn't photographed the for sale properties.

£695,000..00 and £1,250,000..00 respectively.





I didn't dare ask anybody how much they wanted for The Village Watering Trough.





These villages are becoming popular places for people to move to. It gives them a better environment to raise their families. Hence the massive increase in prices for such exclusive locations.

[Mathos]

Some additional beautiful property here as well.



Amazing when you think that almost all of these properties have been built from the natural stone 'growing out of the ground' so to speak.




I found this particular property really appealed to me.



I think it was how the levels varied and the older type doors in situation on the slightly converted Barn appealed to me.

I didn't get around to the front.

I had a friend, many years ago, he attempted to seek planning permission to convert a Barn to a house.

He was refused permission.

There is some law of the land which states that if you build a building and no body objects within seven years including local councils, then it can stay up, so long as you are able to legally prove the date it was built etc.

He built a house within the walls of the barn and lived in it for seven years, dated photographs deposited with a solicitor etc. There was a bit of a to do about it all after the seven years passed, but he got to keep it intact.



This is another attractive home too.


Later.

[wanderering walter]

Originally Posted by Mathos

Is the moat work all finished as yet?

Aye it,s finished now

[Mathos]

There are numerous Wind Farms in the UK either high on the hills or even off shore. I hadn't studied them much, but we did come across one which I thought I would look at a little closer upon the moorlands around Todmorden.

There were twenty four turbines blowing merrily in the wind, very little noise at all and apart from looking somewhat ridiculously out of place they didn't appear to be doing any harm at all.




It's quite surprising just how big they are, once you get up close to them though.




There is an interesting link here, it's worth reading the data if like me, you are ignorant of the basics with regard to these implements.

I certainly have a different and more acceptable opinion regarding the same now.

The twenty four units here supply electricity to some 6,000 homes. That's impressive.

Coal Clough Wind Farm, Lancashire
The wind farm at Coal Clough is situated near Burnley, Lancashire and is owned by Scottish

[Mathos]

There's a nice panoramic view all round on the photograph below, but what really interested me on this view was the number of mounds in the earth especially in the foreground sections of the photograph.

Perhaps Happyman will have an idea as to them being anything special or not.

You cannot help but notice the number of dry stone walls separating the various fields as well. It's quite amazing how many of these walls there are in these places. They seem to be well maintained in most areas too. Can you imagine the costs that would be involved today to build those from scratch.

Astounding.



Some nice looking property and buildings about in general. I noticed there is trace of something written on the roof of the building in the lower right of the photograph, but I cannot make it out myself.

Any body got a clue?





Again, another really nice view, attractive buildings and even a small touring caravan tucked into the corner of a field to the left of the photograph.

The dry stone walls once again being very apparent.

This one taken from town shows a brilliant display of Ivy growing on the front of the building, there's also signs of a tree sprouting from the roof.

It's amazing what you see on these trips.





The railway bridge here had it's fair share of growth, but the actual size of the tree growing out of the brickwork was more than surprising. To the left of the tree there is apparent growth from what can be little more than a crack in one of the bricks.




It wouldn't take nature all that long to take everything back if we left it unchecked.

I can imagine all that growth over the ruins of Angkor Wat starting off similar to the above, and look what happened there.


These were a block of somewhat dingy looking cottages in what appeared to be an un-named and not very well maintained village high on the moors.

Each to their own I suppose. They were certainly well built, but seemed to lack the general care and 'spit and polish' we had been accustomed to seeing on our travels.




I reckon they will be very warm in winter though once a coal or wood fire is blazing away, they all appear to be geared up for living flame, that's for sure.


I can't imagine where pigeons rested before we built houses.





You never see them in trees.

[Mathos]

Flying visit.

I was talking to a friend earlier tonight regarding the thread, there are a few in the UK who enjoy reading the same too. One of them has 'signed up on TD' but not shown his presence with any comments as yet. Time will tell no doubt.

Anyhow, we were relating to the narrow roads and the obvious dangers they present from time to time.

In general most motorists using these roads drive with consideration for other road users and for the general safety of themselves, and passengers, which is a good thing. Obviously conditions such a rain, sleet, ice make the roads hazardous at times and more care is needed in handling a vehicle.




It's quite remarkable though, just how many accidents we have seen near the small bridges which are a regular presence on all the trips we make. I rather think the driver could be paying too much attention to the sights than the road.

Personally, I find Motorway driving much more of a danger. I try to keep off them as much as possible, not only because of the danger point of view, but also because so much of the beauty of small villages and hamlets, plus some really nice roads in general are totally by-passed by the same.



I think driving with care down a road such as this in comparison to a Motorway is brilliant.


There is not a great deal to compare with Motorway conditions like this.




Or this:-





Some figures and a link here for a little consideration.

Figures for 2007 have been revised slightly since the publication of Road Casualties in Great Britain Main Results: 2007 on 26 June. The number of fatalities has increased by three to 2,946 and the number of seriously injured casualties has reduced by three to 27,774. An updated version of the Main Results bulletin has been published on the website at: Department for Transport - Road Casualties in Great Britain: Main Results: 2007



The weather is meant to be better tomorrow than most of the last few Tuesday's have been. We have an interesting trip under consideration and if all works out according to plan it should produce some really good and interesting photographs etc.


I hope so.

[TSR2]

Originally Posted by Mathos

There are numerous Wind Farms in the UK either high on the hills or even off shore. I hadn't studied them much, but we did come across one which I thought I would look at a little closer upon the moorlands around Todmorden. There were twenty four turbines blowing merrily in the wind, very little noise at all and apart from looking somewhat ridiculously out of place they didn't appear to be doing any harm at all. It's quite surprising just how big they are, once you get up close to them though. There is an interesting link here, it's worth reading the data if like me, you are ignorant of the basics with regard to these implements. I certainly have a different and more acceptable opinion regarding the same now. The twenty four units here supply electricity to some 6,000 homes. That's impressive. Coal Clough Wind Farm, Lancashire

Hello Mathos Just curious as to the 19 mph speed limit!! suppose it,s that odd you might take notice,
Wind farms are alright but they are Bog Ugly don,t you think? Read a report on Wind Generated power they are not cost effective, ie, build costs, I think Nuclear is the only economical route as long as Uk "Technology" is not used! The French have an excellant safety record (there was a small blip recently) ,the only thing is the clean up, but surely this can be resolved in time.
I am new on TD mathos like your thread!! Had a friend from Lancashire who died the other day, he will be missed by many , especially me , he owed me 5 quid.