Pleasington Crematorium is south of Blackburn. In a small room by the main entrance is a book of remembrance who's pages are turned each day. Today's entry includes my Mother's name who died 2 years ago.

Wide view of Cautley from Great Dummacks

A reconstructed sheepfold with cone by Andy Goldsworthy.
It's in Red Gill above Cautley and the only way there
is to walk up the steep path above Cautley Spout.

Final touches

In the Walled Garden

The bearings had worn out in the bottom bracket of my road bike. Modern bearings are sealed units and fairly easy to fit. Unfortunately they don't last very long, about 6,000 miles.

Today was the Olympic Men's Cycling Road Race. It was an extremely exiting race but a large early breakaway group got too far ahead. Only the British team did any work to haul them back. Four British riders to haul back a group of over 20 of the best cyclists in the World was too much. Everybody else sat on their wheels and did no work. The British were victims of their own success.

The Calmac office at Brodick, Arran.

Calmac office and waiting room, Brodick, Arran.

Seen on a door near Kennacraig.

Skipness Castle, view from the east

Skipness Castle interior, dating back to the 13th century

Early morning view of the Calmac ferry across Port Ellen Harbour

Port Askaig with Jura across the Sound of Islay

Life on Colonsay about 100 years ago

The Riasg Buidhe Cross by the well of St. Oran,
Colonsay House.

Colonsay House, Colonsay.
The oldest parts of the building date back to the 1720s

South view from near Kildonan. Pladda and lighthouse with Ailsa Craig in the distance.

Towards 'The Bastion' near Goat Fell

Port Ellen Harbour, Islay.

A very rainy and miserable ferry terminal at Brodick

This was a very special day for cycling and especially British cycling.
My morning started by cycling out to Wheelton and Hoghton to watch the cycling part of the Iron Man UK event. The cycle ride section was 3 laps of a 347.3 mile course running through Rivington, Belmont, Abbey Village, Euxton and Adlington, making a total length of 112miles. The competitors were of all types. Obviously the super fine intent on winning and also the majority who just wanted to take part and finish.

There was a party atmosphere to cheer the competitors past the Hoghton Arms.

I got home and after doing some work in the garden watched the final part of the last stage of the Tour de France live. It was the most unbelievable display of cycling and especially British cycling I’ve ever seen. Bradley Wiggins had been wearing the yellow jersey since the second time trial but now he was going to keep it as he reached the finishing line on the Champs Elysees, Paris. The unknown was if Mark Cavendish could manage to continue his run of final stage victories. To see Mark win in such amazing style was incredible. My heart was thumping as I watched him cross the line.

Mark Cavendish shows how to win a sprint

Front view of Mark's win.
The Manx missile at full blast.

The Champs Elysees podium with
Christopher Froome 2nd, Bradley Wiggins 1st, Vincenzo Nibali 3rd

The wonderfully preserved steam engine outside Darwen’s India Mill is hard to pass without stopping to take a look. Today was no exception.

Eagley Mills on the outskirts of Bolton have been converted into apartments. If I had the money this is the sort of place I could live.

Coal Pit Road, off Scout Road, above Bolton was the site of a mass trespass in 1897 after the local landowner decided he’d keep the moorland for himself and friends for shooting. Bolton people had other ideas. This photo shows the gate where the trespass took place. The illustration below is from a newspaper article in 1897

One major problem with the picturesque roads around Rivington is that motorcyclists use them for racing. It is dangerous and scary if you are a normal cyclist being passed by a roaring motorcycle at speeds approaching 100mph. This motorcyclist was lucky when he raced round New Road in Rivington. He escaped with minor injuries when he failed to get round the bend and hit the barrier. Luckily there was nobody else in the way.

After and easy drive to Nenthead in Cumbria I set off on my bike to ride over some of the high moorland roads in the area. The B6294 is off the main road and a nice quiet route to get to the busier A686. The road is a steady climb to the NE on its way to Haydon Bridge. A lovely 7km descent followed where I could free wheel most of the way and take in the magnificent scenery. Near the valley bottom I took a sharp right to follow the minor road to Ninebanks and the impressive gatehouse tower.

 

On the road from Spartylea to Nenthead.

The National Monument record says it is an early 16th century grade II tower house, situated on the right bank of the River West Allen. The tower is all that remains above ground level of a once much larger house, as it was originally attached to the eastern gable of an earlier building. The tower is thought to have functioned as a lookout tower. It is now roofless and stands four storeys high but it is thought that the topmost floor is a later addition. The heraldry on the tower, now defaced, is thought to relate to Sir Thomas Dacre, ruler of Hexhamshire 1515-1526.

Ninebanks Gatehouse Tower

Further up the valley I came to Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey with opening times of 9:30-11:00 and 14:30-16:00. It had just gone 14:30 but I didn’t have any spare time to do a visit justice. Further along the valley I took a sharp left to follow the climb over Dryburn Moor and its impressive chimney. I descended to Allendale Town and a short sharp climb into the village. I turned right on to the B6295 which climbs steadily up the valley. I left the B road at Spartylea and followed the magnificent climb over Allendale Common to Coalcleugh. This road is on the official C2C Coast to Coast cycle route and several panting cyclists on mountain bikes were coming up the other way. The final climb to Black Hill took me to 610m, almost 2,000ft, before a freewheel downhill back to Nenthead. It was a superb ride over some of the best and highest moorland roads in the country.
Total distance 35.5 miles.

The blue line shows the route as recorded by the GPS unit

Route profile

This evening drove to Houghton House Farm, School Lane, Euxton to meet other members of Chorley Historical and Archaeological Society members to have a look at a stone in the garden. The owner thought it could have been part of an old cross. It was originally owned by Kevill’s grandfather (Halliwells) who lived at Houghton House until 1914. Later the Woods family were tenants who said the ‘Stone’ was reputed to have been taken to Houghton House from the centre of Euxton.
Houghton House Farmhouse is a grade II listed building. The original barn has now been converted to a separate dwelling.

In my personal view the stone is of no particular significance and very unlikely to have been part of a cross.

The stone in the garden.

Houghton House Farm front view

Houghton House Farm rear view

An old view of Houghton House Farm rear view.
Note the door on the right which has now been converted to a window.

Today there was an act of vandalism and sabotage at the Tour de France. Someone had thrown tacks on the road causing many riders to puncture.
Race leader Bradley Wiggins temporarily called a halt to competitive racing after the defending champion Cadel Evans was among those to suffer punctures.
Wiggins, who still leads by more than two minutes, slowed the pace to allow Evans to return to the group. Tour etiquette dictates that rivals do not take advantage of another rider’s misfortune.

Men of honour.

Back in April there was a similar act of sabotage at the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race when a swimmer got in the way. After the race was halted and re-started Oxford broke an oar and Cambridge seized the opportunity to race ahead and cross the line first. In this case they took full advantage of their opponent’s misfortune and showed a blatant act of unsportsmanship. Even one of the commentators was amazed they didn’t stop to allow Oxford to get another oar.
 

Hollow victory. Crossing the line first
isn't always winning.

An evening walk along the Leeds and Liverpool canal is difficult to beat. The scenery is always changing, whether due to the seasons or different barges moored by the towpath.

"The Trespass Stone was laid in September 1996 to mark the centenary of the “Winter Hill trespass”
In 1896 Colonel Richard Ainsworth, a Bolton land and factory owner, decided that he would declare Coal Pit Road as private. He wanted to keep the public off his land around Winter Hill and preserve the grouse shooting. Two locals whose names you couldn’t possibly make up, Solomon Partington and Joseph Shufflebotham, thought otherwise.
They organised a mass trespass on Sunday 6 Sept 1896.
1,000 people turned up in Bolton and by the time they reached the moor the numbers had increased to 10,000, including a brass band.

A gate off Coal Pit Road denotes the site of the 1896 Mass Trespass.

The Trespass Stone, Coal Pit Road near Bolton.

Will yo’ come o’ Sunday morning’,
For a walk o’er Winter Hill.
Ten thousand went last Sunday,
But there’s room for thousands still!

The event wasn't a complete success. Coal Pit Road wasn't declared a public right of way until June 1996, 100 years on.
However, a more famous mass trespass, on Kinder Scout, Derbyshire 36 years later in 1932, did achieve public access to the area much quicker. Both events were as a result of landowners putting the rights of their grouse shooting before those of the people.

Many thanks to the websites of Ian Charters and Paul Stanton for the above information."

It was lovely still morning so I decided to have a cycle ride via Belmont before getting on with the day’s chores. At the start of the climb past St Peter’s Church is the memorial to Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The light was ideal to photograph the memorial and also St Peter’s Church.

St Peter’s Church, Belmont

This afternoon was the garden party to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of my cousin Peter and his wife Susan. The party was originally planned to be in their garden in the village of Storth near Arnside, Cumbria. Because of recent heavy rain and an uncertain weather forecast they sensibly moved the party to the village hall. As it turned out the weather was nice and sunny so I decided to cycle there as the 46mile route is extremely picturesque and interesting. I rode at a leisurely pace to take in the views and stop to take occasional photographs.

Colourful cart in Gastang

Interesting milestone in Cabus.
Note the Roman numerals.

Judges' Lodgings, Lancaster.

After Lancaster I passed through Carnforth and made a minor detour to visit Carnforth Railway Station where several scenes from David Lean’s 1946 film ‘Brief Encounter’ were filmed.

Pedestrian suspension bridge and A589
across the River Lune, Lancaster.

The Cafe at Carnforth Railway Station

The clock at Carnforth Railway Station.
It was featured in the 'Brief Encounter' film.

Old photo of Carnforth Railway Station

In 1945 David Lean filmed his romantic classic “Brief Encounter” starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. Carnforth was chosen by the Ministry of War Transport as it was remote and safe from attack. Filming had to take place at night between 10pm and 6am so as not to interfere with daytime train operations.

Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard
in Brief Encounter

The Kent estuary from Arnside pier. In the background can be seen the
Arnside viaduct which carries the railway line. It was built in 1857

Arnside Pier was originally build by the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Company in 1860 but after storm damage in 1984 was rebuilt.

Arnside Railway Station was opened in 1858 by the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway. It was later taken over by the Furness Railway. Then in 1923 it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The station then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.

Peter and Susan's party in Storth Village Hall.

Peter and Susan's garden. The original plan was to hold the party here.
As I drove home with my brother in his car we were battered with torrential rain.
So the hall was the best place.

After a mid morning drive to Melmerby I left the car near the Village Bakery then set off on my bike to cycle up and over the A686 Hartside Pass. The road was originally designed by John McAdam in the early 1820s. The method of construction was unique being composed of multiple layers of compacted stone with the larges stones at the bottom and the smallest at the surface. He then watered and rolled the stone to form a hard wearing surface. When tar later replaced water this new construction method was named after him - tarmacadam. Now referred to as tarmac.
The gradient was constructed to a steady gradient and I didn’t need to change gear once on the 5 mile climb.

 

Hartside Top Cafe

The cafe in the 1940s.
It was called the Helm Wind Cafe then.

Hartside Summit altitude 1903ft

The gps altitude profile shows how well the Hartside pass
gradient was engineered to a constant gradient

On the approach to Hallbankgate I noticed a wayside memorial to the 1908 Roachburn Pit Disaster.
On 28 Jan 1908 the roof or face of a Coal Mine excavation driven up to a highly inclined coal seam under moorland gave way and the surface deposits of moss or peat, sand and clay, accompanied by water, poured into the mine and caused the deaths of the three men who were imprisoned by the inflow. Their bodies were not recovered.
They were:
Matthew Hilliard age 53, Robert Pattinson age 35 and James William Wharton age 21.
Near Castle Carrock the rain started with a vengeance and was soon torrential. I had about 10miles of narrow lanes partly flooded with muddy water. It’s a good job I had a full change of clothes in the car.

Roachburn Pit Disaster memorial.

The Leeds and Liverpool canal is the longest in Britain with a main line of 127.25miles. It was completed in stages, the first being in 1773 and the final link between Blackburn and Whittle-le-Woods in 1816. I have enjoyed walking along the towpath as long as I've been able to walk. I have walked the Leeds end but never the Liverpool end. Today I caught the train from Ormskirk to Sandhills, Liverpool and joined the canal towpath in pouring rain to follow it to Great Howard Street and the end of the towpath in Liverpool. The tunnel under the road links the canal with the Stanley Dock. The rain didn't dampen my enjoyment of the walk

Ormskirk Railway Station in the rain

Graffiti by the canal

Start / end of the
Leeds and Liverpool canal