General photographs by Boyd Harris

Boyd's photo diary.

2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
2020

Jan 15	Feb 15	Mar 15	Apr 15	May 15	Jun 15
Jul 15	Aug 15	Sep 15	Oct 15	Nov 15	Dec 15

Mon 30 Nov 2015

Whittle-le-Woods, St John’s C.E. Primary School looked attractive in the dark and rain while out on my morning walk. I wonder why they need all the lights on at 6am?

Factory Lane

St John's School

Fri 27 Nov 2015

Today is Lancashire Day. Lancashire Day is the county day of historic Lancashire in England. It is held on 27 November to commemorate the day in 1295 when Lancashire first sent representatives to Parliament, to attend the Model Parliament of King Edward I. Lancashire Day was first held in 1996.


I had an early start in the dark to climb to the 707m summit of Tinto to the west of Biggar. it was thick mist and strong winds.
Legent says the hill was an important Druidic ceremonial site where fires were lit in honour of their sun god Baal. The name Tinto means 'Hill of Fire'. The main summit is topped by a 45m wide cairn, one of the larges Bronze Age burial cairns in Scotland
On top of the cairn	On The trig post
Cup and chain by a spring on the way down Tinto

After Tinto I drove to New Lanark. New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, in Lanarkshire, and some 40 km southeast of Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers.

Dale built the mills there in a brief partnership with the English inventor and entrepreneur Richard Arkwright to take advantage of the water power provided by the only waterfalls on the River Clyde.

Thu 26 Nov 2015

An early start to walk from near Lauder and up Dabshead Hill Fort. I set off in the dark and arrived just as the full moon was setting then was treated to a spectacular sunrise	Sunrise

Moonset

Sunrise from the Hill Fort monolith
Hill Fort view from Google Earth
Trig Post and Monolith	Seen on the B6368 It's an old cast iron gas making retort

Soutra Aisle on the B6368 north of Lauder
Soutra Aisle is the remains of the House of the Holy Trinity, a church that was part of a complex comprising a hospital and a friary. It lies half a mile along the B6368 from its junction with the A68. The hospital was founded in 1164 by Malcolm IV

Wed 25 Nov 2015

Morning drive via M6, M74, Biggar to the Meldon Hills where I was last week. Had a pleasant walk up White Meldon, near Peebles. Passed an old settlement circle on the way to the summit hill fort and trig post. Checked out a couple more settlements on the way back to the south.
Meldon Burn
Settlement Circle
Heading north on the M6 to do some walking in Scotland. This is near Shap
Dramatic sky north of Biggar
St L.

Sun 22 Nov 2015

Early afternoon went for a walk to the Lucas Green Anti-aircraft gun base, Whittle-le-Woods that has been excavated and preserved within the new Redrow Housing development. It was excavated in Feb 2013. Access is via the A6/Dunham Dr roundabout just north of the Moss Lane junction, Whittle-le-Woods. Leave the A6 then turn left onto Dunham Road and keep going to the new Magill Close.

Gun base and pillbox

A 2013 photo with a Bofors gun superimposed to show how it may have looked in the 1940s

The information board

Sat 21 Nov 2015

Morning caught but to Preston 8am. New 125 bus Stagecoach Gold. It had very fast free Wi-Fi. At Preston Bus Station had tea in café for £1.20 then walked to Preston University of Central Lancashire, Greenbank Building, Victoria St. off Moor Ln. to series of talks on The Jacobite Rising of 1715 and the Battle of Preston in context.	The new Stagecoach Gold bus with high speed Wi-Fi

Greenbank Lecture Theatre

Cycled in to Chorley at around 18:30 to see "Astley Hall Illuminated" a special event put on by Chorley Council. It was nice to see lots of families and children enjoying the event.

Thu 19 Nov 2015

Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station.

Approaching Edinburgh through the tunnel of the 'Innocent Railway' line

St Leonard's Tunnel is believed to be Scotland's earliest tunnel on a public railway. It was excavated in volcanic rock and lined with Craigleith sandstone, with a semicircular cross-sectional top 20 feet wide, and 15 feet high at the crown; it is 566 yards long.
Construction took place from 1827 to 1830 and originally illuminated by gas lamps. It is now permanently lit by electricity as part of a cycle path project.

Mon 16 Nov 2015


Out on a cycle ride through the borders of Scotland	Preston Railway Station
Riding through the mostly deserted Mennock Pass

Wed 11 Nov 2015

At 11am several local residents gathered at the Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods War memorial to commemorate the armistice of 1918. As John’s Church clock struck 11am a 2 minutes silence was observed.

Tue 10 Nov 2015


Reached the Whitby large car park by the Abbey. Being winter there was no parking charge. The Abbey area was closed. We walked to the Church of St Mary’s then inside to see the Scoresby Chair. William Scoresby (jr) (1789–1857)	Captain Cook memorial, Whitby
Whitby Abbey
William Scoresby (Jr) (1789–1857)	Scoresby Chair
The Scoresby Chair is in St. Mary's parish church next to Whitby Abbey. It is carved in teak and taken from the wreck of the 'Royal Charter', a ship in which the Rev. W. Scoresby (jnr.) had undertaken a scientific journey to improve the effectiveness of the compass. The Royal Charter was a steam clipper which was wrecked off the beach of at Dulas Bay on the north-east coast of Anglesey on 26 October 1859. The precise number of dead is uncertain but about about 450 lives were lost.	The Royal Charter

Whitby Abbey from the graveyard of St Mary's. It was the inspiration fro Dracula.

Mon 09 Nov 2015


Yesterday (Sunday) was the formal Armistice memorial service at the Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods War memorial. I wasn't there but took these photos on my morning walk. Illumination was by an LED lamp.
Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods War memorial

Sat 07 Nov 2015

Drove to Barley Village Hall in pouring rain to the CBA (Council for British Archaeology) Autumn conference. Paid my £15 to Dot on the door.
One of the speakers was Matthew Ball from the Harris Museum Preston. He’d previously sent me an email about the Brindle Hoard. I spoke to him about it as he thinks it is a fake.
Good series or presentations about various hoards.

Barley Village Hall

Fri 06 Nov 2015


Walking by Winfields Outdoor Store near Haslingden I came across this old engine. I can't find out anything about it.

Tue 03 Nov 2015

While walking along Hadrian's Wall this morning in Northumberland I noticed a new mile castle near Walltown. It is an artwork by Dawn Knox called Simulacrum. What makes it different is that it is made of old books & designed to deteriorate by rain, sun & plant growth. There were some nice old encyclopaedias in it so letting them rot is something I can't agree with

It's called:

The adjacent paper notice says the following
Simulacrum by
Dawn Felicia Knox
A new Milecastle has arisen on Hadrian's Wall built not of stone but of books — obsolete encyclopaedias have become the cornerstones and redundant laws journals the archways. We are using books to acknowledge the introduction of literacy to Britain by the Romans. It is because the Romans brought literacy here that we know so much about Hadrian's Wall and those who lived there. Simulacrum is an art installation conceived by Dawn Felicia Knox and the Hadrian Arts Trust. It reflects elements of Hadrian's Wall in a new way and brings to the fore questions of impermanence and preservation at Walltown where the original wall was long quarried out. The project is supported by the Northumberland National Park and Arts Council England.

Mon 02 Nov 2015


It's been surprisingly warm for the time of year. This afternoon escaped for a local walk around Whittle-le-Wood	North Bank farm
Along the line of the old filled in Lancaster Canal