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Boyd's photo diary.

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Jan 16 Feb 16 Mar 16 Apr 16 May 16 Jun 16
Jul 16 Aug 16 Sep 16 Oct 16 Nov 16 Dec 16
 
Sat 30 Jan 2016

After photographing the Brindle Lodge Folly last Saturday 23 Jan I returned this evening to photograph it in the dark using artificial light. The idea was to try and bring out the carvings on the stones. I also photographed the 1639 date stone which the owner had removed for security reasons.

 

 


The Tower under ivy 

 

Hand and fish

Base of the tower
Thu 28 Jan 2016

The building on the right is Navigation House. Many years ago it was the Navigation Inn on the bank of the Lancaster Canal. The canal was filled in around 1967.
The two photos below are the adjacent house. The left is how it used to look and on the right is after recent cladding and alterations.

Navigation House 

Google view 

This morning 
Wed 27 Jan 2016

I enjoyed a wet and muddy walk along the River Eden, Cumbria. North of Little Salkeld are the amazing Lacy’s Caves. They are carved into a sandstone cliff and were commissioned by Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Lacy of Salkeld Hall in the 18th century. The caves were used by Colonel Lacy as a romantic folly for entertaining his guests and the area was originally planted with ornamental gardens.
 

 

Mon 25 Jan 2016

 

This evening I gave an illustrated talk about Nepal to a group at the Mercure Foxfields Hotel near Whalley. One of the corridors had bookcase wallpaper along one side. I found it quite disturbing.

Sat 23 Jan 2016

The Brindle & Hoghton history pages on Facebook are run by local historian Steve Williams.
On Thu 21 & Fri 22 Jan 2016 he posted some fascinating old pictures of the Folly in the grounds of Brindle Lodge, off the Blackburn Preston Road, Hoghton Lane A675.
It is know locally as the "Voodoo Tower"

Brindle lodge 


Old photo of the Folly

The Folly today
 
The structure is grade 2 listed and the description is:
Folly in Grounds of Brindle Lodge Grade: II English Heritage Building ID: 184294
The listing text says:
Folly, probably early to mid C19. Red brick, red sandstone random rubble, and gritstone. Small circular tower, c.5 metres high, of random rubble, and attached at the base a small roofless enclosure of loosely Gothic intention, with 2 archways, a pointed arched window, and some ex situ fragments including a large rectangular stone with a fish carved on it, and a date stone inscribed 1639. Item is close to Preston to Blackburn railway, and may have been built in some relationship to it.

 

The structure is in the private grounds of Brindle Lodge and there is no public access to it. The following information and photographs are intended to give all the information that I obtained from my authorised visit so there is no need to try and make an unauthorised entry.
Comments on Facebook mentioned children gaining access many years ago by sneaking in by various routes. There are some public footpaths with lovely views around the area and I recently saw a local farmer who told me about the folly and how children would gain access via a bridge over the nearby railway. The bridge has now gone.
 
   
I thought the only way to investigate further was to visit Brindle Lodge and ask permission from the owner. The first time I called he wasn’t in but on Sat 23 Jan he was. He was very helpful and said it was OK to photograph the folly. To get there we had to go through a gate in a high wall and across his private garden area. The folly was still the same as shown on the old photos except the tower, which is now covered in ivy.

The Tower staircase
 
 
The main structure is a circular tower about 5 metres high with a spiral stone staircase going up the centre. It is of random stone and the oldest part of the structure, though it is not possible to say how old. The adjacent Brindle Lodge is said to date from 1809 and the tower could be from then or older.
Yates’ Map of 1786 doesn’t show it. The 6in to one mile Ordnance Survey map of 1848 shows it as just a tower. The 1892 1/2500 O.S. map shows the tower and adjacent Gothic walls attached. The walls, arches and window frames are of dressed stone with random infill and appear to be from various locations. They are not keyed in to the tower so were probably added later. The listing description mentions a date stone of 1639 which has been removed from the structure by the owner for safekeeping. The stone will have been reclaimed from elsewhere and does not date the structure.

The adjacent Brindle Lodge is also a grade 2 listed building and has a better documented history. I believe Steve will be investigating more details about it and adding them to the Brindle and Hoghton Facebook pages.
Fri 22 Jan 2016

Late morning drove to Gregson Lane, parked by the village hall and went for a walk via Gregson Lane and Brindle Lodge area. On the way I passed Arrowsmith House which has quite a history. It is a grade 2 listed building, English heritage ID: 358030. A date stone on the porch says 1700 but it is much older.
 
It is linked with the death of Saint Edmund Arrowsmith (1585 – 1628). He was one of many persecuted Jesuit Priests in Lancashire. A plaque over the door states that he offered mass in Arrowsmith House and made his escape to ‘The Moss’ near Sandy Lane where he was captured. He was taken to Lancaster Castle where on August 28th 1628 he was hanged, drawn and quartered.


Arrowsmith House 

Thu 21 Jan 2016

Had a morning cycle ride via Lostock Hall to look at the new War Memorial by the Stanifield Lane roundabout.

 

Wed 20 Jan 2016

 

While driving home from a snowy walk in Teesdale I saw this spectacular view of Blencathra and the Cumbrian fells from Hartside Pass.

Tue 19 Jan 2016

 

Bike ride via Croston and Leyland. Saw impressive new greenhouse being built on Holker Lane, Ulnes Walton.

Sun 17 Jan 2016

A Sunday evening walk along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at the Top Lock, Copthurst Lane. The Top Lock Pub is in Wheelton but the canal bridge is in Whittle-le-Woods.
I remember when it was called The Anchor.

Sat 16 Jan 2016


Chilly morning view of St Peter's Church Belmont across the Blue Lagoon


Taken on my evening walk along the Lancaster Canal
towards Town Lane, Whittle-le-Woods
(this photo was shown on the BBC TV Breakfast programme
on Sun 17 Jan 2016)

Fri 15 Jan 2016

 


Walked from Askham over to Pooley Bridge to see the site of the washed away bridge. It was one of the casualties of the December 2015 floods.


Askham in the snow

 

 

 


All that's left of Pooley Bridge

Wed 13 Jan 2016

 


Set off from Dunmail Raise and walked over Dollywagon Pike to Hevlellyn summit in the snow. Descended to Withburn to look at the Dec 2015 flood damage to the A591 road.


Helvellyn shelter stones


Helvellyn shelter stones. The temperature was -6decC

 

 


The A591 where it has been washed away by the floods

Tue 12 Jan 2016

 


Drove to Todmorden to catch the 09:50 train to Rochdale. Walked back along the Rochdale Canal to Littleborough then caught the train back to Todmorden.


Rochdale Railway Station


Rochdale Canal

Mon 11 Jan 2016

This morning’s view across the flooded field between Kem Mill Lane and the River Lostock. The Lights of the Preston Road (A6) are reflected in the flood.
Sun 10 Jan 2016

Drove to Blair Atholl and parked in car park on the approach to St Bride’s Kirk. It was still dark when I arrived so waited for light before walking to the ruins of St Bride’s. Within the vault beneath are interred the remains of John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee. Who fell at the Battle of Killiecrankie 27 July 1689, aged 46. (John Graham of Claverhouse was also known as 'Bonnie Dundee')

 


St Bride’s Kirk

 

 

 

John Graham of Claverhouse was also known as 'Bonnie Dundee'

 

Then drove to the site of the Battle of Killiecrankie and walked across the wet field to the stone memorial pillar that marks the battle location.
It reads:
In Memoriam. The Battle of Killiecrankie. 27 July 1689. The cairn marks the grave of the officers of both sides and honours all who on that day died on their duty and as became true men of valour and conscience.

 


Claverhouse stone where 'Bonnie Dundee' died

It was the first battle in the Jacobite Rising, a religious and dynastic dispute which finally ended in 1746 at Culloden. The Jacobites fought to restore the exiled Catholic King James VII of Scotland and II of England to the British throne in place of the new Protestant rulers, William and Mary.

The battle was short but expensive in human life. The dead and wounded on Mackay's side numbered 2000 and Dundee lost about 800. Although the Jacobites triumphed at Killiecrankie Dundee was killed (commander of the Jacobites) and is buried at the Old Blair Churchyard.
Sat 09 Jan 2016

Visited the abandoned clearance village of Rosal.
The township was situated on the Sutherland estates of the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland and was cleared between 1814 and 1818 by Patrick Sellar, the Sutherland estate factor. The inhabitants were moved to crofts on the coast and their land became part of a sheep farm rented to Patrick Sellar.

 After the clearances Rosal remained virtually untouched and, on account of its excellent preservation, became one of the first historic rural settlement sites to be investigated in detail. An archaeologist called Horace Fairhurst carried out excavations at the site in 1962 and published his findings in 1969.


One of the Rosal building remains

Fri 08 Jan 2016


Fort George

Morning drove to Fort George, NE of Inverness, Scotland.
It is the finest example of 18th-century military engineering anywhere in the British Isles.
Strategically positioned on a promontory jutting into the Moray Firth, the fort was intended as an impregnable army base. It was designed on a monumental scale, using sophisticated defence standards, with heavy guns covering every angle.
The Jacobite Rising of 1745–6 proved to be the last attempt by the Stewart dynasty to regain the British throne from the Hanoverians. Following the Battle of Culloden, just 8 miles (12km) from Fort George, the government introduced ruthless measures to suppress Jacobite ambitions. Fort George was one of them, named after King George II (1727–60). It was designed as the main garrison fortress in the Scottish Highlands.
Within the boundary walls was accommodation for a governor, officers, and artillery detachment and a 1,600-strong infantry garrison. It also housed more than 80 guns, a magazine for 2,500 gunpowder barrels, ordnance and provision stores, a brewhouse and a chapel.
Fort George never fired a shot in anger. Later in the 1700s, after the Jacobite threat had evaporated, the fort became a recruiting base and training camp for the rapidly expanding British Army. Many a Highland lad passed through its gates on his way to fight for the British Empire across the globe.


Seen on the drive


Entrance to the fort



 




Accommodation under the battlements





Battle of Loos
Queens own Cameron Highlanders
26 Sep 1915


Culloden 1746 


Cannon


In the chapel


Punishment was brutal


Main buildings


In the museum


After Fort George I drove to Cromarty and had a local walk. There were many rigs in the area


Cromarty


Rig near Nigg across the water

Thu 07 Jan 2016

Ruthven Barracks, near Kingussie, Scotland, are the smallest but best preserved of the four barracks built in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobite rising. Set on an old castle mound,
In August 1745 a unit of 12 British soldiers, commanded by a Sergeant Terrence Molloy of the 6th Regiment of Foot, defended the barracks against 200 Jacobites and lost just one man.

The following year Molloy surrendered to a larger force of Jacobites, commanded by John Gordon of Glenbucket.
On the day after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, 3,000 Jacobites retreated to Fort Ruthven but they were sent home by Prince Charles Edward Stuart as their situation was hopeless.
The departing Jacobites destroyed the barracks on 17 April 1746


Ruthven Barracks


Ruthven Barracks

 

 

Tue 05 Jan 2016

The Whittle-le-Woods Christmas tree on Waterhouse Green looked rather nice this morning so I took a final few photos before it comes down.

Sun 03 Jan 2016

 


Cycling over to Belmont I saw this view of
St Peter's across the Blue Lagoon

Sat 02 Jan 2016

Early evening caught the 125 bus to Marley Court near Fredericks Ice Cream. Joined the Leeds and Liverpool cabal to walk home. Took several photos of the bridges on the way using my Cree bike lamp for illumination.


Periwinkle Bridge no 74a carrying the railway over


Periwinkle Bridge no 74a


M61 Bridge


Botany Bay


Bridge 80 at Moss Lane,
Whittle-le-Woods.
 

 


Euxton Lane where the railway crosses is still flooded


Cycling through Croston there is still a lot of damaged house contents around.


Croston sandbags
Fri 01 Jan 2016

From Hurst Hill, Anglezarke I had a great view of the New Year firework displays across Chorley. Also very noisy from the exploding fireworks.


Chorley fireworks.


Winter Hill and masts 


My tent and Chorley at 1am 
 
 
 
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