Boyd's photo diary. |
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Tue 31 Jan 2017
Out for a bike ride.
The road subsidence work near Brandwood Fold, Wheelton continues
but is now nearly finished. |
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Repair work at Mon 9 Jan 2017 |
Repair work at this morning |
I continued my ride to Fenscowles |
Feniscowles Hall seen from the road |
The Hall before decay |
In 1812, Sir William Feilden built Feniscowles Hall on a piece
of land surrounded on two sides by the River Darwen and
protected at the rear by a steep rock face.
The Manor of
Feniscowles was purchased in 1798 by Sir William Feilden (1772 -
1850) from a Thomas Ainsworth. Sir William was the 3rd son of
Joseph Feilden and Margaret Leyland of nearby Witton Park who
made their fortune in the cotton industry. In 1812 he built
Feniscowles Hall on a piece of land surrounded on two sides by
the River Darwen and protected at the rear by a steep rock face.
Sir William, also a cotton manufacturer, became MP for Blackburn
in 1832 - 1847 for both Liberal and latterly Conservative. He
was ennobled in 1846 as 1st Baronet Feilden of Feniscowles. He
died in 1850.
His second son was the Arctic explorer Henry
Wemyss Feilden (1838 - 1921)
The 1851 census shows Lady
Feilden and 9 servants at the Hall. The eldest son, William
Henry succeeded to the Baronetcy but later bitterly complained
about the pollution that was fouling the River Darwen. He lost a
long dispute with the Local Health Board and moved to
Scarborough in 1877, dying in 1879.
The Hall remained empty
for some time with attempts made to use it for functions such as
weddings. By 1930 it was left to decay and this was exacerbated
with the advent of World War 2 when lead from the roof was used
for the war effort. Decay continued leaving the ruined shell
that remains today.
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Part of my route was along Audley Range, Blackburn. I stopped
briefly at number 331 to pay homage to A. Wainwright, a special
fell-wanderer who was born 110 years ago this month.
He was
("A.W.")
Alfred Wainwright MBE (1907 – 1991) a British fell walker,
author and illustrator.
His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to
the Lakeland Fells published between 1955 and 1966 are still the
standard reference work for 214 of the fells of the English Lake
District. Other have tried to copy or improve on his work but
nobody has come near. |
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Mon 30 Jan 2017
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Morning made sandwiches for lunch time walk. Walked via Carwood
Lane and on to Birchin Lane to photograph St Helens Well Stone
Cross monument. Walked along newly surfaced paths through
Whittle Spinney and past the Old Lime Kiln. Home alone Chorley
Old Road. |
St Helens well Stone Cross monument |
Limekiln and path |
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Sun 29 Jan 2017
On a bike ride this afternoon I called to see the War Memorial
at Lostock Hall |
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Sat 28 Jan 2017
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On my Saturday evening walk I took this photo of the Top Lock
Pub by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It is interesting to note
that it contains three Parishes. The canal bridge parapet is in
Whittle-le-Woods, the canal and Top Lock Pub are in Heapey and
the towpath to the right is Brindle. |
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Rain this morning for my walk |
Preston Road A6 |
Dolphin Brow, Chorley Old Road |
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Fri 27 Jan 2017
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Early this morning there was a terrible fire that gutted ‘The
George’ pub on the corner of St Thomas’s Road and Market Street
Chorley. Fortunately nobody was hurt. Many people passing
commented on the ‘Real Fires – Warm Welcome’ notice to the right
of the door. At its height eight fire engines from across the
North West attended the blaze. |
The George pub |
'Real Fires – Warm Welcome’ |
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Thu 26 Jan 2017
Whittle-le-Woods, Millstone Monument this morning |
The same view exactly 4 years ago
Sat 26 Jan 2013 |
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Wed 25 Jan 2017
This morning I visited a very special Ordnance Survey Trig Post
to the east of Brough, Cumbria.
It is the ‘Last Post’ and
marks the end of a 26 year project to re-survey Great Britain.
On it a plaque reads:
Ordnance Survey - Thorny Gale.
The
last observations for the retriangulation of Great Britain were
made at this Trigonometrical Station by Mr F.A.P. Joyce in the
4th June 1962.
There are 11,678 such stations and the first
observations were made at Cold Ashby in Northamptonshire on the
18th April 1936. |
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Tue 24 Jan 2017
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An early morning frosty walk along Factory Lane. |
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Sun 22 Jan 2017
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Loch Quoich dam built in 1955 measures 38m high and 320m
long. |
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Sat 21 Jan 2017
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The view from Sgurr Mhaoraich (1,027m) above Loch Quoich looking
east. |
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Fri 20 Jan 2017
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On my way to Scotland to do some walking. |
Glen Coe |
Loch Quoich hydro reservoir |
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Wed 18 Jan 2017
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Time starts here. Have you wondered where Britain’s national
time signal comes from?
At Anthorn, on the Solway Coast, Cumbria are three atomic
clocks and an antenna system of thirteen masts, each 227m (745ft)
tall. If you have a radio controlled clock or domestic appliance
that sets its own time then this is where the signal is
transmitted. |
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View across the Solway Coast to
Scotland |
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Tue 17 Jan 2017
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This afternoon did a gig at Abbot Hall,
Grange-over-Sands. Showed my Dhaulagiri trek. |
Abbot Hall |
Who’d have thought a low level view
of a manhole lid could look picturesque? |
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Sun 15 Jan 2017
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I was stuck in the house most of the day due to rain but by
evening the rain eased and I went for a bike ride through Heapey
and up Chapel Lane. As I was passing St Barnabas Church I
noticed the floodlights made it look picturesque in the mist so
I stopped to take some photos. |
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The original church dates
back to the mid-16th century and is said to have been rebuilt
1740, enlarged in 1828 and partly rebuilt again 1865.
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Ceremonial Trowel still exists with the inscription "Presented
to Richard Wood Esq Brinscall Hall on the occasion of his laying
the corner stone of the enlarged Church of St Barnabas in the
Parish of Heapey 27th August 1864" |
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Sun 14 Jan 2017
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It was very atmospheric for a dark rainy morning walk before
breakfast |
Factory Lane in the early morning
rain |
The footpath between St John's and
Church Hill, Whittle-le-Woods |
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Sat 14 Jan 2017
Night view of Carwood Lane footpath by torch light |
Hill Park on this evenings walk |
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Fri 13 Jan 2017
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It’s Friday the 13th, there’s been some snow and what is left is
freezing on the roads and pavements. I was quite slippery on my
morning walk through Whittle-le-Woods so as Sgt Phil Esterhaus
used to say on the TV series Hill Street Blues - 'Hey, let's be
careful out there' |
What happens when you try and take a photo in a snow blizzard |
Outside St John's School,
Whittle-le-Woods |
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Thu 12 Jan 2017
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Low level rainy view of Factory Lane, Whittle-le-Woods. |
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Wed 11 Jan 2017
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Walking along the coast near Silloth
I stopped to eat my sandwiches and watch the sun trying to break
through the clouds |
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Mon 09 Jan 2017
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The
A674 Higher Wheelton near Brandwood Fold being repaired |
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A674 Moulden Brow, newly painted boundary marker Mar 2012 |
The same bounday marker this afternoon |
I often stop at the bridge on Factory Lane,
Whittle-le-Woods to peer over the parapet into the River Lostock. While on this
morning’s walk I thought I’d take a photo showing the river,
bridge and drain discharge pipes using the street lights and my
torch to illuminate the foreground. |
Factory Lane, Whittle-le-Woods |
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Sat 07 Jan 2017
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A dark foggy morning is not good for driving but can be very
enjoyable for a walk and sometimes provides interesting
photographic opportunities. This morning’s walk through
Whittle-le-Woods was a bit drizzly but felt relatively warm at
7degC. |
The top of School Brow |
St John's Churchyard |
Waterhouse Green & we still have our
Christmas Tree |
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Fri 06 Jan 2017
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The Whittle-le-Woods Christmas Tree on Waterhouse Green. |
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Thu 05 Jan 2017
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The ISS (International Space Station) is now visible most
mornings as it passes overhead. The ISS orbits at an average
altitude of 248 miles above the Earth and circles the globe
every 90 minutes at a speed of about 17,500 mph. This photo was
taken this morning as is descended into the east above St John’s
Church, Whittle-le-Woods. The ISS is the short diagonal line to
the right of the church and not the jet trail across the full
width of the photo. |
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After the earlier clear morning I went for a sunny
walk up to Great Hill |
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Wed 04 Jan 2017
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A view of trees by the River Dee between Sedbergh and Dent then
converted of painting effect. |
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Sun 01 Jan 2017
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My night was spent in my tent on the summit of Hurst Hill above
White Coppice so I had a good view of the New Year firework
displays. |
Firework display across Chorley seen
from Hurst Hill |
My first coffee of 2017 |
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Gloomy morning view of Winter Hill |
The same view on Jan 01 2010 |
Distant view of Black Combe, Cumbria
53 miles away. |
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