Fairy Battery,Turton and Entwistle reservoir,Bolton -3 to - 6c no Snow!

This is our third blog with places with the name of Fairy in them 

the other two are 

http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/2010/09/trou-des-fees-fairy-caves-virton.html

fairy caves -Trou des fees ,this was in Virton Belgium

http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/2010/11/family-walk-fairy-steps-boulder-climb.html

Fairy steps -this was in Beetham ,Cumbria 

me walking on ice 

there is water flowing underneath this ice I am staying to the safe parts !

ice crystals  

in the quarry  

can you see me ? advantage of Hi visibility clothing !

memorial bench  by Bolton Holiday fellowship

memorial bench 

http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/about-us

http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/get-involved/activity-clubs

link to Bolton's HF

memorial bench in memory to Craig Tuppen

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/483239
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/424991
these are better photos!!! 

 Fairy Battery, an outcrop of rock popular with climbers.  The site was the secret meeting place of non-conformist worshippers in the 17th century.  Opposite the outcrop on the other side of the stream is a quarry complex with extensive mine caverns, now filled in. - taken from Blackburn and Darwen council site 

me on top of Fairy Battery, I am being careful as there is a big drop on the other side!!!

climbing up a boulder  this was slippy and covered with ice 

very little to grip onto !

??? ditches they just seemed to be filled with water ?

bell pit -we had seen this from Cranberry moss
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44053027
right hand side of photo

we saw  several mines around the top of Fairy Battery.
http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/2010/11/cranberry-moss-bull-hill-darwen-old.html
our last adventure was to Cranberry moss last weekend

giant icicles

some of the rock outcrops  in this area 

some of the sites about the reservoir 

http://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/walking_turton_and_entwistle_reservoir_1_84828

http://www.northturton.com/walks_res.html

http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=767

http://wapedia.mobi/en/Entwistle,_Lancashire

http://www.entwistlefamily.org.uk/local_history.htm

http://www.unitedutilities.com/Wayohreservoirs.aspx

http://www.sanoodi.com/routes/fairy-battery-entwistle-303810/

Spooky Wilderswood in the dark at -4 to -6 C, Winter Hill,Horwich,

Note from Dad :

Route early evening in complete darkness  -4c through to -6c with ice found on the path and rocks, we are also testing new high visibility clothing, new strobe safety equipment on a clearly defined path,  this area and route is known to me and Jake in both  poor weather conditions and at night, both Children have previously  experienced temperature's down to - 21C on a regular basis in winter when they lived abroad - basic family activities like going  to the supermarket from the car have to be done at -21C ,  Both Jake and Evie have multiple high performance layers on them to undertake this walk , we have online GPS tracking. we take our safety very seriously! Please be careful now the weather is getting colder and it is getting darker ,

http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/search/label/wilderswood

some of previous Blog posts exploring in this area 

this is my new coat 

the back of my new coat -we are testing the strobe lights and the increased reflective patches 

walking  through  Wilderswood

This photo is the same doorway (looking the other way )as the Photo below - the difference being one is at  night  you need to careful - things you are familiar with look very different at night 

remember this  photo with the sheep ?

http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/2010/08/two-lads-from-wilderswood.html

SPOOKY Wilderswood

ice on the path be careful 

me and Evie having a hot drink !

our route: 

http://www.sanoodi.com/routes/wilderswood-303656/

Wilderswood Mill
http://www.about-horwich.co.uk/horwich/Wilderswood_Mill.html

walking route's in this area
http://prestonwalkies.blogspot.com/2007/04/wilderswood-and-winter-hill.html
http://www.middle-age-shred.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15988&start=0

Underneath this route ;)
http://www.d.lane.btinternet.co.uk/wilders1.html
http://www.d.lane.btinternet.co.uk/wilders3.html

One of our routes
http://www.sanoodi.com/routes/wilderswood-294070/

some of the Birds in this area -
http://www.manchesterbirding.com/horwichmoorssiteguide.htm

Good ideas for day time Heritage trails in this area
http://www.horwichheritage.co.uk/publications.htm

History of Rockhaven castle - old house on this site before the wood
http://www.about-horwich.co.uk/horwich/Rockhaven_Castle.html

Cranberry Moss, Bull Hill, Darwen, - Old mines,Quarries and Old Brickwork site ?.

Stone quarry
Note from Dad this was in line with the mines found later but no sign of any coal mine waste

on top of the quarry

looking towards the mines 

hot chocolate on top of a mine waste tip

can you see Darwen tower ? and me of course !

to collect water ? 

on top of a yet another  mine

mine entrances 

stone sleeper ?

to another  mine  -in line with the quarry

long stone - part of the mine ?

I love hot chocolate -see the bricks?  - another old mine 

another mine shaft

DANGEROUS BOG-KEEP OUT

Bull Hill Brickworks ?

brick kiln 

http://jakeofwinterhill.blogspot.com/2010/11/disused-turton-moor-collierybrickworks.html

see the picture of the Bull Hill Brick from this Kiln ?

two deer can you see them ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Roe_Deer

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/roe-deer

last of the mines we saw - we came across around 32 old mines -too many to inspect each one

more photos on my http://www.panoramio.com/user/4875445

reasons for this area being full of mines ?

"The Entwistles used to sink little pits on Cranberry Moss, They were what was called Darwen yard mines .just a  few yards deep, coals were bought up by windlass, and sent to Turton, there was  fighting amongst the men. Some of them were too lazy to go down for coal, but when it was brought up they would fight for its ownership"

http://www.blacksnape.co.uk/history/blacksnape.pdf

referance to Darwen yard mines

http://cottontown.org/page.cfm?LANGUAGE=eng&pageID=1251

Our route 

http://www.sanoodi.com/routes/cranberry-moss-bull-hill-darwen-303478/

weather Cold  below 4c, High chill factor, Jake is now in winter grade clothing , we have changed Jakes socks to include a  waterproof /Breathable layer plus thermal layer, He has brand new Walsh PB's for increased traction.

Useful links 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Darwen

Information about the River Darwen which starts on Cranberry Moss

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=1979-11-13a.1136.5

Bull hill maternity hospital

http://www.winnersh.demon.co.uk/Family_History/fhisch1.htm

reference to mining at Cranberry moss

http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?LANGUAGE=eng&pageID=1261

fireclay accidents - mines on cranberry moss

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cmhrc/lom08lan.htm

reference to mine in this area 

RSPB Geltsdale, New venture drift/Howgill collery and Forest head lime works

 

New venture drift -wast tip

"Howgill Colliery - Another early Thompson project was the Howgill Colliery which was a drift connected to the Blacksyke Branch near Forest Head. Howgill was closed in 1880 but sections of it were worked many decades later to help boost the dwindling coal resources. In 1919 the Naworth Coal Company was again considering fresh mining activities closec to the old Howgill Colliery and the Venture drift was reopened beside the Gairs Branch south of Forest Head which entered the Howgill seam this was called the New Venture Drift. At its peak in 1923 it employed 46 below ground and 16 on the surface and finally closed in 1934".
taken from http://www.cumbria-railways.co.uk/brampton_railway_mines.html

pipes from the mine -these are used to vent gases from tunnels

entrance to the drift mine  -taken from the top of the drift entrance

we heard  water which sounded like it was from a  hollow tunnel -one of the other entrances to the drift mine!

railway cutting  to Gains colliery  disused  

a wall - look carefully a pipe !

a pipe to fill the water tank in the  steam trains ?

a water tank - pipe to the railway cutting  + valve found to control the water flow

a rainbow 

capped mine shaft

mine waste tip

red lichen flower found on mine waste tip

forest head lime works,

very windy and wet on the ground

lime kilns

info about Lime Kiln's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_kiln

inside a lime kiln

mine ?

Railway loading bay

railway cutting disused

lime kiln waste

kirkhouse brick

RSPB Geltsdale -back at last 

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/g/geltsdale/

Weather: very wet ,windy high chill factor very strong winds which were very gusty visibility generally good  though, very tiring to be out and about on the high fells so we kept to the lowland parts , we will come back to this area.

Links to local area 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/respb-geltsdale.html#cr

http://www.northpennines.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=12999

http://www.northpennines.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9091

Local places to shop 

http://www.alstoncraftworkers.co.uk/

http://www.made-in-northumberland.co.uk/

http://www.madeincumbria.co.uk/

local photo 

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1539500

route 

http://www.sanoodi.com/routes/geltsdale-mines-and-quarries-302340/