The Aqueduct carrying the Bowland Main was designed by the civil engineer William Booth Bryan for the Blackburn corporation and opened in 1882. It carries water from the Brennand and Whitendale rivers to Fishmoor reservoir above Blackburn in Lancashire. A section of the aqueduct is visible near Dunsop Bridge where it crosses the river Hodder,Continue reading “Bridges over the River Hodder, Part One; The Bowland Main”
Tag Archives: #Hodder
The Water Ouzel
The Dipper, or Water Ouzel Cinclus cinclus, (cinclus originating from a Greek word ‘kinklos’, meaning ‘small’) is the British isle’s only aquatic song-bird, it is sleek yet dumpy at the same time with beautifully dark, chestnut coloured plumage and one of the finest swimmers you will ever witness. Aquatically Adept An expert swimmer the DipperContinue reading “The Water Ouzel”
The Abandoned Steam Crane in Jumbles Quarry
Stocks reservoir sits at the head of the Hodder valley in Lancashire and was constructed over the latter half of the 1920s, opening in July 1932, you can read about the history of the reservoir here; Sources of Stone For the construction of the dam and its many associated buildings, culverts, causeways, bridges etc nearbyContinue reading “The Abandoned Steam Crane in Jumbles Quarry”
Unnatural Histories, The Witches Way to Lancaster
It is over Four Hundred years since the infamous Pendle Witch Trials at Lancaster where the accused twelve were taken to be sentenced and hanged in 1612. In that fateful year, between the 17th and 19th of August, Eleven people went to trial on suspicion of practising witchcraft, it should have been Twelve but theContinue reading “Unnatural Histories, The Witches Way to Lancaster”
Daubenton’s Bat Myotis daubentonii
As the nights draw in and the trees begin to lose their leaves some of our countryside’s lesser-seen creatures become more apparent, nocturnal or crepuscular animals like bats for example, which can be seen more readily against the dusk sky as they flit about hunting for moths and midges. On a country lane the smallContinue reading “Daubenton’s Bat Myotis daubentonii“
Unnatural Histories, The Fairy hole Caves at Whitewell
Lancashire isn’t exactly well known for its caves, with neighbouring Yorkshire enjoying all the potholing fun, but the edge of the Limestone reefs that underlie the North Yorkshire moors, which are famous for their extensive cave systems, do show their face again one last time in Lancashire before disappearing beneath the shale and gritstone ofContinue reading “Unnatural Histories, The Fairy hole Caves at Whitewell”
Autumn, the “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”
Traditionally autumn starts at the autumnal equinox, which falls on the 23rd of September this year, ‘equinox’ meaning ‘equal nights’ as the day and night are of equal length. This event is highly significant to many cultures, to the Pagans it has the name Mabon, after the Celtic sun-god, to the ancient Greeks and theContinue reading “Autumn, the “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness””
Bridges over the river Hodder; Cromwell’s Bridge
The elegant and enigmatic arches of Cromwell’s Bridge cross the river Hodder at Great Mitton and are all that remain of a bridge originally commissioned by Sir Richard Shireburne and other locals in 1561 to enable the Anglican parishioners of Mitton Church, which the Shireburn family also built, to cross the river to go toContinue reading “Bridges over the river Hodder; Cromwell’s Bridge”
Northwest Nature and History 