St. Mary's Island

St. Mary's Island is just off the Tyneside coast near to Whitley Bay. It is connected to the shore by a causeway, accessible at low tide. The lighthouse was constructed in 1898 and continued to operate until 1984; it is now a visitor centre.

The island was originally called Bates Island after its owners. A medieval chapel dedicated to St. Helen once stood here and a graveyard alongside was the burial ground of monks. In the 19th century George Ewen ran an inn, the Square and Compass. Complaints about trespass and rowdy behaviour led the then landlord to evict the publican.
During the 1930' and 40's there was a cafe and shop for the visitors. The owners lived on the island as did the two lighthouse keepers. Facilities were very basic. Lighting was by oil lamps and water came either from a well or was collected from the rooftops.

Visiting the island is free of charge but be aware of the tides. You may have a three or four hour wait if you are stranded. There is small admissin fee for the visitor centre


Watercolour painting by David Easton

Poet's Corner, Manchester

Poet's Corner, Long Millgate, Manchester.
In the nineteenth century, the Sun Inn became the meeting place for a group of poets who came to be known as "The Sun Inn Group". They went on to launch the Lancashire Author's Association and published an anthology "The Festive Wreath" in 1842 which included contributions from more than a dozen writers. Licensee at that time was William Earnshaw, a well educated gentleman who encouraged his literary patrons. The Sun was opposite what is now the main entrance to Chethams. Just a little further along on the left stood The Old Swan.
The photograph has been digitally coloured from a black and white image.

Consall Forge, Staffordshire

The decrepit station buildings still stood alongside the line at Consall in Staffordshire. Occasional quarry trains would rumble through the narrow valley.
This was many years before heritage steam trains returned and long after passenger services had ceased. One of the waiting rooms and the platform precariously overhung the Caldon Canal which ran alongside the railway.

Consall Station

The Black Lion pub saw few customers, mostly walkers at the weekends. Road access was through private land, forbidden to strangers and usually even to the publican.
Beer had once been delivered by passenger train. After calling at the station, the train would reverse to the doors of the pub where driver andfireman would refresh themselves while the barrels were unloaded and passengers waited patiently.

Nearby was the old flint mill which was used to grind materials for Stoke on Trent's pottery industry. Built in 1830 by John Leigh, this had originally been driven by three waterwheels.  Modernisation had seen these replaced by water turbines, the source of power
being the Caldon Canal.  Curiosity got the better of me and a few turns of a handle saw the ancient machinery spring into life. In the 1970's the mill was still in regular production.

Consall Flint Mill

There is a further relic of the past in the form of four limekins. These date from the early 19th century, the coal and limestone having been delivered by canal. 

The Caldon canal, opened in 1778 had fallen into disuse. At Consall it joined with the river Churnet. It was restoreed to full navigation in the 1970's.

Edgar Wood. Manchester Architect

Lindley Clock Tower, Huddersfield

Edgar Wood (1860 - 1935) is perhaps not well known outside of his native Manchester yet he was a leading proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement and was responsible for some notable buildings. His greatest triumph was the Church of Christ Scientist in Victoria Park. Grade 1 listed, this is one of the finest twentieth century buildings in Manchester. Constructed between 1903 and 1907 it was regarded by Pevsner as one of the most original buildings of its time, anywhere. It was the first church in Britain to be constructed for the Christian Scientists and was decorated with bronze biblical lettering,an arabic organ screen and furniture designed by Wood himself. It closed as a church in 1971 and was occupied by the Edgar Wood Centre for nearly 30 years. It is once more a place of worship being a centre for the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.
At least twenty of Wood's buildings are Grade 1 or 2 listed.
Wood was also an accomplished artist and often painted in Italy, the country to which he retired. 

Church of Christ Scientist

Manchester Old Road, Middleton

Upmeads, Staffordshire

A Mediterranean Market

Discover Nottingham's Secret Chambers

In 1330 Britain was under the rule of Sir Roger de Mortimer in opposition to the King, Edward III. Mortimer was staying at Nottingham Castle and the King was also in the town. From the Brewhouse Yard, a tunnel climbs uphill to the castle. This was the route taken by the Kings men to capture Mortimer who was subsequently hanged at Tyburn.

 

Nottingham stands on soft sandstone rock which is honeycombed with man made caves, more than 540 at the last count. The history of the caves is centuries old. They have been dug as communication tunnels, warehouses, brewery and pub cellars, tanneries, skittle alley, sand mines, air raid shelters and in times of overcrowding as dwellings.
Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem claims to be the oldest pub in England having been established in 1189. A number of others challenge this claim including The Bell and The Salutation, both in the city. The building itself is only about 300 years old having been constructed on earlier foundations. The name refers to the Crusader knights who would call for refreshment on their way to the Holy Land. The "Trip" stands against the cliff face of Castle Rock and several of the rooms feature excavations into the sandstone. It is even possible to sit under a rock chimney. Beneath the pub, a network of caves dating from about 1068 once served as a brewery. These are now the cellars and tours can be made. Beware the model galleon suspended from the first floor ceiling. It carries a fatal curse - touch it at your peril. Women should be wary of sitting in the antique chair for they will surely become pregnant.
In Derby Road is the Hand and Heart public house dating from 1866. Built as a brewery, the beer was stored in the cave. The public house was soon added and apart from the addition of a conservatory to the first floor terrace, has been little altered. Many of the public areas are underground. Enjoy your refreshments in a cave.
The Park is a large, exclusive residential estate, largely developed in Victorian times on land which was once the Castle deer park. The Park, partly gated, is still gas lit. The main pedestrian access is by a tunnel through the sandstone. Midway along is a stairway leading to the street above. Originally constructed for horsedrawn carriages the road was found to be too steep. A number of the houses have follies in the form of eloborate staircases leading to tunnels which lead to their gardens. Wealthy lace manufacturer, Thomas Herbert went one better. His cave features a number of statues carved from sandstone depicting "Daniel in the Lions' Den".
In the area of Mansfield Road a number of sand mines were dug. Several were on a commercial scale and the handworked produce was carried to the surface by donkey. Rouse's sandmine was the largest, about 200 metres in length. It was worked until 1810 and supplied an a nearby glass works. The mine was re-opened in the 1890's as a tourist attraction "Robin Hood's Mammoth Cave". A number of houses nearby had tunnels from their basements, directly into the mine.
Both Shipstones Brewery and Nottingham Brewery dug large cellars. The constant temperature of 14 degrees was ideal for storing beer. 28 underground malt kilns have been recorded each being of a spherical form with adjacent access tunnels.
The original Sneinton Hermitage was a medieval religious house cut into the rock face. It had included a circular rock chapel 12 metres in circumference and 6 metres high. It was supported by 6 large pillars. The rock face, 300 metres long contained Nottingham's largest group of cave dwellings. Many of these were of two storeys with stone staircases. Windows were glazed and often shelves and cupboards were cut into the rock. Some had their own well. Diversion of a road in 1904 saw the destruction of most. A few remained and have recently been restored and are occasionally open to the public
Nottingham once had many cave dwellings brought about by the high demand for housing in a rapidly growing city. The poorer of these were reached by ladder. Living conditions were appalling and overcrowded and an act of Parliament in 1845 banned them. This did not have a immediate effect for it was perhaps another 100 years before the last homes were vacated.
Even Church Rock Cemetery has caves! Laid out in an old sandpit, the graves are interspersed with a number of rock outcrops and two areas are linked by a gated tunnel. Midway is a junction where a second tunnel leads to a number of chambers originally intended for use as catacombs. Victorian funeral fashions changed and the project was never completed.
In the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre is the entrance to the visitor attraction "City of Caves". Here can be seen the remnants of Drury Hill, a medieval district that was to become an appalling slum. Two of the caves, one of which originated in the 13th century housed a tannery There are clay lime pits and vats to be seen and the cave opens to the River Leen where the skins were washed. This cave system is one of many used in wartime as an air raid shelter. excavations were made at that time to fill protective sandbags. "City of Caves" is open daily - their website has more information : http://www.cityofcaves.com/
Most of Nottingham's caves are private property and a number are still in use, mostly for storage or as workshops. Many remain hidden under buildings and will perhaps be discovered in future years. The Nottingham Caves Survey website has much information including an interactive map. http://nottinghamcavessurvey.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Britain's historic airport

Just six miles west of Manchester, Barton is one of Britain's busiest general aviation airports.
Opened in 1930, this was the first municipal airport and boasted the first control tower in Britain; it was able to communicate with aircraft in flight. The control tower, Grade II listed has recently been renovated as have the original hanger and terminal building. Barton was preceded as Manchester's airport by a temporary airfield in Wythenshaw which opened in 1929. This operated for less than a year while the new facilities were completed and a 2 seater air charter service was offered at one shilling per mile. Passenger services operated from the start with a three times a week flight to Croydon. Within a few years Belfast, Glasgow and the Isle of Man were among new destinations.
It was soon realised that Barton did not offer scope for expansion, nor facilities for larger aircraft and by 1938 services transferred to the new airport at Ringway. The airport was used for maintainance and assembly of military aircraft during World War II and it became the destination for the only wartime air service from Ireland operated by an Aer Lingus DC3.
Barton is now owned by a Peel Group subsidiary and has been re-named City Airport. It has four grass runways and a newly equipped heliport. More than 120 aeroplanes are based there as well as a police helicopter and air ambulance. The airport encourages visitors and offers a restaurant and bar as well as a museum and aircraft viewing area. The control tower balcony is also open to the public and provides an excellent view.
Little changed since opening, Barton still looks very much like an airport of the 1930's and is often used by TV and film companies to provide a period setting.

 

 

 

 

A sea voyage on rails

"Daddy Long Legs" was its popular name; officially The Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway. It ran for just a brief period from 1896 to 1901. Was it a railway, tram, moving pier, or a boat ? A combination of all of those perhaps. The journey was regarded by law as a sea voyage and as such required a lifeboat and other safety equipment. The car had to be piloted by a registered sea captain so the driver was a master mariner.
It ran on tracks 18 feet laid on concrete sleepers firmly anchored to the sea bed. Pylons were installed on the landward side of the line and these supported the wires that carried the electric supply. The car named Pioneer was 45ft long and had a central saloon. An upper deck was accessed by a staircase. The four legs were each 23ft long. The car was driven from controllers at each end of the deck.
Magnus Volk was the designer and owner of this contraption. He had opened Volk's Electric Railway along Brighton's eastern shoreline in 1883, a little narrow gauge railway still running today. His seashore railway and electric railway met at Paston Place and from there one could travel through the waves to Rottingdean a distance of 3 miles. The car would "dock" at piers at each end and the fare was 6d. It wasn't a fast journey and at high tide the underpowered electric motors struggled to make a speed of one mile per hour.
Construction started in 1894 and the railway opened in November 1896. Just a week later it was severely damaged in a storm and had to be rebuilt. The car named Pioneer had been knocked over by the waves. It wasn't until July 1897 that it re-opened. Although the line was popular it was faced with diversion in 1901. Sadly Volk could not afford to pay for the work and the line was dismantled. Although the tracks were removed, the concrete sleepers are still visible at low tide.
Brighton's Daddy Long Legs had a predecessor in San Malo, Brittany. Pont Roulant (rolling bridge) made a 200 metre crossing of the harbour and although similar to Volk's sea railway, this was chain hauled. It was more successful and operated for nearly 50 years. In 1923 it was damaged by a passing ship and closed. The open harbour mouth has now been replaced by a road and bridge.