Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
The Historic England entry........" Roman forts served as permanent bases for auxiliary units of the Roman Army. In outline they were straight sided rectangular enclosures with rounded corners, defined by a single rampart of turf, puddled clay or earth with one or more outer ditches. Some forts had separately defended, subsidiary enclosures or annexes, allowing additional storage space or for the accommodation of troops and convoys in transit. Although built and used throughout the Roman period, the majority of forts were constructed between the mid first and mid second centuries AD. Some were only used for short periods of time but others were occupied for extended periods on a more or less permanent basis. In the earlier forts, timber was used for gateways, towers and breastworks. From the beginning of the second century AD there was a gradual replacement of timber with stone. Roman forts are rare nationally and are extremely rare south of the Severn Trent line. As one of a small group of Roman military monuments, which are important in representing army strategy and therefore government policy, forts are of particular significance to our understanding of the period. All Roman forts with surviving archaeological potential are considered to be nationally important. Although the monuments have been bisected by the building of the railway, much survives undisturbed. The two forts which exist on a single site illustrate the development of construction and design of this rare monument type. Details The monument includes two Roman forts, one within the other and together known as Burwen Castle. The earlier fort lies within the later one and dates from about AD 70-80. It includes a square clay rampart, enclosing an area of the higher ground. The larger fort, which dates from about AD 210, is roughly oblong and has a stone rampart. The forts are bisected by a disused railway line. The main portion of the monument is located within the field to the north. The ramparts of the earlier fort rise to a height of 0.22m above ground level. Stones project through the turf indicating a stone or rubble base probably with turf on top. The eastern rampart is indistinct and the southern rampart has been destroyed by the railway line. The interior is fairly level and there are no buildings surviving visibly, although remains of them will survive beneath the turf. The later fort survives best on the western side where the rampart is most distinct. It appears to have consisted of a stone wall surmounted by turf and an embankment behind. A dip in the rampart may indicate a western gateway. Beyond it is an outer fortification or external traverse in the form of a slight bank running parallel to it. There also appears to be an extension of the western rampart running down to Earby Beck. The north rampart of the later fort survives as a ledge running along the hillside. On the eastern side the ground falls away and what appears to be a stone step marks the outer rampart. Part of the southern rampart has survived in the field to the south of the disused railway track." We then set off on our walk around Elslack......using country lanes and tracks (very muddy). We noted the Great Barn at Elslack Hall Farm...." Large barn, 1672. Coursed rubble with stone slate roof. Very long but entirely rectangular and quite narrow. Quoins to left hand end but right hand gable recently rebuilt. The fabric is mainly original for a section near the centre with sliding door. The major openings are: chamfered doorway partly formed from quoins; doorway with head of 2 stones making Tudor arch; 2 chamfered cart entries with elliptical heads, the first of which is answered by another opposite. Breathers. Over the first cart entry is an inscribed stone with RB (for Benson?) and date. The rear wall is obscured by cattle sheds. Inside the barn has been subdivided by stone walls and the roof renewed with sawn trusses to the southern part, but heavy king-post trusses with angle struts remain at northern end." We walked up the drive a little way to Elslack Hall. "Manor house, probably C16 with C18 alterations and late C19 or early C20 refacing after fire. Rubble with stone slate roof. What survives is a small house of 2 cells with cross-wing to right, a rear wing to left having been demolished after the fire. At this time the rear wall was made flush and pebbledashed with large windows. The north front has quoins. Two storeys. Openings of several forms and dates, notably at ground floor in centre small twin lancets which may be medieval." Lunch at the 17th Century Tempest Arms was good....an interesting little walk in beautiful country.
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We had only been to the Lowry to see Lowry paintings before, so going to the theatre was a whole new experience. Terrific it was too. Beforehand there was an Open Art Exhibition to see. Interesting. And the production itself was magical. We had no idea that the Company as is was the old Sadlers Wells Company. Booking with handy pre-paid parking was useful.
We parked at ASDA £6 all day with JustPark very convenient, walked along the canal for 200 yards and we were there. I'd always wanted to visit the Velodrome after much watching of cycling at the last Olympics, and what a great day we had. The Arena itself behind the scenes was spotlessly clean with good catering outlets and plenty of interest. The arena itself was magnificent. Fortuitously I had arranged our seats exactly by the start line and we were so close to the action it was almost unbelievable. We saw a variety of races including paralympian ones and to be honest it was difficult to tell the difference apart from say seeing the odd one-legged athlete get into place. A really good mix. One of the highlights was seeing Jennie Holl be within a couple of feet of lapping the field in the 10km race. In total, 10 national champions were crowned throughout the day.
But first, Man City 3 - Brentford 1. Aiisha was here for some ice skating lessons in the (very cold for spectators) arena. I thought she improved enormously in 3 lessons particularly in confidence. Brunch one day at The Mill. We went to the Poo exhibition at Manchester Science Museum (where I learned a lot). On the way to the bus we saw this blue post box. The only other one is at Windsor Castle and at Katherine's suggestion an entry for 'Secret Manchester'. Afflek's was not a great success, but interesting. Later F. and I drove to Harrogate and saw an area around the Carnegie Library we didn't know about complete with alms houses and gardens and nurses' hall... We were here to see 'The Taste of Things' with Juliette Binoche, a super movie at a super venue the luxorious Everyman.
As well as enjoying lovely Lytham....... .....we walked along the front at St Annes which was much much nicer than we estimated - so another find!
Lovely Sunday lunch on our way - at The Church Inn Mobberley.... On the way to our house in Handbridge a Sold sign on our favourite property.... Reasonable terrace, wrong area. Great flat with a view of the walls and tower, but with tenant til year end... Good area of flats and houses heading up the canal from Telford's Warehouse.... Chester much quieter than York would be.... Flats in Steam Mill developments and...... Water Tower area, both near Waitrose... Tap room/pub in late medieval great hall on the first floor of the building....the Brewery Tap Lower Bridge Street. Chester Market..... Lovely walk in the Meadows on our last morning..... On the way back we called in Great Budworth.... The George and Dragon...
Three days in Manchester to research 'Secret Manchester'. Here The Soldiers' Gate at Victoria Station. Then to the Charter Street Ragged School. And the adjoining Angel Meadow burial ground... The newly creayed Sadler's Yard. The square was named after James Sadler, a balloonist, chemist and pastry chef who made the first manned balloon flight from Manchester in 1785. Tib Street for its terracotta birds... Street poetry by Lemn Sissay the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, and Chancellor of the University of Manchester from 2015 until 2022. Tariff Street where spinners once spun and sewers sewed.... 79 Piccadilly with its strange Alpine figures... Above St Margaret's Chambers on Piccadilly.... The Police Museum... Amazing survivors - 4, 6 and 8 Bradley Street. 'Victory Over Blindness'..... The oldest warehouse in Manchester at Dale Street... Murray Mills.... Spring Gardens Post Office.... Some of the iconic buildings on King Street - difficult to photograph. De Quincey's birthplace... Central Library.... Roof and Shakespeare Window.... Midland Hotel... Where Rolls met Royce.... 'Adrift'...why? Manchester? Inside the old Free Trade Hall... Badge of Manchester Grammar.... The Tower of LIght (flues!)..... Engels. The Armitage Terracotta workshop, on Laystall Street, is a grade-II listed building which opened in 1879. Back of Avro. Built in 1825 and overlooking the Rochdale Canal, Grade II* Listed, Avro was once home to A.V. Roe & Co., Britain's first aeroplane manufacturer. Murray's Mills. Royal Mill. 'Cast No Shadow' perhaps an homage to the Oasis album of that name Street signs Northern Quarter...The signs, white on blue for the streets running East/West and blue on white for the streets running North/South, give the area its own identity. London Road Fire Station.... Papier mache Observatory. Alan Turing. Richmond tea rooms.... Hidden nuclear bunker and tunnels Emily Pankhurst. Peterloo floor. Back of Quakers Meeting House where some were crushed to death at Peterloo... Lincoln Square,,,In supporting Lincoln and the Union, Manchester working people selflessly put their principles ahead of their economic self-interest. Many dies of starvation. Lincoln wrote a letter on 19 January 1863 to thank the people of Manchester for their support. The 'Hidden Gem'... Dalton Arcade. St Anne's Church. The 'Centre' of Manchester. Egyptian columns Salford Central. Bloom Street....Model Lodging House and former Gas Board offices Black Horse. Former Chapel Street Police Station is located on a peninsula-shaped piece of land between Chapel Street and the Salford Approach to the former Exchange Station.
A walk in the Sculpture Park showed the Ribble as high as we have seen. We saw a caudal fin of what must have been a very large salmon indeed....the remains of a meal on the bank? A couple of days later a 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield in the Cup. The man next to me had a large bet riding on the score being 6-0.......
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August 2023
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