Kings Highway and appeal to landowners

[Nickelson]

Hello Dont Know If YOU WILL GET THIS BUT I WAS UP HAMBLEDON & KINGS HIGHWAY TODAY AND I KNOW THAT GAMBLERS CAVES IS BEING QUARRIED HOWEVER IF YOU WANT A COUPLE OF SITES IN ACCRINGTON THEN SEND ME A PM AND I WILL GIVE YOU A CONTACT.

[donnaford]

I work at the quarry,mitchell house where gamblers caves are situated.I will speak to my father who leases the quarry.We are very safety aware at the quarry but i am sure he would be agreeable for you to come detect up there!!

[Home Grown]

Thanks donnaford that is really kind of you. Sorry it took so long to get back to you - been looking after my father who is ill, and not had much chance to get on my computer the last few weeks.

Does your father only lease the quarry land? or does he have any other land, such as pasture? Am only asking because to be honest, detecting at a quarry isnt feasable - much too hard and stony to dig.

However pasture/farm land is perfect.

Thanks again

Home Grown

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by MovedtoBolton

Gamblers Caves are about 1km East of "Spire Farm" at grid ref SD791282.
I spent several summer days up there in the mid 70's. We used to make camp fires and cook beans in the tin. Pushing the boat out or what!

Ian

I used to do that too - but in the 60s! We thought it was very adventurous of us. As this thread has been revived I thought I'd update you with the sad news that Arthur Hardy's Mum Jennie (ex- Spire Farm) passed away a few month's ago. She was a lovely lady.

[z900guy]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

Hi Homegrown.
All the moorland on Moleside and parts of Hambledon were regarded as common land, until one day I was up there a heck of a long time back and there were survey makers all over the place, turns out due to some old law that the land could be claimed by them in the know, and it was, but the present landowners live so far away that I doubt if they would ever know you'd been there. Try the area around what is known as the gambling caves. I used to go up there in the late 1940's and early 1950's with a dog and a gun, every weekend there would be blokes tossing coins, six blokes would be on lookout for the police and if they saw any one who looked suspicious they would all scatter. They never bothered about me being there. There must be loads of money and other stuff in the ground around there.
Retlaw

Hi Retlaw
No such thing as common land Im afraid , that land is owned by the water board and used as a gathering ground for the reservoirs and leased for grazing to local farmers .
My family own Higher Heys farm bordering Hambledon and with Kings Highway running through Warmden Quarry on my fathers land.
However Im also a detector fan , or was 25 yrs ago , and searched Gamblers caves and found loads of old coins and bullets but nothing of value

Chris

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by z900guy

Hi Retlaw
No such thing as common land Im afraid , that land is owned by the water board and used as a gathering ground for the reservoirs and leased for grazing to local farmers .
My family own Higher Heys farm bordering Hambledon and with Kings Highway running through Warmden Quarry on my fathers land.
However Im also a detector fan , or was 25 yrs ago , and searched Gamblers caves and found loads of old coins and bullets but nothing of value

Chris

Hi Chris
Its some years since I was at that farm, the barn was on fire, the hydrant in the field was useless, to many people using water down in Accy, we had to relay water from heights farm, further down the main, that one is also in the field just East of the farm.

We used to get our milk from the farmer who owned it then.
Can't remember his name.
Some of those bullets you found could have been mine.

Retlaw

[wadey]

I always thought the King's Highway was the route to Whalley Abbey.

[z900guy]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

Hi Chris
Its some years since I was at that farm, the barn was on fire, the hydrant in the field was useless, to many people using water down in Accy, we had to relay water from heights farm, further down the main, that one is also in the field just East of the farm.

We used to get our milk from the farmer who owned it then.
Can't remember his name.
Some of those bullets you found could have been mine.

Retlaw

Blimey , the farmer lost faith when the barn burnt down around 35 yrs ago and sold it my dad ..................small world

[z900guy]

The farmer was called Harry Alderson and the fire was in 1971 .................checked it out today

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by z900guy

Hi Retlaw
No such thing as common land Im afraid , that land is owned by the water board and used as a gathering ground for the reservoirs and leased for grazing to local farmers .
My family own Higher Heys farm bordering Hambledon and with Kings Highway running through Warmden Quarry on my fathers land.
However Im also a detector fan , or was 25 yrs ago , and searched Gamblers caves and found loads of old coins and bullets but nothing of value

Chris

Back in the time I'm refering to, before the Northwest Water Board was formed, all the land I refered to, was known as Black Moss Common, and Accrington had its own Gas and Water Board. Then Northwest Water came along and laid claim to everything that wasn't nailed down.

Retlaw

[pinkpanther1]

Hi guys do you know who owns the land past the quarry over the kings highway ?i am a keen detectorist and would love the opportunity to try and uncover some history !

[pinkpanther1]

Hi i have just seen the first post .
Would it be possible for me to contact these people to gain permission ?
Many thanks Andrew

[cashman]

Thread is 5/6 Years old, yer pushing it a bit?

[disco]

Just thought some of you may be interested to know.
I was metal detecting on the Kings Highway the other day. I found a James The first silver sixpence (Hammered Coin) dated 1605near Higher Heys Farm. I also found loads of bullets

[Bob Dobson]

Originally Posted by disco

Just thought some of you may be interested to know.
I was metal detecting on the Kings Highway the other day. I found a James The first silver sixpence (Hammered Coin) dated 1605near Higher Heys Farm. I also found loads of bullets

It's mine - I remember dropping it . I will message you my address