Around the fairy caves ???

WINGY · 27-03-2005, 10:32

Myself and Mac took the kids to see the old fairy caves (thats what mum called them anyway) on the canal, where we used to go as kids. WE had a walk around and came across these snone 'things'. Does anybody have any idea what they once where????

janet · 28-03-2005, 12:26

Where are these caves Wingy?

lindsay ormerod · 28-03-2005, 12:32

If they are the ones near the canal at Church I thought they were coke ovens???

mez · 28-03-2005, 12:40

yes they are lindsay, shhhhhhh dont tell the kiddies please, wingy have those stones anything to do with the old sewrage works that used to be round that area ?

Doug · 28-03-2005, 17:50

I remember the old sewrage works down towards West End other side of the tip...

garinda · 28-03-2005, 18:13

l thought they were kilns for making bricks.

cashman · 28-03-2005, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindsay ormerod

If they are the ones near the canal at Church I thought they were coke ovens???

i was of the same opinion lindsay,also on the same stretch of canal,the little bay was were the 2 boats belonging to them used to moor-an old mate of mine who i have bin trying to catch up with has a great knowledge of canal history,should be able to confirm-but he could be anywhere in the u.k.on his boat,will try to locate him.

garinda · 28-03-2005, 18:36

Why are they called the faity caves though?
l always thought it was because l used to play with my imaginary friends there when l was young wearing my tu-tu.

janet · 28-03-2005, 18:56

Now i know who you are garinda, so you many a time.The tu-tu should have been worn a little longer.lol

Doug · 29-03-2005, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

i was of the same opinion lindsay,also on the same stretch of canal,the little bay was were the 2 boats belonging to them used to moor-an old mate of mine who i have bin trying to catch up with has a great knowledge of canal history,should be able to confirm-but he could be anywhere in the u.k.on his boat,will try to locate him.

There was the old Basin down Dunkenhalgh; there was a farm (now gone) opposite it. I think the Basin is filled in more are less but you can trace its location quite easily by following the path from Church Kirk bridge to what was? New Barn Bridge and follow the canal south for about 200 yards. If carry on further down you come to the old weir and overflow channel…

staggeringman · 13-04-2005, 16:24

Wingy if you had come on the walk with us you would have got the full history of them.they are coke ovens and the large slabs used to have large pulleys to bring the coal up from the pitts.then it was burnt it in the ovens and then put on barges as coke and moved on to its next destination which would have been a cotton mill on the side of the canel somewhere.

WillowTheWhisp · 13-04-2005, 16:58

We always used to call them the fairy caves too.

Any idea how long since they were last used Staggeringman? I did come along on the walk but I'm not as quick as you and I got left behind at the back and sadly missed out on all the information you'd prepared. I'd naively imagined it as being more of a leisurely stroll but I was already way behind everyone else when we set off and never managed to catch up.

I'm fascinated by the history of the area, especially if someone can point things out "live" so to speak as it cuts down on a lot of confusion about what's what and where.

staggeringman · 13-04-2005, 17:20

the area around where we stopped was known as the aspen valley ,if we had carried on walking we would have seen some big black boulders scattered about the fields,on a old map that A-B put on you can see the markings on the map that used to be a foundry and all these big black boulders was the waste iron ore that they produced. the foundry was in an ideal position near to the aspen valley coal mine, i am still looking for more information on both the coal mine and the foundry but suspect that the coal went one way up the valley to the fairy caves and the rest went for smelting in the opposite direction.both had good access to the canel and the railway will have to get some research done on the dates to see if they coincide, will let you know willow when i find something new out.

WillowTheWhisp · 13-04-2005, 18:20

I'll have to have a wander up there again on a nice day, if we ever get one when I have spare time. I've seen the fairy caves often enough but don't remember any black boulders so I'd like to see those. Are they big? If they're black and iron they sound a bit like haematite.

staggeringman · 14-04-2005, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I'll have to have a wander up there again on a nice day, if we ever get one when I have spare time. I've seen the fairy caves often enough but don't remember any black boulders so I'd like to see those. Are they big? If they're black and iron they sound a bit like haematite.

you will have to walk about another mile around the canal willow under the railway bridge and past the golf course,they are in a field on your right you cant miss them really.If you dont want oto go all the way around the canal and you drive over the stone bridge near the church you can see the bridge what we call bullhead if you walk that way its a lot shorter and they are in a field to your left.