Ashurst's Beacon

I took advantage of the crisp, sunny day and went up here today for a hour, I've not been for years!

This landscape near Parbold is dominated by Ashurst Hill, which rises 570 feet (170 m) above sea level and is crowned by Ashurst's Beacon. 

The beacon once formed part of a relay league stretching from Everton Brow above Liverpool to Lancaster Castle, which was in place (though unused) during the Anglo–Spanish War of 1585.

The current structure dates from around 1800, when local landowner Sir William Ashurst decided that a more permanent beacon was needed for the oncoming Napoleonic Wars.

From the beacon, on a clear day, it is possible to see Wigan, Snowdonia, Manchester, the Cheshire Plain, Blackpool Tower, the Pennines, the Lake District, Liverpool and the Mersey.

Sunny Beacon

Beacon and Big Sky

Beacon Shadow

Beacon and Viewing Guide

Busy Beacon

Shadows and Light in the Douglas Valley

I took a quick, cold hour in the Douglas Valley section of the Haigh Plantations at 10am this morning to capture the low Sun creating effects through the trees and shrubs.

Fuji X-T1, 18-55mm lens

Clean Cut

Curved Shadows

Mossy Rocks

Half-Lit Rocks

Smoke In The Trees

Down to The Sunlight

The Old Iron Bridge

Shadows and Light

Siding Lane Nature Reserve

I discovered this Local Nature Reserve, situated just off the Rainford bypass. Designated in 2001, it covers an area of more than 7 hectares.

Siding Lane is the site of the former Rainford Colliery. The shaft was sunk through sixteen feet of wet gravel and sand in 1860. The 1926 coal strike marked a decline in the pit, which finally closed in 1928.

Over time, Birch woodland colonised the spoil heaps and today it is a scenic woodland, rich in wildlife. The damp shady habitat provides perfect conditions for a range of fungi including the colourful but poisonous Fly Agaric. Locally rare, the Harts Tongue Fern provides winter interest along the various old walls on the site.

A Male Greater Spotted Woodpecker Feeding.

Close to the Local Rail Track.

Winter Buds

The Old Wall

Forgotten Fencing

Winter Sun Ripples

Stone and Metal Sluice

Winter Catkins

Local Harts Tongue Fern

Woodland Winter Path

Cold Crisp Cemetery

We went to Wigan Cemetery in Ince to photograph the ceramic poppy from the London Tower Artwork Exhibition at the CWG of  John Hopkins, my Cousin 3x removed.
While we were there, we had a wander round the graveyard for some interesting images.

Fuji X-T1, 18-55mm lens.

John Hopkins Poppy

Among The Ivy

Abandoned Chapel

Ornate Cross

Grave Robin

Poppy Pop

Cenotaph Tryptych