Ship Spotter Steve
  • Home
  • Bulk Carriers
  • Cement Carriers
  • Container Ships
  • Crude Oil Tankers
  • Cruise Ships
  • Dredgers
  • Ferries
  • Fishing Vessels
  • General Cargo Ships
  • Military & Law Enforcement
  • Off Shore Supply/Safety/Support
  • Pilot Vessels
  • Research Ships
  • Sailing Ships
  • Tankers
  • Tugs
  • Vehicle Carriers
  • Misc
  • Funnels
  • Work Boats
  • Pleasure Boats & Yachts
  • Tenders & Launches
  • Prints, Postcards & Paintings
  • Buildings, Monuments & Places
  • Yearly Statistics
  • Ship List
  • Links
  • Blog
  • Blog Index
Contact me

VISIT TO HEALEY dell

10/6/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
We visited Healey Dell on 18 May 2014. 

Following the path from the car park, under the viaduct and along the River Spodden we headed up the valley before returning via the disused railway line. 
Picture
Heading under the viaduct. 

The viaduct was built from locally quarried stone, it is 31.5m high above the river, with 8 arches each with a 24m span. 

It was built in 1867 and carried the Rochdale to Bacup Branch line of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. The line was 5 miles long and took 5 years to build, it opened to passengers on 1 November 1870.

The construction of the branch line proved difficult, in May 1868 The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways Chief Civil Engineer, Sturges Meek reported problems with the thick local clay and silt that on a number of occasions slid down embankments and into cuttings.
Picture
Another view of the viaduct as we neared the River.
Picture
The River Spodden flows through a tree lined valley with rocky outcrops and waterfalls. The river rises in the Pennines above Whitworth and winds South through Rochdale where it eventually merges with the River Roch.

The waterfall above is located just above the site of an old mill.
Picture
Known as the Owd Mill I'th The Thrutch this was a Fulling Mill to process locally produced wool.

The photograph is of one of two stone arches that span the river. 

These originally supported the walls of a perching room which formed part of the mill. It was constructed in 1676 and owned by the Chadwick family until the late 19th Century. 

It was sited here to make use of water power generated by the river via a waterwheel.  The cloth being made was woolen and in order to make it wearable it was finished in a process called Fulling which changed the weave from a loose knit to a dense closely knitted material.

The process originally involved soaking the material in a concoction of liquids and then pounding it using the workers feet. In 1863 the process was mechanised when a boiler house and chimney were built on the site. This provided 2 hp although by 1880 this had improved to 9 hp. Instead of using workers feet the engine drove wooden hammers that hammered the material in stone troughs. The waterwheel on the site measured 1.5m wide with an approximate diameter of 10.5m.
Picture
The stone troughs where the materail would have been pummeled by the mills timber hammers. 
Picture
Remenents of the mill wall close to where the mill wheel would have been.
Picture
A Jay watches us pass by.
Picture
More waterfalls above the mill site.
Picture
The remains of trees that have been washed down stream.
Picture
The remains of Broadley Station, this originally had a goods yard consisting of two sidings.

The station was closed to passengers in 1947 and to goods in 1952 before being completely closed in 1954.

During later years locomotives using the line included Austerity 2-8-0 Freight Trains and Ivatt Moguls.
Picture
Another view of the station platforms
Picture
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway marker.
Picture
Another marker protruding from an embankment.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My interest in ships and the sea started back in 2006 when I worked for a couple of years  on the banks of the River Mersey. I have since been on a couple of cruises around the Med and in the Far East and have started to take more interest in researching and photographing some of the ships and other vessels seen on my travels.

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.