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A nice easy rural explore this one. The objective of the trip – a 19th century engine house, with the added bonus of a World War 2 bunker. Here’s the history and background.
The Moss Valley was formerly an important centre for the grinding of scythes and sickles. The first Ironworks was set up at Foxstone Wood around 1640 and there where once eight water wheels along the river providing power for grinding stones for the production of flour, cutlery and tree saws, as well as scythes and sickles. The iron trade boomed so much so that by 1800 more iron nails were being made in near by Eckington than anywhere else in the world. Later the move from charcoal to coal for iron smelting led to a need for coal and by the early 19th century collieries had started to appear along with transport links to the Chesterfield Canal and the railway. In Ince Piece Wood can be found an engine house that dates back to between 1855 and 1875. It used to house a winding wheel for Plumbley Colliery. However by 1901 after several fatal accidents and the financial mismanagement the owner, John Rhodes, abandoned it.
Further on from the engine house can be found a World War 2 air-raid shelter. It was for the benefit of workers in the woods who used to light lanterns to try and fool the Luftwaffe into drop their bombs on the woods rather than the nearby towns and villages.
OK…on with the pictures.
Here’s the engine house:
img8268 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8297 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8295 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8282 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8279 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8276 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8275 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8272 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8269 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And the World War II bunker:
img8310 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8299 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8301 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8304 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8305 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
The Moss Valley was formerly an important centre for the grinding of scythes and sickles. The first Ironworks was set up at Foxstone Wood around 1640 and there where once eight water wheels along the river providing power for grinding stones for the production of flour, cutlery and tree saws, as well as scythes and sickles. The iron trade boomed so much so that by 1800 more iron nails were being made in near by Eckington than anywhere else in the world. Later the move from charcoal to coal for iron smelting led to a need for coal and by the early 19th century collieries had started to appear along with transport links to the Chesterfield Canal and the railway. In Ince Piece Wood can be found an engine house that dates back to between 1855 and 1875. It used to house a winding wheel for Plumbley Colliery. However by 1901 after several fatal accidents and the financial mismanagement the owner, John Rhodes, abandoned it.
Further on from the engine house can be found a World War 2 air-raid shelter. It was for the benefit of workers in the woods who used to light lanterns to try and fool the Luftwaffe into drop their bombs on the woods rather than the nearby towns and villages.
OK…on with the pictures.
Here’s the engine house:
img8268 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8297 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8295 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8282 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8279 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8276 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8275 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8272 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8269 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd the World War II bunker:
img8310 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8299 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8301 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8304 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg8305 by HughieDW, on FlickrThanks for looking!
