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Sawley Abbey, which is managed by Heritage Trust for the North West, is undergoing a steady programme of conservation by English Heritage. This trial and error approach is often the best way to do things but is not always possible for site management reasons. Experimental repointing and stabilization was followed by soft topping the walls with turf to absorb rainfall more slowly and protect the tops of the walls. There is now extensive repair and lime repointing taking place of the lower parts of the walls. Because of the time of year, the work is shielded by large hessian sheets hung over the work to protect it from premature drying out and/or freezing.

If you are interested in the conservation skill of lime repointing, there is a half day course at the heritage centre on the 5th March. CLICK HERE for details.

For earlier posts on the conservation work, CLICK HERE.

The Friends Chairman, David Morris, gave an illustrated talk on the Pendle Heritage archaeology group’s research on the enclosures and vaccaries of the Pendle and Trawden Forests to the Upper Wharfedale Field Society. Around fifty people came to the Octagon, Grassington and the event was friendly and enjoyable. It was a good time to renew some old acquaintances.

The gardening group was rained off for not the first time this winter. However, there is one job that benefits from rain and soggy ground. This is the clearing of grass and vegetation off cobbles as the water loosens the roots. So we had a ‘set-to’ on the cobbles against the raised planter bed we tackled earlier. The cobbles had been made worse recently by silt from the flooding over the Christmas period. We got a few hours in and cleared the worst. It next needs troweling between the cracks and a brush down, but we’ll do that when its a bit drier!

Downfall of a political giant: Inside the eerie ruins of Britain’s biggest Conservative Club where the elegant ballroom and grand staircases are crumbling to dust.
The Accrington Conservative Club building is a desolate shell in the town, near Blackburn, Lancs
The building was the largest Conservative Club in the country when it first opened its doors back in 1891
Once celebrated for its grand ball room which hosted parties of up to 1,000 people, it now lies empty and decrepit
The building was converted into a nightclub in the 1990s, but it closed in 2003 after a customer was killed outside
Since then it has had multiple renovation plans rejected and narrowly avoided plans to have it partially demolished
Read the rest and view a set of photos – click here

MP battles on to save ‘treasure’

Read more: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/14241108.MP_battles_on_to_save____treasure___/

Plea to save Queen Street Mill from savage cuts

Read more: http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/local/plea-to-save-queen-street-mill-from-savage-cuts-1-7674201#ixzz3yyYiu9h1

Plea’s for people to come forward and save Burnley’s Queen Street Mill

Read more: http://www.2br.co.uk/news/local-news/1853792/pleas-for-people-to-come-forward-and-save-burnleys-queen-street-mill/

One in five regional museums at least part closed in 2015, says report

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jan/13/one-in-five-regional-museums-at-least-part-closed-in-2015-says-report

Click Here to read the Guardian report.

We had a nice time in the garden on a lovely sunny January day – perhaps the only one this year! We hardly needed the log fire in the shop. Both the walled garden and woodland are looking a lot better than they were this time last year – something which made us reflect on everyone’s efforts in 2015.

Our main target in early 2016, once the weather improves, will be the area at the end of the garden, in the shade.

Despite the cold weather a group of intrepid field walkers met at The Corner Café for refreshments and discussion of the walk.

We then drove to Bury Rd Rawtenstall, parking near The Whitchaff. We walked along Bury Rd and turned down a footpath which crossed the railway and led to a grassy area with items from the Irwell Sculpture trail. Crossing over the river we then admired the chimney of Hardman’s mill, on the way to the railway station.

Many people were congregating as The Flying Scotsman was due to arrive. We picked a vantage point and he came in, only 20 minutes late, backwards. After taking many photos we walked along the river and then into Hall Carr estate, pausing for lunch in a field overlooking Lambet Howarth’s mill and chimney, with a good view of Rawtenstall below.

After lunch we passed several old farms and a very snorty black pig and made our way along Lomas Lane towards Balladen. After looking at Balladen Old Hall (1687), and unusual sheep, Zwartbles, we negotiated a treacherous stile, made worse by ice, discussed the remains of Balladen Mill by the brook, and then walked across the field to Higher Clowes and then Lower Clowes, a picturesque hamlet.

We think we have found the Newhallhey vaccary winter pasture, now covered by housing. Report to follow.

We collected our cars. 15 minutes later it started to snow!

There is now a petition, Save Lancashire’s Archaeology from Cuts. If you wish to know more or to sign CLICK HERE.

The truly shocking cuts to services at Lancashire County Council are slowly becoming known. But one cut that seems to be under the radar is the closure of the County Archaeology Service and the Historic Environment Record at the end of March. This means that the Historic Environment Record Officer post will go and there will be no archaeology planning work, therefore allowing the loss of protection for Lancashire’s archaeology in the planning system and its  unrecorded destruction.