Just a small video of the Ashurst Beacon. Built in 1798 by Sir William Ashurst, who, fearing that Napoleon’s armies would successfully threaten Englands borders and invade decided that a more significant and permanent beacon was necessary. Prior to this there was probably a raised metal brazier on the hill to house the warning fires, most famously to warn against the Spanish Armadas threat of invasion.
I have read two different ideas as to why the beacon was built. One postulates that this was a guard house, built to house the soldiers who manned the beacon. The second and my favourite is that the structure itself was the beacon and was built with a cast iron fire box inside with the windows (now bricked up) acting as ‘chimney windows’ so that the fiery inferno inside could unleash it’s warning flames.
The building by 1940 had fallen into a sad state of repair and had urgent remedial repairs not taken place then this little treasure could have been lost to all.
According to an inscription that used to adorn one side of the structure (I assume it used to as it is no longer there) it was presented to Wigan Corporation in 1962 by Mrs Florence Meadows in memory of her journalist husband Thomas, who desired that the beacon should be a public beauty spot.
Image below of Beacon during 1914, showing weather vein.
undertheboard....
Many thanks to:-undertheboard....
for all the above information, you can check out their article with the link above.
Thank you for stopping by, Del
#drone #cinematic #winter