The Pipeline project

[She]

Just thought it was worth starting a thread about this, just in case something turns up. Removing a deep line of top soil must be every metal detectors dream....if only they hadn't put barbed wire fences around the path of the pipeline to stop us getting in.

However, I know Bob is in touch with the assigned archeologist over seeing this, so hopefully will feed back any finds of interest. I am aware that post holes have already been ID'd.

Noticed tonight that the latest route dug out is the one that goes past Lady Hill, so I may take a walk there with my dogs tomorrow. Not sure how close I can get, but worth a peep.

[bob]

She, i was down near to haydock island tonight, and i can see they have the big machines there ready, so if you have your camera handy, they may be uncovering the roman road very soon, as far as we know it has never been uncovered at that point, near to the post house, so get clicking GI Jane.
bob

[She]

I intend to take a walk down there this evening Bob. However the best time to go is on Sunday as the workmen arn't around then....

[She]

PS- how close is our turf being monitored for find Bob.
See what they found in this area - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 065206.stm


Info about the project -

http://www.unitedutilities.com/westeastlink.htm

http://cllrteresasims.sthelens.gov.uk/p ... htm?pid=19

[She]

GI Jane (and dog) visited Lady Hill this evening and indeed the pipeline is very close. Not sure of distance....maybe 50 to 100 yards or lets put it this way...less than a minute to walk from the hill to the pipeline.


From the top of Lady Hill you can see the Orange fence of the pipeline. Anyway - here are some more. You will see that during this amazing operation, they have cut an entire pathway through the nearby wood. I do hope they leave some ground for us to investigate when they leave.

PS: they tend to clock off at about 6pm and they are not there Sundays. No barbed wire fences further along - trust me, I walked it!



More in a bit

[She]

and more of the Lady Hill pipeline








Clearly I am not always on the correct side of the fence so I hope the pipeline police won't lock me up! As I said before...metal detectors dream.

[bob]

Fantastic shots she, hows the old hill looking right now? i can see there has been a camp fire going on it,
Now this is more towards Lowton, but its still local pipeline stuff,
the archs seemed a bit fed up today, they was in Kenyon Lane, they found some ridge and furrow and medieval stuff, so i went along and showed them something a little way down the road, methinks they may be looking at that tomorrow


bob

[She]

Looks more than just a crop circle Bob. Where d'ya get these photos from?

[bob]

she, its the old msn live site, go here and click on birds eye,
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v ... &encType=1

[muttoneer]

Hello all,
As a new member of this forum may I briefly hijack the thread to say that I am very pleased to see that local people are ensuring that the relevant archaeologists are fully aware of what the pipeline may end up unearthing or, God forbid, destroying.
As an amateur historian from Lowton this forum has been a good find for me and I look forward to reading more of what gets uncovered.
Regards,
M.

PS. The feature on Kenyon Lane - looks like an indentation from the aerial photo - is that correct?

[bob]

Hi, yes its from MSN live birds eye shot, do you live close by? or know anything about it?
bob - also from lowton

[muttoneer]

I'm from the Braithwaite Road area so it's not something I've seen before, however what puzzled me about the feature was that, if it is a significant depression, you'd expect it to be full of water round here!
Having taken a look at what's available through old-maps.co.uk no structures are showing in that particular field in the last 150 or so years. If it were the remains of a structure, of whatever size, I'd expect raised earthworks or a crop discolouration of some sort, but not a depression in the earth. It appears too regular not to be man-made, so consequently my best guess would be the remains of some sort of extraction process - clay for brickmaking perhaps?
I'll pop down to take a peep through the hedge when time allows - this one has certainly got me curious

[bob]

Hi, yes looking at it on Google you can not see the indentation, its only on the Birdseye it becomes clear, so i doubt if you will be able to see much if you pop down to look, but one never knows, it may be the remains of an house that once stood there, but it could easily be something as simple as an old fishpond, or even a sheep dip, to be honest i haven't a clue what it was
as this is a Newton website Steve the owner likes to keep it about Newton,
so as i am from lowton too and so is She, feel free to PM us if you have any Lowton related questions.
Bob

[She]

Hi Muttoneer and welcome to the site....yes I am from Lowton as well but lived in Newton from being 12 and after all....Newton and Lowton are only a short drive apart down Rob Lane.

Re your statement:-

I'll pop down to take a peep through the hedge when time allows - this one has certainly got me curious

This is where it all starts Mutt.
Before you know it you will have your wellies on and be crawling through woods and hedgerows with a camera and looking very strange to passers by. I scratched my legs to shreds taking photo's of the pipeline trail past Lady Hill. Not to mention the photo's of bones, stones and random walls. It sort of gets to you after a while. It can be treated with medication I understand! Welcome anyway- this is a great site!

[She]

By way of an update - I have been told by a contractor that works for Murphys, that the 1st 125m of pipeline they have put down.....has actually failed its test. I think this is Irish posh code for "it leaked". Cheap pipeline exports ah! Anyway, it seems that this 2+ year project may now be a 3 year project- until someone figures out how to seal the darn thing. So you may notice that everything has slowed down quite a bit as of late.

From a historical interest point of view, I was told that the path they are digging now is along the site of the older original water line, which will be dug up and replaced. I hadn't realised this before, so I guess that if there is anything historically important in these dug out areas, it may have been destroyed years earlier when they put down the first pipeline. Not a statement of course, just an opinion. Maybe the resident arch could comment more about this.

Took a jog along RPX 22 (or whatever they code these areas) earlier today. Murphys have kindly not destroyed the public right of the way that goes from Newton Road to the Heath. As such you can easily walk along it. Will say what I found on next reply as its a pain to type after x amount of words. Is this to keep the posts small S ????