If you ever travel up the M1, up to Woolley Edge Services and beyond - to the M62 interchange - you are in our local area.

I would put Woolley Edge northbound as just about the best sliproad in the country to get up to Motorway speed before entering - with it`s downhill sweep onto the M1.

Did you ever travel this route a few decades back though?

Over on the right - East of the carriageway (heading North) are what seem like rolling Pennine foothills - forested and with the high escarpment of Woolley Edge -(from which the services took the name) with it`s old Oak and Beech - overlooking the York plain - from the `rear` view.

Completely hidden now by maturing forest is the biggest slag heap in our part of Yorkshire.

One of my uncle`s used to work at the top of the heap - where there was a steady supply of slag from the coke ovens (killed the tops of local trees) and waste from Crigglestone Pit. I remember a small shunter steam engine delivering waste (crossing Painthorpe lane) on an open crossing just up from the undertakers. An overhead cable car system then hauled the waste up to the top of this very considerable and high man made mountain.

We were warned as kids by Uncle Bill - not to go on the tip at any price, as it was on fire in places underground and cavities had formed into which it was possible to fall as the thin surface crust gave way. They moved about themselves with great caution.

The pit closed, and Birch trees were planted on the slag heap. How we marvelled at that! And for many years these trees hung on - tiny dots on a moon like landscape.

It looks like mature woods now - a few decades later. You just can`t trace it from the M1 - even though you know it`s there..

I wouldn`t want to walk through that forest though. What with the cavities and thoughts of what that might mean on a lone ramble.

Wonder if anyone ever moves to that area and climbs the `mountain` thinking it`s part of the Pennines?

I guess it is part of the Pennine foothills, now really. They made it though - the mining community - with sweat and tears. Nature also proved to be very persistant - and of course in the larger sheme of things - barring another ice age scouring it into a nice terminal moraine, it will become even more natural looking.

Next time you cross our area look right, after Woolley Edge Northbound and before the brow of the MI hill - prior to Junc 39 and see if you can spot it.

Hope you enjoyed this short write-up of our local, post industrial landscape.

oilrag

Edited by oilrag on 23/05/2010 at 16:57