Join me on my merry trek of old ruins, cinemas, railways and things that just catch my attention around Yorkshire and the UK. John.
View this post on Instagram An explore of a nineteenth century lead mine earlier in the year. Here the upper adit (up the ladder) meets the inclined plane which goes from the surface to the lowest naturally drained level. ⛏️ The incline (with a gradient of around 1 in 4) was used to haul ore out of the mine. Past the ladder there is an ore pass where ore from the upper level was dropped down via a hopper into a cart waiting on the incline tramway. ⛏️ Up the ladder a few passages branch off but all are blocked, the are also some stopes (areas where the mineral was extracted). The route to the portal (entrance on hillside, used to get the ore out prior to use of the incline) is also blocked. ⛏️ The incline descends further, past partial collapses, stopes and a rise to another level before being totally blocked not too far from the bottom. ⛏️ Upper parts of the mine were reopened and barytes (barium ore) was extracted after lead extraction ceased. The mine is extremely sketchy in places. #stayout #cononleyleadmines #mineexploration #leadmine #mine #cononleymineincline #cononleymineupperadit #orepass #ladder #baritemine #barytemine #exploration #abandonedmine A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 19, 2019 at 5:36pm PST
An explore of a nineteenth century lead mine earlier in the year. Here the upper adit (up the ladder) meets the inclined plane which goes from the surface to the lowest naturally drained level. ⛏️ The incline (with a gradient of around 1 in 4) was used to haul ore out of the mine. Past the ladder there is an ore pass where ore from the upper level was dropped down via a hopper into a cart waiting on the incline tramway. ⛏️ Up the ladder a few passages branch off but all are blocked, the are also some stopes (areas where the mineral was extracted). The route to the portal (entrance on hillside, used to get the ore out prior to use of the incline) is also blocked. ⛏️ The incline descends further, past partial collapses, stopes and a rise to another level before being totally blocked not too far from the bottom. ⛏️ Upper parts of the mine were reopened and barytes (barium ore) was extracted after lead extraction ceased. The mine is extremely sketchy in places. #stayout #cononleyleadmines #mineexploration #leadmine #mine #cononleymineincline #cononleymineupperadit #orepass #ladder #baritemine #barytemine #exploration #abandonedmine
A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 19, 2019 at 5:36pm PST
View this post on Instagram Sunshine on a rainy day. The low winter sun reflecting off windows opposite the cinema onto its right hand wall. 🌦️ Opened as a cinema in 1914 it has a more ornate design than the large numbers of cinemas built during the Art Deco period that followed. 🎥 The cinema won't look like this much longer as it closes for major works and renovation in the new year which will see the steps go and and the building will be extended into the space on the right where originally a canopy would have kept waiting queues dry. #cinema #hydeparkpicturehouse #gaslitcinema #lamp A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 18, 2019 at 2:53pm PST
Sunshine on a rainy day. The low winter sun reflecting off windows opposite the cinema onto its right hand wall. 🌦️ Opened as a cinema in 1914 it has a more ornate design than the large numbers of cinemas built during the Art Deco period that followed. 🎥 The cinema won't look like this much longer as it closes for major works and renovation in the new year which will see the steps go and and the building will be extended into the space on the right where originally a canopy would have kept waiting queues dry. #cinema #hydeparkpicturehouse #gaslitcinema #lamp
A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 18, 2019 at 2:53pm PST
View this post on Instagram Dalek Trojan horse? 🤖 What's the strangest tree you have seen? 🎄 #christmastree #bradford #dalek #balls #bradford #christmas #artificialtree #strange #weirdchristmastree #arndalehouse #arndalecentres #xchangebradford #broadwaybradford A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 17, 2019 at 5:29am PST
Dalek Trojan horse? 🤖 What's the strangest tree you have seen? 🎄 #christmastree #bradford #dalek #balls #bradford #christmas #artificialtree #strange #weirdchristmastree #arndalehouse #arndalecentres #xchangebradford #broadwaybradford
A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 17, 2019 at 5:29am PST
View this post on Instagram Three generations of trains used on the East Coast Main Line, taken a couple of weeks prior to the withdrawal (on 15th December, 2019) of InterCity 125, High Speed Trains by LNER after over forty years service. 📆⌛ The HST or InterCity 125 (right, capable of 125mph) was introduced on the east coast line in 1978. It cut an hour off the journey time to Edinburgh and was the first train in the UK to run above 100mph in regular service. 🚄💨 Class 91/InterCity 225 (middle, capable of 225km/h) entered service in 1989 on newly electrified sections of railway which reached Leeds by 1989 and Edinburgh by 1991. ⚡ The Azuma (class 800) (left, basking in the morning sun) entered service in 2019. They can run on both electrified and non-electrified sections of railway using the overhead wire where available and using diesel generators in non-electrified areas. 🚅 The non-powered (DVT) end of the InterCity 225 is seen here, which remotely controls the class 91 locomotive at the other end and which it is designed to look very similar to. The Azumas have traction motors and generators spread along the train, and the HSTs have a locomotive at each end. Just peeking out behind the Azuma in the second pic is a class180 (Adelante) a diesel train originally built for FGW to supplement its HST fleet between London Paddington and south Wales in 2001. This one is probably operated by Grand Central which runs some trains on the east coast line to Bradford and Sunderland. Hull Trains also use them on services to Hull (surprisingly!) 🚄 #intercity125 #hst #highspeedtrain #class43 #class254 #kingscrossstation #intercity225 #class91 #eastcoastmainline #trains #railway #azumatrain #class800 #lner #drivingvantrailer #adelantetrain #class180 A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 16, 2019 at 7:56am PST
Three generations of trains used on the East Coast Main Line, taken a couple of weeks prior to the withdrawal (on 15th December, 2019) of InterCity 125, High Speed Trains by LNER after over forty years service. 📆⌛ The HST or InterCity 125 (right, capable of 125mph) was introduced on the east coast line in 1978. It cut an hour off the journey time to Edinburgh and was the first train in the UK to run above 100mph in regular service. 🚄💨 Class 91/InterCity 225 (middle, capable of 225km/h) entered service in 1989 on newly electrified sections of railway which reached Leeds by 1989 and Edinburgh by 1991. ⚡ The Azuma (class 800) (left, basking in the morning sun) entered service in 2019. They can run on both electrified and non-electrified sections of railway using the overhead wire where available and using diesel generators in non-electrified areas. 🚅 The non-powered (DVT) end of the InterCity 225 is seen here, which remotely controls the class 91 locomotive at the other end and which it is designed to look very similar to. The Azumas have traction motors and generators spread along the train, and the HSTs have a locomotive at each end. Just peeking out behind the Azuma in the second pic is a class180 (Adelante) a diesel train originally built for FGW to supplement its HST fleet between London Paddington and south Wales in 2001. This one is probably operated by Grand Central which runs some trains on the east coast line to Bradford and Sunderland. Hull Trains also use them on services to Hull (surprisingly!) 🚄 #intercity125 #hst #highspeedtrain #class43 #class254 #kingscrossstation #intercity225 #class91 #eastcoastmainline #trains #railway #azumatrain #class800 #lner #drivingvantrailer #adelantetrain #class180
A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 16, 2019 at 7:56am PST
View this post on Instagram This is where the old gates I found the other day originally led to - the former Bingley (West Riding) Training College. Built by West Riding County Council on a hillside on the edge of Bingley, from 1911 to 1979 it trained women to become teachers. Government reforms started in the 70's led to the 160 or so teacher training colleges merging with polytechnics or FE colleges, becoming colleges or institutes of higher education teaching a wider range of subjects or like Bingley (one of the smaller colleges) they closed. The buildings of the old college have been turned into apartments and new houses have been built on the site along with new access roads. #bingleyteachertrainingcollege #westridingteachertrainingcollege #teachertrainingcollege #bingley #lamp #westridingcountycouncil #clock #windows #educationaframeworkforexpansion A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 15, 2019 at 8:04am PST
This is where the old gates I found the other day originally led to - the former Bingley (West Riding) Training College. Built by West Riding County Council on a hillside on the edge of Bingley, from 1911 to 1979 it trained women to become teachers. Government reforms started in the 70's led to the 160 or so teacher training colleges merging with polytechnics or FE colleges, becoming colleges or institutes of higher education teaching a wider range of subjects or like Bingley (one of the smaller colleges) they closed. The buildings of the old college have been turned into apartments and new houses have been built on the site along with new access roads. #bingleyteachertrainingcollege #westridingteachertrainingcollege #teachertrainingcollege #bingley #lamp #westridingcountycouncil #clock #windows #educationaframeworkforexpansion
A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 15, 2019 at 8:04am PST
View this post on Instagram 35mm film projector, Hyde Park Picture house. 🍿 Not many of these left as cinemas have moved over to digital projection over the last decade or so. Digital allows much easier and cheaper distribution of films; each film print could cost way over £1000 to make for an arthouse movie with only a couple of prints. 🎞️ Apparently Eastman Kodak is the only company still manufacturing release print stock. 📽️ Virtual tour - bit.ly/2KzDzPk #hydeparkpicturehouse #cinena #projectionroom #movieprojector #35mmfilm #filmprojector #35mmfilmprojector #35mmprojector A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 14, 2019 at 7:51am PST
35mm film projector, Hyde Park Picture house. 🍿 Not many of these left as cinemas have moved over to digital projection over the last decade or so. Digital allows much easier and cheaper distribution of films; each film print could cost way over £1000 to make for an arthouse movie with only a couple of prints. 🎞️ Apparently Eastman Kodak is the only company still manufacturing release print stock. 📽️ Virtual tour - bit.ly/2KzDzPk #hydeparkpicturehouse #cinena #projectionroom #movieprojector #35mmfilm #filmprojector #35mmfilmprojector #35mmprojector
A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 14, 2019 at 7:51am PST
View this post on Instagram These impressive gates were hiding behind the mobile polling station. Don't appear to have been used for a long time. #gates #metalgates #entranceway #ironwork #leaves #pillars #bingleycollegeofeducation #bingleycollege #wroughtiron A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 13, 2019 at 8:17am PST
These impressive gates were hiding behind the mobile polling station. Don't appear to have been used for a long time. #gates #metalgates #entranceway #ironwork #leaves #pillars #bingleycollegeofeducation #bingleycollege #wroughtiron
A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Dec 13, 2019 at 8:17am PST
