Police blocking road, City of London

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Bit of a pain getting around the City of London this afternoon. Police and closed streets everywhere #londonterrorattack #police #closedstreets

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 29, 2019 at 10:03am PST

T-Pylon, Eakring National Grid Training Centre

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The amazing T-pylon ⚡ Here's a pic from summertime to make a change from seemingly neverending rain at the moment, taken at National Grid's Training Centre at Eakring in Nottinghamshire. ⚡ Designed by Bystrup Arkitekter it was the winner of a RIBA pylon design competition in 2011. Intended to be less visually intrusive than the the classic industrial lattice design (around 90 years old), which it was hoped would lead to fewer objections to new installations. ⚡ The sleek new design is only about two thirds of the height of the old, and is designed so that the electricity cables can be routed by following the contours of the land with sweeping curves rather than the lattice pylons’ sudden changes of direction. ⚡ The first real use was to be in the power line leading from the new Hinkley Point C nuclear plant being built. ⚡ The sun actually did shine for me on this day despite the threatening clouds, allowing the reflective radiance of the white pylons to be seen. Different finishes have been used on some pylons so they can be evaluated, one finish with less dazzle was a more traditional grey. ⚡ What do you think of this design? Love it or hate it? ⚡ #pylon #electricitypylon #transmissiontower #electricity #nationalgrid #tpylon #eakring #nottinghamshire #electricitycables #powerline #bystruparkitekter #eakringtpylons #overheadlines

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 27, 2019 at 6:33pm PST

Bradford Canal junction

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The only remaining section of the Bradford Canal where it joins the Leeds and Liverpool Canal on another grey and wet day :( . Junction Bridge and the derelict Junction House on the left date back to 1774 when the first sections of the canal were opened. Junction Mills (Regent House) worsted mill with its chimney is opposite. . Bradford Canal closed in 1922 and has been filled in along the rest of its length although several bridges along the route remain. #leedsandliverpoolcanal #canal #bradfordcanal #bridge #chimney #derelictbuilding #shipley #reflections #baretrees #towpath

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 25, 2019 at 6:29am PST

Bradford Grand Mosque, Horton Park

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Changing times. Al-Jamia Suffa-Tul-Islam Grand Mosque or Bradford Grand Mosque on the former site of Horton Park railway station, goods yard and junction. . Horton Park Station was on the Great Northern railway line from Bradford Exchange to Keighley. The City Road Goods Branch split off here which went of to the Lister Hills area. The station had a large goods yard which like the goods branch remained open until 1972 long after the passenger station closed in 1952 (1955 for occasional football specials serving the former Bradford Park Avenue football ground opposite). . The station remains were cleared in 2005 and this impressive structure was built. The only sign of the former railway that I could see here were the remains of a bridge at the eastern edge of the site where Laisteridge Lane went over the railway, the bridge parapets are still intact intact but it is filled in underneath, so just looks like an ordinary section of road with odd slightly arched walls either side. . The mosque, which is one of the largest mosques in the UK (and is currently being extended), opened in 2012 and cost more than £4 million to construct. #mosque #bradfordgrandmosque #bradford #aljamiasuffatulislamgrandmosque #hortonparkavenue #hortonpark #towers

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 21, 2019 at 5:07am PST

Silhouette in stone quarry

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Another photo in underground stone quarry chamber. I look a bit like Quasimodo here with the backpack. . Lots of rocks on floor, from ceiling of chamber I guess, but don't know if they fell after closure or was deliberate during operations - Victorian quarries look chaotic in old photos I have seen (all outdoor I think, lighting large chambers for underground photos would have been difficult I suppose), with rock everywhere rickety wooden walkways, and very dangerouse practices (undermining rock to make it fall by crawling under it and hacking away 😕), but bare sandy floor visible in places. . The chambers are several metres tall so fallen boulders don't block much unless they are near passages connecting to other chambers or openings to the outside; probably hurt a bit if they fell on you though. 🤕 ⚰️ . #silhouette #dark #abandonedmine #bradford #baildon #baildongreen #stonequarry #quarry #sandstone #mineexploration #victorianquarry #yorkstone #baildonbank #baildongreenquarries

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 18, 2019 at 4:40pm PST

Baildon Green Quarry

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Underground in a stone quarry in West Yorkshire . Those small timber props are over a hundred years old (the quarry closed by around 1900 when Bradford Corporation bought the land), I have read that unlike other types of mines with weaker rock they aren't for support but indicate if there is any movement in the roof, if there is they will fall down 🏃 . I hadn't realised until I looked into it that although there was a lot of quarrying for stone on the surface most of the stone around Bradford was brought up from underground, either through access in the cliff face where geology or previous quarrying allowed, or just straight up mine shafts - in which case there is often nothing left little visible on the surface. . Stone would have been carried out of this mine on the quarrymen's backs...💪 . I am standing on rubble and earth that was used to block the entrance to the right. #abandonedmine #bradford #baildon #baildongreen #stonequarry #mineexploration #timberprops #mineprops #victorianquarry #yorkstone

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 18, 2019 at 8:45am PST

Spinkwell, Bradford

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Spinkwell in Bradford, an important water source for many years, is now hidden away and largely forgotten. . A 1788 advertisement for the spa house, built below the well, mentions its cold baths and bowling green. Gravestones for victims of the 1645 plague were built into the walls, which seems a bit odd. . The buildings (later used as a 'lunatic asylum') are now long gone as has the spring water judging by the very feeble trickle here during a wet period . . A chaffinch (or 'spink') has been carved into the lintel above the well, hard to make out due to lichen. . #well #wellspring #spa #spinkwellbradford #bradford #woods #trough #bradfordwells

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 16, 2019 at 8:34am PST

New Mill Reflection, Saltaire

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New Mill, Saltaire built in 1868 a few years after Titus Salt's original mill on the other side of the canal. . This mill was built on the site of the 17th century Dixon Mill (corn and fulling) . In the distance on the left with its lit up modern chimney Shipley tax office can just be seen. This apparently used to deal with Ken Bruce who has commented on it before on his radio show, saying that whenever Shipley is mentioned he is sent into mild palpitations. . #newmillsaltaire #saltaire #saltsmill #worldheritagesite #weir #evening #windows #evening #reflectionsb #river #titussalt #riveraire #hmrc #kenbruce #shipley #inlandrevenue

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 14, 2019 at 10:21am PST

Pylon, Boars Well Nature Reserve Bradford

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View from Boars Well Urban Nature Reserve path, which unusually goes right under this electricity pylon. #pylon #electricitypylon #silhouette #gloom #bradfordboar #boarswellnaturereserve

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 12, 2019 at 5:52am PST

Shipley Glen Tramway

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Shipley Glen Tramway, built in 1895 by Sam Wilson, a local publican, showman and entrepreneur which eased access to the amusements and rides built along the top of the glen, including a toboggan ride, roller coaster and fairground. . The pleasure grounds at the top remained open until 2005 when the owner closed them to make more money by selling the land for houses. . #shipleyglentramway #funicular #shipleyglen #victorianride #railway

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 9, 2019 at 10:14am PST

Test Train, Leeds

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Unusual sight at Leeds station, one of Network Rail's test trains with Ultrasonic Testing Unit that continualy trundle up and down the country using all sorts of high tech wizardry to check the condition of the railway and ensure safety, and periodically repeating those tests. Some of the equipment used includes ground-penetrating radar systems to detect voids and deformations under the track, rail profile scanners to help identify problems or degradation in track profile, overhead line tests, thermal imaging, lasers, and a plethora of cameras checking line clearance etc. This train appears to be an ultrasonic test train using a variety of old converted carriages and locomotive. The locomotive was originally used in the south east and can use the electrified third rail system there, but also has its own diesel generators for use where there is no third rail. The locomotive here was built in the mid 1960s making it over fifty years old 😮 although it had a major rebuild during 2014/15 which included replacing the diesel generator more than tripling effective power to over one megawatt. I am slightly puzzled why the locomotive is at this end as the carriage immediately behind has a drivers cab which can remotely control the engine when at the other end of the train. #testtrain #networkrail #leedsstation #yellowtrain #train #railway #radar #dbso #class73locomotive

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 7, 2019 at 9:51am PST

Bradford Union Workhouse

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Wouldn't it have been easier to just clean it instead of painting 'Dirty' on it? 😉 . What a grey wet day. . This area was once thriving with industry near the Bradford terminus of the Midland Railway and the Bradford branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. This equipment may have originally been part of Bradford Valley Road power station which closed in 1976 and had distinctive wooden 'Davenport' cooling towers. . #dirty #autumn #industrialplant #electricalsubstation #rust #bradford

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 5, 2019 at 2:18am PST

Old Industrial cylinders, Bradford

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Wouldn't it have been easier to just clean it instead of painting 'Dirty' on it? 😉 . What a grey wet day. . This area was once thriving with industry near the Bradford terminus of the Midland Railway and the Bradford branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. This equipment may have originally been part of Bradford Valley Road power station which closed in 1976 and had distinctive wooden 'Davenport' cooling towers. . #dirty #autumn #industrialplant #electricalsubstation #rust #bradford

A post shared by John | Exploration and history (@merrytrek) on Nov 5, 2019 at 2:18am PST