Lichens, Mosses and Goldeneye.....

Had a walk with Charlie Payne around the Calf Hey Reservoir and took a few photos. On the res was two Male Goldeneye and a Male Goosander, a pair of Mallard and several Black Headed Gulls.

(First two photos are of mosses on the car park approach wall, which also retains the old burial ground. The third photo (top right) is the old Grane Village area closeby the bird hide. The bottom left photo is: Hypogymnia physodes and then the next is Evernia prunastri and these are found close to Top O'th Knoll, and the bottom right hand photo is of Bryoria fuscescens growing on tree near to bird hide...

Hutch Bank Quarry...

It was great knocking about up there in the 50s. There used to be two long dark tunnels which had train lines (a narrowguage) running through them, I can remember clammering through them it was really great fun, and dark and spooky..... . They must have carried the stone from different parts of the Quarry with trains in those early days. In the 50s it was also closed down for production like it is today. In the 50s there was also grass snakes up there... none been around now for years in fact probably since 50s... so rare!!! Here's a old photo of the train at Hutch Bank which was called "Ant".

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Went up Underbank, Cob Castle and Hutch Bank on Sunday March 15th 2009

Meadow Pipits where going North over Hutch Bank at the rate of about 40 per hour and also there where odd Pied Wagtails again heading North. First big bumblebee of the year at Cob Castle. Checked out Underbank, Cob Castle and Hutch Bank. Here's some photos of some of todays findings of Ferns, Mosses and Lichens which I have yet to identify. Also photo of old Hutch Bank Crusher. I have also included a very old postcard showing the old Hutch Bank and Cob Castle area when it was well inhabited. (Photo: Top right and also centre is the Male of the Polytrichum piliferum moss species. The Photo Middle left is: Narrow Buckler Fern (Dryoperis carthusiana) Bottom left photo is a lichen of the species Lecidea - sub species unknown).

Vintage Grane Photo - Heap Clough Mill

The first photo on the left shows the Heap Clough Mill, and the photo above shows the demolition of the large chimney in c1913.