I have always been quite fascinated by the pikes and towers built on top of the local hills. We are quite blessed with them around here, Darwen Tower, Rivington Pike and Peel Tower being 3 local examples. (Perhaps sadly,) I was googling the subject to see if there was some kind of dedicated website but drew a blank.
As well as the old towers there are plenty of modern works of public art such as ‘The Halo’ at Haslingden and the ‘Singing Ringing Tree’ over Burnley way.
So what have you got around your way that is worth cycling up to the top to see? Is it a northern thing or are they everywhere? Post a picture and share what you have…
Trig Points don’t count!
Nor do Pike Suspension Forks or indeed Pike fish)
We’ve got this here in Hampshire, Sway Tower or “Petersons Folly” apparently
It remains the tallest non-reinforced concrete structure in the world
It originally had a light on top but that could be seen from the Solent so Trinity House told them to take it off..
Still standing, lots of smaller Towers close by where they investigated methods of the build before its construction..
Not got any pics but riding from the door can take you to Solomons Temple just outside Buxton, The Cage and Old House at Lyme Park and the Old Castle Ruins at the Top of Mow Cop
@bikebouy, did you know it was co-designed by Sir Christopher Wren? Yes it was designed 150 years after he died- he gave his design input by way of a medium, therefore also inventing the teleconference.
this overlooks Alness where I grew up – not been back there with a bike so cant comment on the trails, although the centre arch holds very ‘special’ memories!
@Smudger- I love the 2 different pitches of the story of Fyrish… Built as a work creation scheme, some people call it philanthropic. But the other way to look at it was, the builders were victims of the clearances (some from his own land) and Munro refused to support them unless they were working, and paid labourers in starvation rations. Which puts a different light on the folk tale that he personally rolled stones down the hill so that it’d take longer for the workers to get them back up 😆
Stoodley’s the one for me. At night, the closer you get to it, the more menacing it becomes. HtS’ pic is a fairly accurate representation of our last mnpr up there.