Darwen Tower Top - Part 1

Darwen Tower on Darwen Hill or Jubilee Tower on Beacon Hill to give it it's correct title was built to commemorate  Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and to celebrate the victory of local people for the right to access the moor.

Darwen Tower

It was built by two stonemasons Peter Brindle & Harry Flew, they walked from Brindle every day to work on the tower refusing to stay over in Darwen because they had to tend to their gardens back at home. You can not begin to imagine walking from Brindle to the summit of Darwen Moor to begin work often in cold, wet and windy conditions before walking back home again to do the gardening! 

It was opened on 24th Sept 1898 and had cost £773. 3s. 5d. it had taken two years and three months to complete.

A Brief History of Tops!

In the severe winter of 1947 the original wooden top blew off. By 1971 the tower was starting to show signs of wear & tear, topless, battered by the weather, abused by vandals  there was talk of bricking it up or even demolishing it. Thanks largely to the efforts of the Mayor Dr. Bill Lees and local funding in 1971 the tower was repaired and a new top was put in place.

However in a 70-80mph gale on the 21-Mar-2007 the weather vane blew off. A local engineering company W.E.C. who had originally made the weathervane offered to replace it. 

Scaffolding had to be erected in order to do this, as seen on this photograph taken by John Lenehan on 25-Jan-2008. 

Finally on the 11-Nov-2010 the entire top blew off in 80mph gale force winds and the council had to remove it.

Of course the local pro-photographer, in red, was there to record the occasion. 

Once the top was loaded on a trailer and secured the debris had to be collected which had become strewn around the tower.

The Morning After The Night Before!

Not all of the debris made it to the ground and needed assistance from the first floor...

and some from the very top.

Fortunately 'The Darwen Strongman' was on hand, who needs a crane?

and given an audience he couldn't resist the opportunity to demonstrate his physical prowess!

Once all the debris was cleared and loaded along with the broken top, the tractor commenced its descent from the tower.

and the initial descent is very steep.

Then down the moor past Darwen's other famous landmark the 'India Mill Chimney' with the paparazzi in hot pursuit!

To Be Continued.............

Darwen Tower Top - Part 2

From the 11-Nov-2010 until 13-Jan-2012 Darwen Tower stood proud and solid but without a top. Some thought it looked naked or at least topless and some thought it looked better without. In these times of austerity with government and council cutbacks it seemed unlikely that money would be found to fund a replacement top and it might have to be replaced by public subscription. Fortunately a local engineering company, WEC, came to the rescue and offered to replace the top free of charge, it offered them a unique training project for their apprentices. Coincidently, because the tower was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, it was in the year of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee, the new top was finished and the day for its replacement arrived.

First of all the Engineers arrived and the Police cordoned off the area.....

Cameras were loaded, prepared and got ready for the 'action'....

Then the crowds started to gather.....

Helicopter and ground camera locations were double checked.....

Tension mounted as the time grew closer.....

Then the all-important, pre-delivery,installation flyby.....

Then finally with everybody in position.....

"Over the moor so bleak and barren" a distant thunder could be heard as the long awaited top appeared (with the local paparazzi in hot pursuit, the lengths some people will go to ) .....

Then slowly but surely the top was positioned.....

and with an incredible display of precision flying the top was lowered on to the tower.....

The entire operation, from the first photo with the helicopter coming over the moor carrying the top, to the one below  took exactly 7 minutes 48 seconds.

Excitement over, the crowds started to make their way back down off the moor

Final Inspection

Job well done!

Late one afternoon, a few days later, I went back to get a photo of the finished article and this was the result.

My Mate Mani.

Hello

Come On Keith   -   Lets Go Eat

Double Cheese Burger, Chips & Chocolate Milkshake,
oh & Keith will have a coffee.

I Need A Bigger Plate.

What's Cooking?

Dinner at Grandma's

Come On Keith, Lets Get This Kitchen, Up, Running & Serving Food.

A Romantic Dinner For Two.

Are You Serious - Is That It!

That Looks Like A Cafe To Me, Keith.


Mani. 6th Feb. 2011  to  1st Feb. 2012