Church Bank, Sowerby Bridge

 Church Bank is a cobbled road that was once one of the main routes down the hillside connecting with Wharf Street, Sowerby Bridge. Now a hidden away pedestrian route with access from Wharf Street available to cars but blocked from Church View - Sunnybank Street, offering only access to pedestrians and cyclists. The roads status as a access route to Wharf Street ended in the 1950's when Tuel Lane was extended and the Rochdale Canal filled in, around this time some local authority housing was built on the Church Bank hillside and the road was closed to thru traffic.

About a quarter of the way up the hill is Orrell House, which occupies a plot of land between Church Bank and Grange Place, the house was once used as a doctors surgery but has been a private residence for a number of years.

These pictures were taken on the 10 April 2022 using a Nikon d3300 SLR camera, they can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

Taken from the bottom of Church Bank, with Wharf Street behind me, Orrell House
is largely hidden from view to the right of the picture.

Taken from the top of Church Bank, Sunnybank Street behind me and Church
View to my right. Christ Church can be seen in the centre of the image.

About half way up or down, Church View can be seen to the left.

Looking down with Wharf Street Visible, Orrell House is
hidden behind the wall to my left.

Again about half way up or down depending on your perspective,
it's hard to believe this was once a busy route in to town.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Marsden Railway Station 25 July 2020

Marsden Railway Station is a village stop on the Huddersfield - Manchester line to the east of the Standedge Tunnels. It is the last stop in West Yorkshire and is served by 3 platforms, platforms 1 and 2 are only reached by steps down from a nearby road bridge, and platform 3 to the south of the station which is accessed by crossing the Huddersfield Narrow Canal which runs alongside the platform. The line originally had 4 platforms with platform 2 being an island platform, this was reduced in the 1960's when the line was reduced to 2 lines instead of 4. The station was opened by the London & North Western Railway on the 1 August 1849 and was for a time facing closure along with others along this stretch of track during the late 1960's.

The current station is served by trains in the direction of Manchester and Leeds, and is a popular spot for people exploring the nearby Standedge Tunnels and Huddersfield Narrow Canal. It features limited facilities with no visible disabled access, no toilets, limited shelter on the platforms and minimal seating. In the last full year before the pandemic the station served 175,000 passengers at an average of approx 3365 per week, making it the 50th busiest in West Yorkshire.

This was the 2nd time I had visited the station, my plan on this occasion was to walk the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to Slaithwaite. I previously posted the pictures I took on my last visit to the station. These images featured below were taken on the 25 July 2020 with my Nikon d3300 SLR, there are a total of 12 which can also be seen on Clickasnap where they are full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Lock 42 which sits adjacent to Marsden
Railway Station Platform 3.

Bench and sign on the station's platform 1.

Taken from Platform 2, which was once an island platform with a third
accessible platform to my right. Platform 1 is to the right and the station's
entrance steps can be seen coming down from the bridge.

Huddersfield bound train stopping at platform 1.

Taken from the end of platform 2 looking across from what once
would have been the third platform to what is the modern day platform 3.

The stations only platform 1 and 2 entrance, the steps down from the bridge.

Looking eastwards along platform 2 in the direction of
platform 1.

Platforms 2 and 3 pictured from Station Road Bridge.

Platform 2 pictured from the end of platform 1.

Platform 1 and 2.

Platforms 1, 2 and 3 pictured from Station Road Bridge.

The former island platform 3 pictured from the current platform 3.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

All Souls Church, Halifax

All Souls Church, Haley Hill, Halifax is a redundant Anglican place of worship now under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Paid for and commissioned by local social reformer and industrialist Edward Akroyd, All Souls Church was consecrated on the 2nd November 1859. The site of the church occupies a plot of land to the south west of Bankfield the home of Edward Akroyd and was said to have been chosen to block out the view of the Square Congregational Church, a nonconformist place of worship.

The Spire is is 236ft, approx 1 ft higher than the Square Congregational Church, it is the 2nd tallest spire in West Yorkshire after Wakefield Cathedral. The church remained in use until stone fell from the spire in January 1977, the church was closed soon after as the cost of repair was seen as uneconomical, for a time the church was under threat of demolition. The church was declared redundant in March 1979, repairs were undertaken in the early 1980's by the Friends of All Souls Church and National Heritage Memorial Fund and the church was transferred into trust on the 2nd August 1989. The church is now open on occasional Saturdays and Heritage Open Days. All Souls was initially granted listed status on 3 November 1954, this was amended to Grade I listed on the 23 November 1973.

These pictures were taken on the 11 August 2018 using a Nikon d3300 SLR, there are a total of 13 which can be seen below or on ClickASnap where they are full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

The spire reachers a height of 236ft, 71 metres.

The west entrance.

The south entrance, this was bordered up to stop access when the church
closed, this was considered poor and a set of gates were commissioned
to make the entrance more appealing.

The font is made of Aberdeen granite and Cornish serpentine.

All Souls Nave pictured from the choir area.

Looking from the west part of the church east towards the choir.

The rear of the church.

The Pulpit by sculptor John Birnie Phillip is made of Caen
stone and Derbyshire limestone.

All the windows in the church are stained glass, these
were produced by John Hardman, William Wailes and
Clayton & Bell.

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Clicking any image should open a link in another window to the higher resolution, un-watermarked version on Clickasnap.

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Brighton Piers in Art Sketches

 West Pier

The West Pier is a derelict pier off the coast of Brighton which closed to the public in 1975. Opened on the 6th October 1866, the West Pier was the 2nd in Brighton following the Royal Suspension Chain Pier, it was extended in 1893 and a concert hall was added during the First World War and around this time the pier reached it's maximum popularity before declining during the inter war years. After closure the pier was largely neglected with sections collapsing into the sea at various times, a major storm in 2002 causing extensive damage and several fires putting the pier beyond repair. The pier was awarded Grade I listed status in 1982 to date the only pier to have been. The artwork of the remains below was created by me.

West Pier Remains, Brighton

Brighton Palace Pier

The Brighton Palace Pier was the third to open in Brighton and the only one still in use, the pier was granted Grade II listed status on the 20th August 1971 and continues to be a popular tourist attraction to this day,

Brighton Palace Pier

Both artworks remain the copyright of Colin Green, they can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap, click either image to view in another window.

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Rochdale Canal Artworks.

These 3 artworks show scenes on the Rochdale Canal near Warland and Summit between Todmorden and Littleborough, they are based on earlier photo's I took along this stretch in May 2015. They can occasionally be purchased from Ebay and Ebid. They can also be seen full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

Benthouse Lock.
Benthouse lock is number 46 on the canal and has a mooring area
alongside the canal pictured above.

Rochdale Canal Summit.
The Rochdale Canal summit is the point where the canal drops
down either side of the Pennines in the directions of Greater Manchester
and Yorkshire.

Warland Swing Bridge.
Warland Gate Swing Bridge is bride number 41 across the Rochdale
Canal.

These artworks can also be seen on Clickasnap. Click any image to view in another window.

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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

Golden Gate Bridge and Monument Valley Artworks.

 These are a couple of recent artworks I completed recently of a couple of American places to visit, the first artwork is one I did a couple of years ago of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bridge opened in May 1937 and the architect was Irving Morrow. The bridge length is 1.7miles, the longest single span being 0.79miles in length. I have sold 3 copies of this picture since I completed it.

The picture can also be seen on ClickASnap where it is full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

The 2nd artwork I want to show in this post is a sketch of West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley, a region of the Colorado Plateau famous for its sandstone buttes. The valley is part of the Navajo Reservation and is considered sacred by the Native American people. It straddles the Arizona - Utah state line.

These picture can also be seen on Clickasnap where there is a full size, resolution and un-watermarked picture to view. Click the image to view in another window.

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Both pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.

A London River Thames Scene Artwork

Another short post this time featuring, a London City Scene is an artwork by me that shows the River Thames, The Shard nearing the end of its construction, HMS Belfast, London Bridge and London Tower Pier. The artwork is an original by me and I hope you enjoy it.

Clicking the image should open a link in another window to the higher resolution, un-watermarked version on Clickasnap.

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The image remains the copyright of Colin Green.

 

Churn Milk Joan Artwork

 I previously posted the picture Churn Milk Joan in April 2021 and provided the following information alongside it,

Churn Milk Joan is a standing stone upon Midgley Moor overlooking the Calder Valley. Also Known as Churn Milk Peg and Nelmires Stoop it reaches a height of approx 7ft and is thought to have been erected as a boundary marker, having been recorded as early as the 17th Century.

The stone is thought to have been given the name Churn Milk Joan in the early 19th Century, as a tribute to a milkmaid who froze to death whilst crossing the moor from Peckett Well to Luddenden during a heavy snow storm. Some of the legends said about the stone include leaving a penny in the depression on top of the stone is said to bring you good luck, it is also claimed that the stone spins 3 times on New Years Eve when the sound of the St Michaels Church bells, Mytholmroyd can be heard around it, the stone is thought to predate the church by a couple of hundred years.

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Ancient Egyptian Gods

Ancient Egyptian Gods is a recent upload of mine on YouTube featuring 25 cigarette cards released in 1924 by Henly & Watkins LTD of London as part of their Egyptian branded cigarettes. Each card had a description of the god on the back which I wrote up alongside the images as the were featured in the slideshow. Also featured on the back was an offer to exchange a full set of cards for a "Genuine Egyptian Scarab"

Below is a selection of the cards featured in the video, the full set and descriptions of all 25 can only be seen on the video.

AMEN-RA
Amen-Ra became the national god of Egypt after the expulsion of
Hyksos, and because he was believed to have given Thothmes III,
a kingdom in Western Asia, and another in Sudan, he was called
"Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands" and "King of the Gods".
His Favourite city was Thebes. Amen, or the hidden creative power
throughout the world, was worshiped under the early dynasties.
He was most revered about 2500BC, about 1600BC attributes of Ra
the Sun-god were ascribed to him, and so
he became Amen-Ra.

KHENSU
The Dual God Khensu, or Chonsu, was a very ancient form of
Moon-god as the swift traveller over the heavens, and the
messenger of the gods. Later he was identified with Thoth,
as the computer of times, and the Thebans made him the son
of Amen-Ra. In the picture he was represented with a single human body
having two hawks heads, and standing on the heads of the crocodiles
of the South and North. On his head are the lunar disk and horns. The
two-headed figure includes Khensu Nefer-hetep and Khensu,
the driver away of devils.

BES
Bes was a god probably of Sudan origin, and his cult entered
Egypt under the early dynasties. He is depicted as a dwarf or
pygmy and usually wears the skin of the animal Besa and a
headdress of plumes. He was the god of mirth, music, pleasures and
rejoicings of all kinds, jollity and feasting. He loved children, and
presided over their birth. In later times he was regarded as a form
of Horus, and symbolised the rising sun, new life, birth
and procreation. In one aspect he was a warrior god.

HATHOR
The goddess Het-Her, whom the Greeks called Hathor, became
incarnate in a special kind of cow, which was remarkable for
its beauty and fertility, and worshipped in predynastic times.
In later days she took the form of a most beautiful women,
and symbolised love and fertility, rejoicing and happiness. She
was an ancient Mother-goddess and Horus was her son. Many
of the great goddesses were only forms of her, and in her
seven-fold character, the Seven Hathors, she was the joy of the
gods, the generous friend of the living, and
nourisher of the dead.

OSIRIS-UNNEFER
Asar (Osiris) was originally a water-god and personified the Nile, but
after passing through many changes he became the supreme god of the
Underworld and judge of the dead. He took the form of a king and reigned.
He was murdered by Set, but Thoth, Isis, his son Horus and Anubis embalmed
him. He rose from the dead, and as Man-god was able to revivify his
followers in the Kingdom of Tuat. He became the Great Ancestor of
the Egyptians, and as the giver of everlasting life he was called
Unnefer, I.E the Good Being.

I included this image to show what the back of the cards looked
like with the descriptions that I added below the above pictures and alongside
the ones in the video. I also like the added touch at the bottom
to exchange a full set of cards for the Egyptian Scarab.

There are a total of 25 included in the video with descriptions too, they were released in the following order,

1   Horus-Set

2   Sebek-Ra

3   Nekhebit

4   Horus - The Son of Isis

5   Hathor (Het-Her)

6   Sebek-Nit

7   Osiris-Unnefer

8   Thoth

9   Anubis

10   Ta-Urt (Thoueris)

11   Serqet

12   Isis-Sept

13   Bast

14   Amen-Ra Her-Aakhuti

15   Sesheta

16   Bes

17   Her-Shefit

18   Horus - The Son of Isis

19   Khepera

20   Amen Ra - The King of the Gods

21   Sekhot (Sekmit)

22   Aah - The Moon God

23   Khensu - The Dual God

24   Ptah-Sekar-Asar

25   Shu

All these feature with description on the YouTube video.

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The Piece Hall, Halifax, December 2013.

The Piece Hall in Halifax is the last remaining cloth hall in the United Kingdom, built as a place for trading pieces of cloth the hall has seen many changes during it's long history, including a recent multi million pound refurbishment to turn the hall in to a modern multi purpose leisure and shopping destination. And to think in 1972 people on the local authority wanted to demolish the building. Below are a number of pictures i took with my Samsung Galaxy Tablet on December 1 2013. This was prior to the Piece Hall's transformation.

The North Gate, this and the South Gate were the original entrances
to the Hall, the West Gate being added in 1785 and the east Gate during the
hall's recent refurbishment.

The former cobbled courtyard, with the spire of Square Church visible.
The hall has offered a number of concerts since re-opening, the stage in it's 
pre refurbishment history offered token entertainment.

The Piece Hall was opened on the 1st January 1779 as a place for people to trade cloth they had produced. As the cloth industry became larger and more industrialised the hall saw a decline in traders and was purchased by the Halifax Corporation in 1868 with conversion to a wholesale market following soon after. This is how the remained until 1971 when the wholesale market was dispersed and demolition of the hall was considered. Over the following years the hall underwent a refurbishment and was reopened as a tourist destination on the 3rd July 1976 including shops, museum and an art gallery. There was also an open air market added during this era before once again declining visitor numbers had the now Calderdale Council considering the best way forward for the building. A plan was put together with funding from various sources to refurbish the hall and it closed to the public on the 16th January 2014 to undergo a 3 year long refurb. The hall was reopened on the 1st August 2017 (Yorkshire Day) and provides restaurants, bars, shops and live entertainment including music concerts and has been the starting point for the Tour de Yorkshire.

Granted Grade I listed status on the 3rd November 1954, the reasons given for this were as follows

Historic interest
Rarity. It is the only remaining cloth hall in Yorkshire
Architectural interest
Architectural layout.

The hall is overlooked by Beacon Hill and the Square Church spire, which is all that remains of the church damaged by fire and partially demolished in the 1970's. The spire now forms part of the recently opened Halifax Central Library.

The hall also has a couple of supernatural stories linked with it, don't all old buildings. One of the units in the south west corner of the hall is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl known as Amy. The TV show Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns also broadcast from the hall in March 2006. In a segment of the show broadcast from the cellars at the hall, he claimed to have made contact with spirits known as Mary and another one known as Joseph. Another story from the hall is of the Hand Prints. Many local legends spring from these, at the westgate entrance to the hall are a pair of hand prints on the wall, sadly although still visible not as much as they once were. A couple of the more popular theories are that a local with was responsible for the prints, or the more well known story is that they were put there by a murderer as he was making his escape.

I took the above from my previous post about the hall dated October 19 2019, below are more pictured from December 2013.

The halls balcony areas featured a number of shops in 2013, today
there are still a number shops, eateries and bars surrounding the
courtyard. This was the western area of the hall.

Looking across the then cobbled courtyard towards the south
western corner.

The west gate entrance to the hall, this was added in 1785.

The south eastern corner of the hall, the South Gate seen in the
middle of the picture, this is often used as the halls main access
point, the bridge raises up to allow larger vehicle entry.

The balcony area that surrounds the courtyard, this was taken from the
south eastern corner looking west. 

Artwork in one of the halls corner stairwells.

The north western corner of the Piece Hall.

Looking north east across the cobbled courtyard. The north gate
was once considered the halls main entrance, this was changed
in 1785 when the west gate opened.

The halls north gate seen across the courtyard.

The Piece Hall's South Gate, the hall and area around the gate was
recently filmed as part of a Marvel's Secret Invasion production, doubling as an
Eastern European Country

One of the halls corner stairwells.

Thanks for looking and please take a moment to share and follow me on social media.

Clicking any image should open a link in another window to the higher resolution, un-watermarked version on Clickasnap.

All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.