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Roland Millward's avatar

I love industrial history. It’s amazing how nature recovers areas that were once highly polluted and built upon.

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Harry Watson's avatar

Indeed Roland - that could be written of many places in northeast England. Once sulphurous pit heaps now grass covered hillocks.

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Catherine's avatar

Harry you're an absolute mine of information & this was a fascinating read, thank you 🤓

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Juliet Wilson's avatar

This is a fascinating look into history, and it's great to see how the mill has been preserved! Here in Edinburgh we have a similar lovely wooded area, full of the remains of mills and with a fascinating history (and a slight link to Cromwell) which I'm intending to write about in a future post.

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Harry Watson's avatar

Thanks and I look forward to it Juliet. Edinburgh is a city I've visited many, many times in my life both for pleasure and business. In my working days one of the offices under my responsibilities was in Edinburgh and I'm there again this coming Saturday to meet up with my youngest son and family. If I remember rightly I think I wrote a piece on memories of Edinburgh a while back (one of the memories being bitten by an Emperor Penguin in Edinburgh Zoo at a young age!)

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Juliet Wilson's avatar

I hope you enjoy your weekend trip to Edinburgh! Sorry, you were bitten by a penguin!

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Harry Watson's avatar

Thank you and I forgave the penguin 😉

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Rita Fennell's avatar

Thanks, so interesting, can’t believe they demolished Stella Hall, I was mentally putting it on my visit list!

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Harry Watson's avatar

Oh dear - from the old photographs I've seen it was quite a place too!

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Jon's avatar

Harry, your piece on the Path Head Mill is a fascinating look at the connection between history and nature. Preserving the mill and the area’s return to a natural state is a powerful story; you’ve told it with great detail.

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Harry Watson's avatar

Thanks Jon

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Harry Watson's avatar

Thank you Catherine - your kind words are much appreciated.

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Harry Watson's avatar

Thank you Sue, yes there were many waggon / rail ways crisscrossing the area from the north Pennines to Blaydon. The Hexham to Newcastle railway did for the majority of those used for lead. Some were repurposed to suit modern needs.

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Sue Reed's avatar

Will be sharing this with my son who cycles to work in Blaydon along the wagonways from Greenside. He'll be most interested! Ee, you're a mine of information, Harry!

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