View source for Winter Hill (North West England)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Winter Hill
| photo = Winter Hill From Blackrod.jpg
| photo_caption = Winter Hill from [[Blackrod]]. The mast can be seen for many miles around.
| elevation_ft = 1496
| elevation_ref = <ref>Lane (2008), p. 19</ref>
| prominence_ft = 715
| prominence_ref =
| parent_peak = [[Hail Storm Hill]]
| listing = [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]]
| location = [[North West England]]
| range =
| grid_ref_UK = SD659149
| topo = [[Ordnance Survey|OS]] ''Landranger'' 109
| type =
| age =
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route =
| map = Lancashire#Greater Manchester#United Kingdom Borough of Chorley##United Kingdom Blackburn with Darwen
| map_caption = Shown with Lancashire##Shown with Greater Manchester##Shown with Chorley Borough##Shown with Blackburn with Darwen
| range_coordinates =
| coordinates = {{coord|53|37|48|N|2|30|54|W|type:mountain_region:GB_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
}}
[[File:Winter Hill Panorama.jpg|thumb|400px|Panorama of Winter Hill, taken from Blackrod]]
'''Winter Hill''' is a hill on which the three boroughs of [[Borough of Chorley|Chorley]], [[Blackburn with Darwen]] and [[Metropolitan Borough of Bolton|Bolton]] meet in [[North West England]]. It is located on [[Rivington]] Moor, Chorley and is {{convert|1496|ft|0}} high. Part of the [[West Pennine Moors]], it is a popular [[walking]] area, and has been the site of mining activity, [[aeroplane]] disasters and a [[murder]].
Its prominent position made it the ideal site for the [[Winter Hill TV Mast]], transmitting to a large part of North West England. There is also a number of other [[telecommunication]] masts and towers around the summit and side of the hill for [[mobile phones]], [[Professional Mobile Radio]] users and [[emergency services]]. [[Lancashire Constabulary]] was the first to use the site for one of their base stations in 1950; they had to build the road and it is said to have been built by policemen.<ref>Davies, J. "Mobile radio for Lancashire's police", ''Electronics & Wireless World''{{specify|date=December 2011}} date</ref>
Paths to the summit lead from [[Belmont, Lancashire|Belmont]] (in Blackburn with Darwen), [[Rivington]] (in Chorley), and [[Horwich]] and [[Blackrod]] (in Bolton). The summit can also be reached via a short walk from the top of a road pass {{convert|1+1/4|mi|km|0}} west of Belmont. The hill is a prominent natural landmark on the skyline for the most of Chorley and further afield. Winter Hill's [[topographic prominence]] results in it being classified as a [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]]. The [[trig point]] on its summit marks the highest point in Blackburn with Darwen whereas the highest point in Bolton is {{convert|440|yd|m}} away on its south east slope at {{convert|1467|ft}} above sea level.
It provides views over [[Lancashire]], [[Cheshire]], [[Merseyside]] and [[Greater Manchester]], including [[Manchester city centre]], [[City of Salford|Salford]], [[Werneth Low]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan|Wigan]] and [[Bolton]]. In clear weather conditions, locations such as [[Blackpool Tower]], the [[Dream (sculpture)|Dream]] in [[Sutton, St Helens|Sutton]], [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]], [[Jodrell Bank Observatory]], [[Snaefell]] in the [[Isle of Man]], the Cumbrian mountains, [[Snowdonia]] in [[North Wales]], [[Liverpool]], [[Southport]], the [[Irish Sea]], the [[Pennines]] and much of the North West of England, can be seen. On a clear day, views from the summit include four national parks: the [[Lake District]], [[Yorkshire Dales]], [[Peak District]] and Snowdonia.
==History==
The bare hilltop was once covered by [[woodland]] that may have been destroyed by fire<ref>Lane (2008), p. 21</ref> and it is thought that the hill was once inhabited, though no remains have been found.<ref>Lane (2008), p. 15</ref> There is a [[Bronze Age]] round [[cairn]] dating from 1600–1400 BC on the hill.<ref>{{PastScape |mnumber=43440 |access-date=30 January 2008}}</ref> In 1883, a local historian recorded the old name for Winter Hill as Edgar Hill, named in connection to Saxon King [[Edgar,_King_of_England|Edgar]]<ref name="hampson1883">{{cite book | title=Horwich, Its History, Its Legends and Its Church | last=Hampson | first=Thomas | author-link=Thomas Hampson (author) | year=1883 | pages=34, 35}}</ref>
===Burial mounds===
Two burial mounds dating from the [[Bronze Age]] are located near the peak. On 24 March 1957, two men discovered "curved lines of stones" sticking out of the peat forming a two feet high wall which surrounded a raised area in the middle. In July 1958, a group from the [[University of Manchester]] excavated the central mound only to find it had been excavated 250 years earlier. The site was thought to have originated from 1500 BC in the Middle Bronze Age.
The second mound was found higher up the hill on the southern edge of [[Noon Hill (North West England)|Noon Hill]]. The site was excavated in August 1958 by the Bolton & District Archaeological Society, revealing two lines of stones and human remains.<ref>Lane (2008), p. 17</ref>
===Two Lads===
Two memorial [[cairn]]s on the hill are known as Wilder Lads or Two Lads. There was a large third cairn built in the 20th century, the remains of the originals are nearby. The site was originally known as 'Wilder Lads', originally united by a circular mound.  The cairns height had been increased by a landowner, noted by local historian [[Thomas Hampson (author)|Thomas Hampson]] in 1883, at the time the cairns were thought to be Saxon.<ref name="two_lads_history">{{cite web |last1=Lacey |first1=Paul |title=Two Lads History, research notes 2011 |url=https://archive.org/details/two_lads |website=Internet archive |access-date=24 September 2022}}</ref> Hampson described the original Two Lads as the graves of two children of a Saxon king, [[Edgar,_King_of_England|Edgar]], and recorded that Winter Hill was previously known as Edgar Hill.<ref name=hampson1883/> A legend exists that the cairns mark the site on which two boys lost their way on the moor and died of exposure in a snowstorm.<ref>{{citation |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=Samuel|title=Horwich|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51048#s1|work=A Topographical Dictionary of England |publisher=British History Online |pages=559–562|year=1848 |access-date=22 May 2011}}</ref> In 1953/54 John Winstanley, Archaeologist had recorded Roman finds near this site, he concluded the site was once a Roman encampment. Flint chippings were found indicating much earlier use of this site.<ref name=two_lads_history/>
===Scotsman's Stump===
[[File:Scotsman's Stump.JPG|100px|thumb|left|Scotsman's Stump]]
On 9 November 1838 George Henderson, a Scottish merchant walking over the hill from Horwich to [[Blackburn]], was murdered by gunshot. A monument was erected in 1912 to replace an earlier bush planted at the spot, sited at the side of the road opposite the television station.<ref name="Ben_scotsmans">{{cite web |title=Mysterious murder on the moors |url=https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/17288511.mysterious-murder-on-the-moors/ |website=Bolton News |access-date=19 June 2019}}</ref> Scotsman's Stump was celebrated in a poem entitled 'Scotchman's Stump' by Bolton poet John Cassidy. It was published in his collection '' Night Cries'', published by Bloodaxe in 1982.
===Air disasters===
{{main|Winter Hill air disaster}}
Aircraft crashes around Winter Hill include a two-seater aircraft in the 1920s.<ref name=sb>Lane, Dave (January 2004). [http://www.daveweb.co.uk/whvol2.pdf Winter Hill Scrapbook]. (PDF). Issue 5.</ref> During [[World War II]] an American [[C-61 Forwarder|Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder]] (41-54885) of 5th Air Depot Group crashed on 7 August 1942.<ref name=sb/> On 24 December 1943, an [[Airspeed Oxford]] (BM837) of 410 Squadron crashed on the hill.<ref name=sb/> Other crashes have included several [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]]s, [[Hawker Hurricane|Hurricane]]s and a [[Gloster Meteor]] which crashed in 1953.<ref name=sb/>
On 27 February 1958 occurred the [[Winter Hill air disaster]], a [[Silver City (airline)|Silver City]] [[Bristol 170 Freighter]] (G-AICS) travelling from the [[Isle of Man]] to Manchester crashed into Winter Hill several hundred yards away from the transmitter.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/isleofman/content/articles/2008/02/26/winterhill_feature.shtml Black Thursday]. [[BBC]]. February 26, 2008.</ref> There is a memorial plaque to the accident at the site.
In September 1965 a [[RAF]] [[De Havilland Chipmunk]] flew into the hill in cloud, without serious injury to the crew.<ref name=sb/> The last crash occurred in October 1968 when a [[Cessna 172]] force-landed between Winter Hill and [[Rivington Pike]].<ref name=sb/>
===2018 wildfire===
{{Main|2018 United Kingdom wildfires#Winter Hill}}
In 2018, a large [[2018 United Kingdom wildfires#Winter Hill|wildfire]] broke out on the 28 June. It burned over {{convert|7|sqmi}} of moorland, with one hundred firefighters sent to tackle the blaze. In total, the fire burned for 41 days,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-lancashire-45119375 | title= Winter Hill moorland fire 'out' after 41 days | publisher= [[BBC News]] | date= 8 August 2018}}</ref> and caused a major incident to be declared. A man was later arrested for [[arson]] on suspicion of causing the wildfire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-44678870|title=Winter Hill fire: Crews continue to battle blaze|date=2 July 2018|access-date=2 July 2018|publisher=BBC}}</ref> The fire, along with the [[Saddleworth Moor]] fire (which also burned over 7 square miles of land) has been described by local councillor Brenda Warrington as the "worst series of moor fires in living memory".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/winter-hill-saddleworth-moorland-fires-14955626 | publisher= [[Manchester Evening News]] | date= 27 July 2018 | title= The devastating toll of this summer's moorland wildfires has been revealed - as firefighters tackle ANOTHER blaze}}</ref> It has affected local wildlife, killing both flora and fauna in an "internationally important ecosystem" as described by the [[Woodland Trust]]. The fire destroyed over a fifth of the moorland on the hill, and it may take a decade to recover fully.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/its-just-devastation-fifth-moorland-14867800 | title= "It's just devastation" - A fifth of moorland on Winter Hill has been 'wiped out' | publisher= [[Manchester Evening News]] | date= 5 July 2018 }}</ref> Concerns were raised in 2011 to Natural England regarding moorland management with warnings of increased fire risk due to policy of United Utilities to reduce grazing, whilst not using other land management measures including cutting or controlled burning to reduce fire risks.<ref name="defra_fire">{{cite web |last1=March 2011 |first1=Contract Report BD 1706 |title=Conservation of the Historic Environment in England's Uplands |url=http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=9925_BD1706HistoricEnvironmentUplandsReportFinalFeb2011300311.pdf |website=DEFRA |publisher=ADAS in association with Oxford Archaeology North |access-date=27 June 2019}}</ref>
===Rights to Roam===
The area is popular with walkers and footpaths and bridleways provide access to the hillside and surrounding moorland.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/landscape/landscapecharacass/charcarea4.asp|title=Moorland Fringe|publisher=Lancashire County Council|access-date=3 May 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030045145/http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/landscape/landscapecharacass/charcarea4.asp|archive-date=30 October 2010}}</ref> Winter Hill was the site of a mass trespass in 1896 when 10,000 people marched from Bolton to the open countryside in a mass demonstration after the owner of the [[Smithills Hall]] estate, Colonel Richard Henry Ainsworth tried to stop public access, the demonstrators repeated the march the following week and were met with no opposition to them accessing the moors, it is considered an early forerunner of the [[Kinder Scout mass trespass]]. The demonstration is commemorated by a memorial stone on Coal Pit Road, below Smithills Moor.<ref name="boltonnews_anson">{{cite news |last1=Anson |first1=John |title=Winter Hill was the battleground for the right to roam |url=https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/18715631.winter-hill-battleground-right-roam/ |access-date=24 September 2020 |agency=NewsQuest |publisher=Bolton News |date=13 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="1896trespass">{{cite web |title=Winter Mass Trespass 1896 |url=https://rossendale-ramblers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Winter-Hill-Mass-Trespass-1896.pdf |website=Rossendale Ramblers |publisher=Ramblers Association - Rossendale branch |access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref>
The hill and surrounding moorland area is open access land with a legally protected [[right to roam]].<ref name="Access_land">{{cite web |title=Public Access Land to the North of Bolton |url=https://www.bolton.gov.uk/downloads/file/249/access-to-land-map |website=Bolton Council |publisher=Bolton Council Highways Dept. |access-date=19 June 2019}}</ref><ref name="DEFRA">{{cite web |title=ACCESS |url=https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?chosenLayers=section15Index,crowIndex,backdropDIndex,backdropIndex,europeIndex,vmlBWIndex,25kBWIndex,50kBWIndex,250kBWIndex,miniscaleBWIndex,baseIndex&box=363319:413513:364668:414197&useDefaultbackgroundMapping=false |website=MAGIC MAPPING |publisher=DEFRA |access-date=24 September 2020}}</ref>
===Claimed UFO sightings===
[[Unidentified flying object|UFO]]s have been reported on Winter Hill. In 1950, a witness described a "dark flat iron shaped object hovering close to the ground" and an encounter with a being that returned to a craft before disappearing.<ref>Lane, Dave (August 2004). [http://www.daveweb.co.uk/whvol3.pdf Winter Hill Scrapbook]. (PDF). Issue 3.</ref> In 1999, in what became known as the "Murphy Incident", a farmer said he saw an object hovering over his cattle field. On investigation, the object moved away and the farmer reported the incident to the police.<ref name=p145>Lane (2008), p. 145.</ref> The farmer returned to the field, wearing just a cardigan, and discovered the object had reappeared. He reported the incident to the Manchester Aerial Phenomena Investigation Team (MAPIT), who investigated it.<ref name=p145/> While MAPIT was conducting its investigation, they alleged they were being followed by a green moon-man in a shuttlecock-shaped flying saucer.<ref>[http://www.winterhill.org/ufos.htm UFOs]. WinterHill.org.</ref> The farmer reported that he was warned by officials from the [[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]] but has not been traced since the incident, and the current owner has not spoken about it.<ref name=p145/>
The UK government released previously [[classified information]] on UFO sightings in May 2006; one picture appeared to show an unidentified object over Winter Hill.<ref>[http://www.ufodigest.com/lancashire.html UFO report reveals Lancashire sightings]. UFOdigest.com. May 17, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.lep.co.uk/entertainmentnews/UFO-report-reveals-Lancs-sightings.1507620.jp UFO report reveals Lancs sightings (with photo gallery)]. ''[[Lancashire Evening Post]]''. May 17, 2006.</ref>
{{Panorama
| image      = File:Greater Manchester from Winter Hill.jpg
|alt         =
| fullwidth  = 26006
| fullheight = 2506
| caption    = A panoramic view of the Greater Manchester conurbation, from Matchmoor Lane on the western side of Winter Hill. Bolton is the large town in the foreground, with all the major Manchester city landmarks visible in the middle distance.
| height     = 200
}}
==References in song==
The song "Winter Hill" on [[A Certain Ratio]]'s 1981 album ''To Each...'', consists of drumming, whistling and a low-pitched drone alternating between two notes a tone apart for its entire length. On a visit to Winter Hill in 1988, a piece of electronic equipment was found which made a high-pitched drone and alternated between two notes a tone apart.
The song "[[Winter Hill (song)|Winter Hill]]" on [[Doves (band)|Doves]]' 2009 album ''[[Kingdom of Rust]]'', also references the site.<ref>East, Ben (November 3, 2009). [http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091104/ART/711039977/1215 Pastoral symphonies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329050153/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20091104%2FART%2F711039977%2F1215 |date=2017-03-29 }}. ''[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]''.</ref>
==Viewfinder plaque==
[[File:View Finder above Burnt Edge.jpg|75px|thumb|left|Viewfinder plaque]]
A metal plaque shows the direction for Two Lads Cairn, Winter Hill TV mast, Smithills Moor, Brown Lowe, [[Scout Moor Wind Farm]], Knowl Hill, Walker Fold Woods, Saddleworth Moor, [[Peak District]], [[Kinder Scout]], [[Manchester]] and [[Salford Quays]]. The image on the left shows Winter Hill and the TV mast along with Holdens Farm. On the plinth is a metal memorial plate which reads "In loving memory to Joan and Bartle Hodgkiss...". The plaque is on a continuing path along Burnt Edge Lane, 200m past Slack Hall and overlooking Burnt Edge at {{gbmappingsmall|SD666124}}.
==Nearby hill summits==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name
! Locality
! [[Elevation]]
! [[British national grid reference system|OS grid reference]]
|-
| '''Winter Hill''' <sup>†</sup> || Rivington || {{convert|456|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD659149}}}}
|-
| '''Counting Hill''' || Smithills/[[Belmont, Lancashire|Belmont]] || {{convert|433|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD671141}}}}
|-
| '''Two Lads Hill''' <sup>†</sup> || [[Horwich]] || {{convert|389|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD655133}}}}
|-
| '''[[Noon Hill (North West England)|Noon Hill]]''' <sup>†</sup> || Rivington || {{convert|380|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD647150}}}}
|-
| '''Crooked Edge Hill''' || Horwich || {{convert|375|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD654134}}}}
|-
| '''[[Rivington Pike]]''' || [[Rivington]]|| {{convert|363|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD643138}}}}
|-
| '''Adam Hill''' || Horwich || {{convert|360|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD660126}}}}
|-
| '''White Brow''' || Horwich || {{convert|358|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD661124}}}}
|-
| '''Whimberry Hill''' || [[Belmont, Lancashire|Belmont]] || {{convert|340|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD686139}}}}
|-
| '''Egg Hillock''' || Belmont || {{convert|328|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD684142}}}}
|-
| '''Brown Hill''' || Rivington || {{convert|325|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD644135}}}}
|-
| '''Brown Lowe''' || Smithills || {{convert|325|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD669130}}}}
|-
| '''Burnt Edge''' || Horwich || {{convert|325|m|ft|0}} || {{center|{{gbmappingsmall|SD667125}}}}
|-
|colspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| † ''Denotes walker's [[cairn]] or similar.''<ref>{{Harvnb|Fields|p=17}}</ref>
|}
==See also==
*[[Scheduled monuments in Lancashire]]
==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist|2}}
'''Bibliography'''
{{Refbegin}}
*{{citation |last=Fields|first=Kenneth |title=Five half day walks around the West Pennine Moors (2) |publisher=Lancashire Country Walks}}
*{{citation |last =Lane|first = Dave |title = Winter Hill Scrapbook|publisher = Lulu.com|year = 2008 |isbn= 978-1-4092-2068-8}}
{{Refend}}
==Further reading==
* ''The Devil Casts His Net'', Steve Morrin, {{ISBN|0-9534503-1-7}}, The Winter Hill Air Disaster.
==External links==
{{Commons category|Winter Hill}}
* Computer generated summit panoramas [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/ENG/Winter.gif Winter Hill] [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html index]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060924230913/http://www.d.lane.btinternet.co.uk/winterindex.html Tunnels and Mines of Winter Hill]
* [http://www.daveweb.co.uk/whfossil.htm Free PDF Book: Carboniferous Fossils of Winter Hill & surrounding areas]
{{Blackburn with Darwen geography}}
{{Borough of Chorley geography}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Marilyns of England]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Lancashire]]
[[Category:Rivington]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Blackburn]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Chorley]]
[[Category:Hills of the West Pennine Moors]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents locations in England]]