Ian's World of History |

Below is a collection of photos of various historical curiosities with interesting stories behind them. They range from superb pieces of ironwork and engineering by great pioneers such as Thomas Telford and James Brindley to small, unnoticed little pieces such as an oversized sundial or an unusually small telegraph pole. It is incredible how much history is around you wherever you go....

Above, of course, is the world famous Ironbridge which stands over the river Severn at Ironbridge gorge near Telford, Shropshire.
Built by Abraham Darby III in 1775, it is one of the earliest examples of using cast iron to build on such a large scale. In fact the techniques used to build the bridge resemble those used in carpentry. Building with iron was still a rather experimental idea and the techniques required had not yet been invented. The site has since been made a UNESCO world heritage site.

Above, One of the finest and largest packhorse bridges in the British Isles. Essex bridge which lies across the river Trent at Great Haywood, Staffordshire is widely considered to be the longest packhorse bridge in the country. Built in 1550 by the Earl of Essex, now only 18 arches remain of a disputed original number of 40.

Above, The Queens Sconce, an English civil war fort located in Newark-on-Trent, Leicestershire. An impressive fortification of considerable size and one of the few royalist fortresses that did not fall by force, only surrendering on orders of the king.

Above, the defences of the Queens Sconce. It is not hard to see why this fort did not fall easily, the walls are incredibly steep and this is not taking into account the walls and guards surrounding the fort in it's heyday.

Anchor church cave, Ingleby, Leicestershire is a hermit's dwellings carved out of solid rock. It lies next to the river Trent in a quite isolated location.The date of the cave is disputed but the first mention of it in local records comes in 1648.

The grave of William Billinge, a veteran soldier burried in Longnor, Derbyshire. The epitaph states that he was a veteran of the seige of Gibraltar in 1704 and participated in the battle of Ramilles serving under the Duke of Marlborough. His military career was extensive and he died at the grand old age of 112...twice the life expectancy of the average 18th century citizen!

The famous crooked spire of the Church of St. Mary in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The spire leans 9 feet and 6 inches off centre. This is blamed on the use of unseasoned timber during construction which warped over winter.

Above is the grave of the late, great Duncan Edwards, the young Manchester United starlet who died in the Munich air crash of 1958. Edwards was expected to become one of England's finest ever players before his life was tragically cut short at the age of 21 along with the lives of many of his young team mates. The site is still a place of pilgrimage for many a football fan, young and old, coming to pay their respects to one of the finest players ever to grace a football field.

Above is a very unusual building. If I asked you to guess what the function of this fine example of French architecture you would most likely never come to a right answer. It is in fact a water pumping station found next to The Bratch, Wombourne, Staffordshire!

This structure built over a road in Belper, Derbyshire may seem like little more than an ordinary 17th century building but if you look above the arch on the far right you will see a hole in the wall. The building is called Strutt's mill and these holes are, in fact, gun ports through which a musket may be pointed in order to scare off any invading luddites. They may also have been used as civil war defences.

These unusual grave slabs are located in the churchyard in Biddulph, Staffordshire and could possibly be a rare example of crusader gravestones. Though this is unlikely, the designs on the slabs resemble the graves of crusader soldiers found on the continent. The slabs have many stories behind them, some link them to saracen masons from the holy land, some link them with a crusader family from Biddulph and some even link them with the infamous Knights Templar. The precise history of the slabs is unknown, they may even predate the crusades altogether and they are, most likely, not to be in their original location.

Above, what is widely considered (in local circles) to be the world's smallest telegraph pole found beneath a road bridge in Woodseaves, Staffordshire. Many motorists drive straight over this without even noticing it. The motive for building a telegraph pole here is rather unclear. It may have been part of a system of telegraph poles down the length of the canal. It wouldn't be practical to put it on top of the bridge so they put it under the bridge!

We have seen the world's smallest telegraph pole, now we witness an unusually tall sundial. This can be seen in the churchyard of Thorp in Derbyshire. The dial is far too tall for any normal person to view so why exactly is it so tall? One explanation is that it was originally found by the roadside and was to be used by horseriders and stagecoach drivers.

Above is a wonderful example of a norman arch. This intricately carved entrance is found on the Norman church in the village of Tutbury, Staffordshire. It is one of the finest examples in the midlands.

The Harecastle tunnel, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. There are actually two tunnels side by side, both over 2000 metres long. The original, constructed by James Bridley, can be seen on the right. The tunnel was rebuilt at a later date by Thomas Telford and this is the tunnel in use today. Rumor has it that the tunnel is haunted by the ghost of a murdered woman and occasionally the number of boats entering the tunnel does not match the figure for those exiting... It is also said that her blood dyed the water the red colour that is seen on the photo but it is actually caused by the large concentration of iron in the water.

Above, Alcazaba, Malaga, Spain. An 8th century Moorish fortress most of which dates from the 1000s. It is a formidable stronghold on the high ground in the city. It was used as a governmental centre for the city and the region.

Above, the spectacular entrance to Malaga cathedral. One of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen with my own eyes. Malaga has been a Bishopric since the 3rd century though the region was under Moorish control until the 15th century when it was restored as a Christian region by Isabella and Fernando.

Above, the tower of Malaga cathedral. The other tower is incomplete, unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo of it.

Above, Duffield, Derbyshire. This ancient Yew tree lies in the churchyard of St Alkmund's parish church. It has been described as "centuries old in 1798" (http://www.ancient-yew.org/derbyshire.shtml) and is still going strong. Yew trees are a common sight in churchyards throughout the UK. A theory for this is that they had a practical purpose. The wood is the perfect flexibility for making longbows.

Above, Intricate Norman carvings above the door of All Saints Church, Bradbourne, Derbyshire.

Above, Dale Abbey Hermitage, Derbyshire. Another living quarters carved out of solid rock. A hermit would have lived a celibate and religious life here.

Above: Mavesyn Ridware, Staffordshire. A village that dates back to the Norman Conquest and retains much of its original architecture in some capacity. This medieval tithe barn being a good example.

Above: Mavesyn Ridware, Staffordshire. The old hall incorporating some of the original stonework dating back to the 11th century.

Above: Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire. These antlers are used by the villagers for the annual 'horn dance' which takes place in September each year, a fine example of an ancient tradition kept alive. One set of horns has been carbon dated to the 11th century and are said to be from Scandanavia. The tradition itself is likely to be much older.

Hoar Cross Church, Staffordshire

Below is a selection of photos taken at the Church of The Holy Angels in the tiny village of Hoar Cross, Staffordshire. The architecture and decor of the church is reminiscent of that of a large cathedral befitting a much larger setting than the humble surroundings of its location.
The church was commissioned in 1896 by Emily Charlotte Meynall-Ingram, sister of Viscount Halifax as a memorial to her late husband. From the elaborate decor and grand scale of the building it is clear that money was no object in the construction of this hidden gem. The main feature of the church is a collection of magnificent wood carvings of the Stations of the Cross, designed and carved in Antwerp.