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Little Moreton Hall, Congleton added to National Trust in North West by D0c.Col on 05/10/2023

LITLE MORETON HALL
Little Moreton Hall first appears in the historical record in 1271, but the present building dates from the early 16th century with the earliest parts of the house built for the prosperous Cheshire landowner William Moreton around 1504. The remainder was constructed in stages by subsequent generations of the family until about 1610 making the building highly irregular, with three asymmetrical structures forming a small, rectangular cobbled courtyard.

The house remained in the possession of the Moreton family for almost 450 years, until ownership was transferred to the National Trust in 1938. Little Moreton Hall and its sandstone bridge that spans the moat, are Grade I listed and the grounds on which Little Moreton Hall stands is protected as a Scheduled Monument.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid-16th century provided further opportunities for the Moretons to add to their estate, and by the early years of Elizabeth I's reign, William Moreton II owned an area of 1,360 acres containing a cornmill, orchards, gardens, and an iron bloomery with water-powered hammers, all then valued around £24 pounds.

In 1546 William Moreton's son, also called William, replaced the original west wing with a new range, housing service rooms on the ground floor as well as a porch, gallery, and three interconnected rooms on the first floor, one of which had access to a garderobe or privvy. In 1559 William had a new floor inserted at gallery level in the Great Hall, and added the two large bay windows looking onto the courtyard, built so close to each other that their roofs abut one another. The south wing was added around 1560 by William Moreton II's son, John. It includes the Gatehouse and a third storey containing the 21m Long Gallery. A small kitchen and Brew-house block was added to the south wing in about 1610 and was the last major extension to the house.

The fortunes of the Moreton family declined during the English Civil War. As supporters of the Royalist cause, they found themselves isolated in a neighbourhood of Parliamentarians. Little Moreton Hall was requisitioned by the Parliamentarians in 1643 and used as soldiers quarters. The family successfully petitioned for its restitution, and survived the Civil War but at a huge financial loss. Their attempts to sell the full estate, failed and only several parcels of land were sold. William Moreton died in 1654 leaving debts of £3,000–£4,000, the equivalent to approximately £14 million today. The family's fortunes never fully recovered, and by the late 1670s they no longer lived in Little Moreton Hall, renting it out instead to a series of tenant farmers. The Dale family took over the tenancy in 1841, and were still in residence more than 100 years later. By 1847 most of the house was unoccupied, and the deconsecrated Chapel was being used as a coal cellar and storeroom. Little Moreton Hall was in a ruinous condition; its windows were boarded up and its roof was rotten.

In 1912, Elizabeth bequeathed the house to a cousin, Charles Abraham the Bishop of Derby, stipulating that it must never be sold. Abraham opened up Little Moreton Hall to visitors, and guided tours were conducted by the Dales.

Abraham transferred ownership to the National Trust in 1938. The Dale family continued to farm the estate until 1945, and acted as caretakers for the National Trust until 1955.

The house stands on an island surrounded by a 10 m wide moat, which was dug between the 13th or 14th century to enclose an earlier building on the site. There is no evidence that the moat served any defensive purpose, and as with many other moated sites, it was probably intended as a status symbol. Running the entire length of the south range the Long Gallery is roofed with heavy gritstone slabs, the weight of which has caused the supporting floors below to bow and buckle. The crossbeams between the arch-braced roof trusses were probably added in the 17th century to prevent the structure from "bursting apart" under the load.

The TOAL was from a grass verge directly outside of the NT boundary on the A34. I parked in the Little Moreton Hall carpark without any issue as I'm a member. It is probably the easiest NT property to film as its a compact small site. The South Cheshire Way runs directly in front of the hall and carry's on through a farm field but I didn't fly from there as the tall trees would prevent VLOS and interfere with the signal.

View and discuss this location in more detail on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.12561, -2.254015 • what3words: ///stepping.variously.breeding

The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 16/09/2023. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.

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Moses Gate Country Park, Bolton (By Seadog)

Nice little country park, despite working for many years I'd not visited here before. Plenty of waterfowl, trees (more than you could shake a stick at). Surprisingly "countrified" considering proximity to Bolton twixt Bury & Manchester.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.55691, -2.390631 • what3words: ///clubs.games.fork

Teddington Lock, Richmond upon Thames (By grandad1950)

A really interesting place to visit with all the fun of watching people going through the locks. Just south is an interesting set of weirs. Just follow the Thames Path.

Really good coffee at the hut.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.43079, -0.321911 • what3words: ///stream.motion.pumps

Masson Mills, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire Dales (By D0c.Col)

Masson Mills is a historic textile mill located in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. It holds a key place in the history of the Industrial Revolution and the development of the modern factory system.

Richard Arkwright, an English inventor and leading entrepreneur, founded Cromford Mills in 1771 — often cited as the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill. However, the very success of Cromford led to new challenges — it couldn’t meet the growing demands of Arkwright’s expanding business.

His solution was to build a second, larger mill: Masson Mills, constructed in 1783, just a few miles down the Derwent River. Made from brick and gritstone, Masson Mills was not only bigger but also more technologically advanced than Cromford. It followed the same engineering principles — using water wheels powered by the River Derwent — but benefited from lessons learned, with a more efficient layout and better use of workspace.

Local workers, many living in purpose-built cottages in Matlock Bath and surrounding villages, kept the mill running. Although the setting was more scenic than Cromford, working conditions remained intense. Together, Cromford and Masson marked a turning point in industrial history. They symbolised the birth of the modern factory system and laid the foundations for urban industrial growth, factory towns, and mass production.

Following Arkwright’s death in 1792, the mill passed to his son, Richard Arkwright Jr., who continued to develop the business and expand operations. But by the 1990s, global competition and the shift to overseas manufacturing had taken their toll. Textile production at Masson Mills was no longer economically viable.

Soon after, the site was redeveloped into the Masson Mills Shopping Village and Working Textile Museum. However, a major event was on the horizon. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Masson Mills was forced to close in March 2020 during the first national lockdown. A report in October of that year confirmed the closure was permanent, ending 21 years of trading. Since then, the site has evolved and in 2022, the Derwent Hydro group run by the Needle family acquired the mill.

Today, Masson Mills stands as a powerful symbol of Britain’s industrial heritage.
It has entered a new phase focused on conservation, education, and renewable energy. The mill still harnesses the power of the River Derwent through hydroelectric turbines, linking past innovation with sustainable technology.

Now under local private ownership, Masson Mills is being carefully restored and reimagined — with a strong emphasis on heritage preservation and community engagement.
Masson Mills may no longer spin cotton, but it continues to weave together the threads of the Industrial Revolution, British innovation, and a renewed sense of purpose in the 21st century.

At the time of my visit, the shopping centre had ceased trading. The mill, however, still operated as an operational museum, and had a lovely little Cafe at it's entrance from the front of the building.

Free Parking around the mill is pretty difficult to find so I parked on the multi-story carpark attached to the mill. You pay online, or like I did, you can go to the cafe to pay. If you eat at the cafe they give you one hours parking for free (which is all I needed).

The town of Matlock Bath is just around the corner where there is a lot to see and do!

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.11235, -1.561875 • what3words: ///packets.shifters.operating

Moel Famau, Denbighshire (By AlbionDrones)

Sunshine and Wind, Moel Famau, ClwYdian Range, North Wales...

A hot and sunny day and the not quite a mountain peak of Moel Famau (Bare Mother Mountain) beckoned us for a long walk, a total of 5 miles and 1000ft of ascent in this area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Topped by the remains of the Jubilee Tower and stunning views in every direction - with the peaks of Snowdon, Tryfan and Cader Idris, up to 35 miles away, visible in clear weather! Looking in other directions, the Peak District, Liverpool, the Wirral, Ellesmere Port and Beeston and Peckforton Hills are all easily visible.

Adjacent are several Hill Forts, each of which deserves a visit in its own right, but not on this day, after the walk up, we were ready for a long drink, a picnic and a sit down..

There are 2 car parks, the upper one gives a round trip walk of 3 1/2 miles, and 700ft of ascent, the lower one - which has more facillities - gives a longer walk of about 5 1/2 miles and 1000ft of ascent - a word of warning, there are some steep slopes on this route, and the slightly easier route options are much thinner paths that are surrounded by Heather and somewhat difficult to walk upon.

Toilets only in the lower car park, about 1km from the uppoer car park as a walk...

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.15435, -3.255697 • what3words: ///excavated.stealthier.helm

Newhaven Lighthouse (By Iamcaliban)

Newhaven Lighthouse (built in 1869) is an interesting point of interest, especially for trying out orbits. It is easy to get to by car or public transport from central Edinburgh. It can get busy around there, but when I went early in the morning, it was quite empty. Be careful of seagulls though, as they can get a little aggressive.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 55.98227, -3.196507 • what3words: ///flying.miss.faced

Pooley Bridge, Eden (By kvetner)

Pooley Bridge is the first stainless steel road bridge in the UK. It was opened in September 2020, replacing the stone bridge which had been swept away in floods in 2015.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 54.6122, -2.822164 • what3words: ///orchids.punters.breached

Prosperous Lead Mine, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Harrogate (By markas)

Prosperous represents a comprehensive late 18th and 19th century lead mining and processing complex and was one of a number of mines in the area exploiting the rich geology of Upper Nidderdale. The extensive remains of the spoil heaps and the upstanding walls of the smelt mill provide a tangible link to an industry that was so influential in this part of Upper Nidderdale. The remains are nationally important, and are designated as a Scheduled Monument.

Records for the mine go back to the 18th century and chart the attempts to make a profit from lead-mining over the course of 100 years.

You can park at Coldstone Cut car park and then cross the road and follow the public footpath, it is a bit of a trek and steep in places, I cycled there and wouldn’t recommend that method of transport.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 54.09055, -1.819214 • what3words: ///mainly.signal.indicate

Thatcher Rock, Torbay (By chrismartindevon)

A great view of Thatcher Rock, and Ilsham behind it. TOAL from the top of the road (currently closed form Torquay side) but plenty of space to fly and good landing spots.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.45515, -3.48935 • what3words: ///woods.fairly.yours

Start Point Lighthouse, South Hams (By chrismartindevon)

Great location for a dramatic lighthouse shot.

Wind can be very strong and gusty here, and when taking off can be a sudden pickup when the drone gets above the rock level.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.22242, -3.642193 • what3words: ///insects.typified.pelting

Cullernose Point and Alnwick Cove, Northumberland (By Iamcaliban)

A nice, quiet little carpark offering great views of Cullernose Point to the North and Alnwick Cove to the South.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 55.44881, -1.587524 • what3words: ///flitting.tripods.flame


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