tarboat's photos

A small field kiln on a slope just above the A65. This kiln appears to have been active in 1846 but was disused by 1893.

Terracotta at its very best over the entrance to the Grade One listed Pierhead Building in Cardiff, built in 1897 for the Bute Docks Company to the design of the English architect William Frame. The terracotta was supplied by Ruabon based brickmakers JC Edwards & Co. It is now a visitor and education centre for the National Assembly.

The Rank Hovis Mill at Trafford Park is the sole survivor of three that were once on this huge industrial estate. RHM plc, formerly Ranks Hovis McDougall, was a United Kingdom food business, but was acquired by Premier Foods in March 2007. The site has three milling units producing 4,500 tonnes of flour per week. The grain was formerly brought up the Manchester Ship Canal but is now fetched from Liverpool by lorry.

The Hanson quarry at Ingleton extracts gritstone for aggregate from this deep hole.

A trainload of empty coal wagons is banked across the desert towards the Sandaoling mines.

It's amazing what you find in the garden when you book for bed and breakfast.

These appear to be backup generators outside the GVA Connect data centre at Trafford park.

The old co-op building on Northmoor Road in Longsight, Manchester is a Grade II Listed Building. It was completed in 1912 for Beswick Co-operative Society, an organisation that rivalled the Manchester & Salford Equitable Co-operative Society and opened several stores in direct competition in its territory. The building has just about everything from the terracotta manufaturer's catalogue. Buff and green faience, with a tower topped with eagles, cherus face, lizards, dates, co-op name, flying buttresses, ionic columns, open pediments, and much, much more! The building is now owned by Great Places Housing Group and there is now a community centre and small business units on the ground floor. The upper areas that once included a ballroom and meeting rooms are now apartments.

An interesting use for panels off a caravan at this Cumbrian farm. Farmers never throw anything away.

Since the closure of the Brymbo steelworks the remaining structures have been suffering from age and weather. Here the foundry roof shows signs of imminent collapse. In the background is the original blast furnace which was later used as a sand hopper for the foundry. Since this photograph was taken the foundry roof has been removed.

A good find at a recent transport event was this lovely survivor from October 1946. The cover image appears to be a representation of the Lower Mosley Street bus station in Manchester. The route map is still there inside the back cover.

Disused transformers at Clitheroe cement works.

Secondary crusher tower at Pentre Halkyn Quarry. The annual output here is about 1 million tonnes of stone.

Details of the terracotta on the front of 25-27 King St, Aldeburgh. This is probably a product of the nearby Aldeburgh brickworks. The intertwined letters to the left of AD seem to be U B J L T.

On this particular morning the number of empties to be fetched from the China Rail exchange sidings were such that only one locomotive was required. JS 8358 was making good progress up the bank as the sun rose over the desert. Once again a reward for getting up early.

Thanks to the Landlord of the George & Dragon in Holmes Chapel for Tweeting that he still had some mild after he read Tom Kitching's blog about the demise of Robinson's wonderful brew yesterday. I rang them up this afternoon and they said that there was still a bit left, so off I went to Holmes Chapel, and when I got there - a miracle - they had the rare and scrumptious Dark variety. The photo shows my last ever pub pint of 1892 (mild) in a moment of reverence after it was set down on the bar for me in a proper handle glass ....................... 35 minutes later the barrel ran out. Luckily I had the foresight to take two containers with me which were filled on arrival, so it will be mild for me tonight as well. Oh yes, one more thing, this lovely pub gave me a pump clip as a souvenir too. Thanks guys. The Wizard pump clip is for the so-called replacement for 1892. It may be called an amber ale but it isn't amber. Farewell Robbies Mild, you were a good pal for so many years.

Instructions for the pay and display parking in front of 25-27 King St, Aldeburgh. The 1898 terracotta on the front of No.27 has a definite arts and crafts feel.

The Rank Hovis Mill at Trafford Park is the sole survivor of three that were once on this huge industrial estate. RHM plc, formerly Ranks Hovis McDougall, was a United Kingdom food business, but was acquired by Premier Foods in March 2007. The site has three milling units producing 4,500 tonnes of flour per week. The grain was formerly brought up the Manchester Ship Canal but is now fetched from Liverpool by lorry.