Despite being a Lancashire lass born and bred, the East Lancashire Panopticons have totally passed me by. Until very recently that is, when Richard’s post ‘ Its Grim Up North’ ( honestly it’s not that bad ! 😉 ) , brought Burnley’s iconic Singing Ringing Tree to my attention. Ever since I have been very keen to visit this amazing structure and its fellow Panopticons. Panopticons. Panopticons. I love that word! 🙂
On the Mid Pennine Arts Website I found this description of a Panopticon.
Panopticon ( noun) Structure, Space or Device providing a comprehensive or panoramic view.
East Lancashire is home to 4 such sculptures and on Saturday Wil, Hugo and I managed to hunt down two of them. Thankfully it wasn’t a bad day weather wise ( unlike Richard’s experience) and my home county was bathed in sunshine. 🙂
First we drove to the town of Rawtenstall in Rossendale and parked at The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery on Haslingden rd. The museum is set in a pretty park and car parking is free. There is a cafe and a bar in The Whitaker and a children’s playground in the park. Therefore it is a great place to start and finish a walk up to The Halo Panopticon on Top O Slate , in the hills above Haslingden.
It didn’t take to long to find The Halo , an 18 metre diameter steel structure , supported on a tripod. It definitely resembles a Flying Saucer don’t you think ??
In daylight this Panopticon is the perfect vantage point for admiring the panoramic views over Rossendale. But it is when darkness falls that The Halo really stands out. The structure lights up at night and it’s blue glow gives the impression that it’s hovering over the valley. Maybe it does get mistaken for a UFO. 🙂 Check out haslingdenhalo.co.uk for more images.
After our spaceship discovery we walked into Rawtenstall , had a nosy around the shops and enjoyed some refreshments at Fitzpatrick’s Temperance Bar & Emporium. Fitzpatricks Temperance Bar on Bank Street has been serving Lancashire folks alcohol free tipples since 1890. In fact it is England’s only remaining original temperance bar ! Having recently been refurbished, Fitzpatricks now sells delicious cakes, icecreams, floats, coffee & tea , as well as its famed vintage cordials.
We sat outside with a couple of hot cordials. Wil had a Blood Tonic and Orange and I had a Lemon & Ginger cordial. Of course we had to sample some cakes as well. 🙂
These lovely Temperance Bar goodies set us up for our next Panopticon. The Singing Ringing Tree is situated about 15 minutes drive from Rawtenstall at Crown Point above the town of Burnley. Taking the form of a tree bending in the wind, this unusual musical sculpture is made from galvanised metal tubes. The wind whistleing through them creates a humming sound, as though the tree is singing. 🙂
We were treated to a harmonious wailing up there in the Pennine landcape,which I find hard to describe. Think a cross between angels singing in old black & white movies…and a pack of howling dogs. Hugo was most intrigued..
With far reaching views over the urban sprawl of Burnley and to the hills beyond ,this Panopticon gives the town dwellers and visitors a new appreciation of the surrounding countryside……as well as its own personal backing track. 🙂
So thats two East Lancashire Panopticons bagged and two more to go, the others being Colourfields in Blackburn and The Atom in Wycollar Country Park. My Panopticon Quest continues….. 🙂
Have you visited any ?
Which is your favourite Panopticon?
sunshine and celandines 
But panopticon was applied to that style of centralised prison?
And its also the name of these English sculptures……. Strange but true.
ah ok. I live next to a panopticon of the other kind
Hugo seems interested in the sound of the tree. Can see that Rawtenstall to the Ringing Tree would be a good walk. There is an old temperance pub nut that far from Sedbergh if I recall.
As long as you don’t live in a panopticon. 🙂 Thanks for the temperance bar tip. Hugo certainly found the Singing Ringing Tree interesting. 🙂
My neighbours do though and pay something like 2600 a month for the joy of it!
Oh Wow! Quirky places to live or holiday in are always fun, if a bit expensive.
Abingdon is a bit expensive all round; I am not its biggest fan. Doesn’t even have a station 😦
http://www.abingdon.gov.uk/history/buildings/old-gaol
Ahh I see what you mean. Thank you.
More than welcome.
http://www.cautleyspout.co.uk/
Thanks, never heard of it before. Il look out for it if we ever head that way.
Beautiful part of the North and very much redolent with the remnants of the Non-Conformism which I suspect led to that being there
Thanks for sharing. I hadn’t hear of these before. I like the word and they’re an interesting idea, but not so fond of all the metal and concrete. Give me a clapper bridge or a stone circle any day!
Ahh yes you are perfectly right. These metal structures do have their own charm though. The sounds the Singing Ringing Tree made were eerie but wonderful. X
Maybe I’d be more charmed in real life?
I visited the singing tree years ago. Haven’t seen the others as yet. Something to plan for in future 😊 great post xx
Thank you. I am excited to see the others. Hopefully this year! x
This is a new one on me! I love the picture with your dog gazing up, he looks somewhat bemused!
He was a bit , I think. 🙂
Learned something new today! And Fitzpatrick’s cordials are yummy!!
Oh yes they are! My favourite is rubarb & rosehip.X
Great post! Looks like you had better weather than we did! Surprised how small the halo looks. Looking fwd to reading about your next trip (although someone told me colourfields is not worth bothering with).
Thank you so much.Your post definitely inspired me to look for them.:)
In Glasgow we have an old music hall called The Panopticon,
Ahh interesting. I do like that word. Though apparently another meaning is a Prison….
These are so cool! But I am also intrigued by the Shoe Trail
Thanks! The Shoe Trail is basically lots of clay shoes in different designs scattered round the area. The region was once big on shoe making.
I’m going to be having words with my other half, he’s from Burnley and we’ve never been up to the singing ringing tree! I think I’ll be pushing for a visit next time we stop by at the in-laws’
I had never heard of it until very recently myself. Hope you get to see it soon. Its song is quite eerie and unusual.
Thanks for a fascinating post, I love finding out about these quirky artworks that dot the landscape either permanently or temporarily. There is a fab sculpture garden in Surrey that has a mix of quirky installation art works that this reminded me of. Your pictures are great and the singing ringing tree in particular has piqued my curiosity!
The Sculpture Garden in Surrey sounds fab. I love sculptures as well. Theres a park in Yorkshire called The Yorkshire Sculpture Park which I still need to visit. Has lots of quirky ones. I loved The Singing Ringing Tree!
I’d love to visit the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. My mum has taken kids there on school trips and says it’s fab. I’m going to have to plan a trip in the area. 😀
I discovered the panopticans a few years back after we went exploring on the way to Clitheroe one time, we passed one accidentally and I’ve wanted to visit them all properly ever since! This sounds like great day!
Thanks it was fun and the sun shone…which is always a plus! X
Singing Ringing tree is on my bucket list! Was it a tough walk?
Hi no The Singing Ringing tree has a car park and its a short walk on a path from there. The Halo has a parking area too actually.x
I didn’t realise there were four of these; I only knew about the one in Burnley. It had been on my visiting list but a couple of people had told me that it’s only worth going in very windy conditions to get the full effect. Clearly, that’s not true as the weather looks lovely in your photographs. 🙂
It was quite windy up on that hill actually but everywhere else wasn’t. I guess we got quite lucky. It was really just a lovely early spring day. 🙂