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Thread: Rocking Stones

  1. #1
    Senior Member manothemoors's Avatar
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    Rocking Stones

    I was chatting to Stringman last week about potential new races and mentioned that Rocking Stones and Slaughter Gap are such good names, they should have fell races attached to them.
    Anyway, for those that love the Rocking Stone area, here's something wot I wrote about it.
    http://caughtbytheriver.net/2012/03/...16/#more-18503

  2. #2
    Master Tussockface's Avatar
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    A fine tribute to as sodden a stretch of bleakness as anyone could wish for.
    To judge from the photos, you chose the finest day of the year to visit.

    The Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon crosses the moor, and returns over Hunter Hill close to Slaughter Gap.
    (Incidentally, the gory name stems from the local tradition that it was a Civil War battle site.)
    Calderdale Way leg 5 also heads nearby.
    Bill Johnson has put the Reservoir Bogs race over by Rocking Stones a couple of times too.
    "Get yourself together, Jones" - Ray Davies

  3. #3
    Senior Member manothemoors's Avatar
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    Yes, I knew about the Calderdale Way route down by Slaughter Gap and AG mentioned the off-road marathon.
    I fancy a route that starts by Stod Fold, heads up the steep bit at Slaughter Gap, follows the Calderdale Way over to Wainstalls, traverses to Castle Carr and then heads back over the top via Rocking Stone.

    It was indeed a good bleak afternoon. I loved it. I look forward to a summer's day with a picnic up there.

  4. #4
    Master Tussockface's Avatar
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    Re Slaughter Gap -

    From Hanson's History of Old Halifax:


    On January 4th, 1644, Major Eden marched his little
    army through Sowerby, leaving Captain Helliwell's
    company to guard his camp. At Sowerby Bridge he
    encountered the Royalists, killed three, and captured
    Captain Clapham and forty men. Captain Farrar and
    his cavalry, chasing the retreating Royalists towards
    Halifax, ventured too far, and could not regain their
    main force at Sowerby Bridge. Mackworth's outposts
    at King Cross and Sentry Edge, blocked the direct route
    back to Heptonstall, so Farrar appears to have led his
    men across Halifax Moor and Ovenden Wood, with the
    intention of crossing the head of Luddenden Dean and
    the moors, to Heptonstall. They were checked in
    Mixenden, and obliged to fight on the slope between
    Hunter Hill and Mixenden Brook. Portions of gun
    barrels, locks, and flints have been found on Hunter Hill.
    The traditional name of the place is Bloody Field, and a
    part of Binns Hole Clough is called Slaughter Gap.
    Captain Farrar and nine of his men were obliged to
    surrender, and one of his men was slain. Three of the
    prisoners were hanged forthwith, near the Gibbet, for
    deserting from Sir Francis Mackworth's force. The
    remainder of the troop reached Heptonstall, bringing a
    Mr. Thompson with them, having made him a prisoner
    at Moor end. Sir Francis Mackworth sent to Keighley
    for fifteen hundred more men, and on January 9th, the
    Keighley and Halifax soldiers set out once again to
    attack Heptonstall. Major Eden had news of their
    approach, and he left the town, taking all his prisoners
    and munitions of war. He retreated along the Long
    Causeway, through Stiperden to Burnley, and on the
    next day his forces reached Colne. The Royalists
    entered an empty town, and gained a barren victory.
    They pillaged Heptonstall, and set fire to fourteen
    houses and barns. On January 14th, Major Eden's men
    joined Sir Thomas Fairfax's Army at Manchester. They
    saw some fighting in Cheshire, and afterwards re-joined
    Lord Fairfax in East Yorkshire. Sir Francis Mackworth
    had driven his enemies out of this district, but he only
    enjoyed three weeks undisputed sway, for on January
    28th, 1644, the King's Army left Halifax, after
    possessing it for six months.
    The evacuation of Halifax was due to the fact that
    a Scottish Army crossed the border on January 19th,
    pledged to fight for the Parliament. On July 2nd, the
    great battle of Marston Moor was fought, where
    Cromwell and his fellow generals won a decisive victory,
    and the north of England was gained for the Parliament.
    "Get yourself together, Jones" - Ray Davies

  5. #5
    Senior Member manothemoors's Avatar
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    Cheers, yes I have that book....amusingly I found that my ancestors and my wife's were embroiled in the Elland feud....my lot helped her lot out and were massacred for their trouble. I daren't make any quips about history repeating itself.

  6. #6
    Master BillJ's Avatar
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    Quote Originally Posted by Tussockface View Post
    Bill Johnson has put the Reservoir Bogs race over by Rocking Stones a couple of times too.
    The paired leg of the 2006 UKA Relays also went to Rocking Stone.

    And I seem to remember even putting a control on the CVFR Winter Score event inside that hole in Rocking Stone that you have a photo from, manothemoors.
    "And the winds blow and the sky looks cool / So I make my home in the clouds"

  7. #7
    Senior Member manothemoors's Avatar
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    Cheers Bill....the name of my Uncle, funnily enough. Reservoir Bogs is a good name....especially up there.
    When I was taking that photo I looked at what is supporting that top slab.....not very much at all is the answer.

  8. #8
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    [QUOTE=manothemoors;473755]I was chatting to Stringman last week about potential new races and mentioned that Rocking Stones and Slaughter Gap are such good names, they should have fell races attached to them.

    Another place name that deserves a race is Twiston, near Barley. How about the "Twiston Shout"?

  9. #9
    Master Alf's Avatar
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    Re: Rocking Stones

    Quote Originally Posted by Tussockface View Post
    Re Slaughter Gap -

    From Hanson's History of Old Halifax:


    On January 4th, 1644, Major Eden marched his little
    army through Sowerby, leaving Captain Helliwell's
    company to guard his camp. At Sowerby Bridge he
    encountered the Royalists, killed three, and captured
    Captain Clapham and forty men. Captain Farrar and
    his cavalry, chasing the retreating Royalists towards
    Halifax, ventured too far, and could not regain their
    main force at Sowerby Bridge. Mackworth's outposts
    at King Cross and Sentry Edge, blocked the direct route
    back to Heptonstall, so Farrar appears to have led his
    men across Halifax Moor and Ovenden Wood, with the
    intention of crossing the head of Luddenden Dean and
    the moors, to Heptonstall. They were checked in
    Mixenden, and obliged to fight on the slope between
    Hunter Hill and Mixenden Brook. Portions of gun
    barrels, locks, and flints have been found on Hunter Hill.
    The traditional name of the place is Bloody Field, and a
    part of Binns Hole Clough is called Slaughter Gap.
    Captain Farrar and nine of his men were obliged to
    surrender, and one of his men was slain. Three of the
    prisoners were hanged forthwith, near the Gibbet, for
    deserting from Sir Francis Mackworth's force. The
    remainder of the troop reached Heptonstall, bringing a
    Mr. Thompson with them, having made him a prisoner
    at Moor end. Sir Francis Mackworth sent to Keighley
    for fifteen hundred more men, and on January 9th, the
    Keighley and Halifax soldiers set out once again to
    attack Heptonstall. Major Eden had news of their
    approach, and he left the town, taking all his prisoners
    and munitions of war. He retreated along the Long
    Causeway, through Stiperden to Burnley, and on the
    next day his forces reached Colne. The Royalists
    entered an empty town, and gained a barren victory.
    They pillaged Heptonstall, and set fire to fourteen
    houses and barns. On January 14th, Major Eden's men
    joined Sir Thomas Fairfax's Army at Manchester. They
    saw some fighting in Cheshire, and afterwards re-joined
    Lord Fairfax in East Yorkshire. Sir Francis Mackworth
    had driven his enemies out of this district, but he only
    enjoyed three weeks undisputed sway, for on January
    28th, 1644, the King's Army left Halifax, after
    possessing it for six months.
    The evacuation of Halifax was due to the fact that
    a Scottish Army crossed the border on January 19th,
    pledged to fight for the Parliament. On July 2nd, the
    great battle of Marston Moor was fought, where
    Cromwell and his fellow generals won a decisive victory,
    and the north of England was gained for the Parliament.

    Interesting stuff, though if I had changed sides I think I would have legged it rather than surrender to the side I had deserted from

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