IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Watling Street, BURY, BL8 3QP

Leading from Affetside to Bradshaw.

On a windy late December afternoon.

The Affetside Millennium Green Initiative was driven as part of a priority Countryside Commission programme that used lottery funds and match funding from Bury MBC. The Village Green has been created by the transformation of the former bus turnaround which had been redundant for a number of years, into a focal point for the village, which now performs the following functions: • a focal point for village activities; • a safe place for children to play and people to meet; • a wildlife area with a pond which is used as part of school activities; • interpretation and celebration of the historical richness and significance of the site and village as a staging post during the Roman occupation and later for pilgrims and packhorse travellers; • a starting point for visiting ramblers/walkers. http://affetside.org.uk/Community%20Millennium%20Green%20Trust.htm Affetside Millennium Green Trust

A listed grade II structure, believed by many to be of Roman origin (possibly because of its proximity to the Roman road), supposedly marking the mid point between London and Edinburgh. English Heritage, however suggest that its origins may be much later, perhaps 17th or 18th century. http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=44366&sort=4&search=all&criteria=affetside&rational=q&recordsperpage=10 There is an interesting account of the history of Affetside cross on the wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affetside This photo was taken well before the Millennium garden was constructed.

Constructed by the efforts of village inhabitants who formed The Millennium Green Trust.

This has remained well maintained.

Grass, a pool, moving water, stones and logs.

Now filled in this shows the children's duck pond in front of the few cottages of Affetside which is on an old pack road used since Roman times at least.

Affetside Cross has always prompted questions from people intrigued as to its history. In fact one curious person, believing it concealed hidden treasure, actually pulled it up late one night in the 1890s. However he was to be disappointed, finding nothing, not even a single Roman coin. Fortunately the Roman cross was repaired by the Lord of the Manor and still stands today marking the supposed half way point between London and Edinburgh. Affetside cross still remains a mystery today; thought to date from medieval times and perhaps much earlier. Its close proximity to the Roman road from Manchester Mamucium to Ribchester Bremetenacum has caused many to mistakenly date it as Roman in origin and yet some date it much later. Present thinking considers it as a medieval route marker for Lancashire pilgrims on route to Whalley Abbey. Some see it as a market cross from Jacobean or Georgian times or it may mark the point of a beacon due to its dominant position. The view which holds it is a market cross does not, on the surface, appear to make much sense as Affetside has had no record of ever having a market charter (although it is recognised that many markets did exist throughout Lancashire without a charter ever being granted), and as a market it would have been difficult to access in addition to being very remote and as such would have suffered from competition from adjacent areas with greater populations. The loss of the cross head is undated and furthermore it has never been proven that it ever had one. The Cross is a listed grade II structure. The cross shaft is cut from a single piece of local gritstone, set into a plinth of 2 stones on 2 steps. The first step is circular, 2.28 m (7.5 ft) in diameter, and 0.1 m (4 inches) high. The second step is 1.6 m (5 ft 3 inches) in diameter, and 0.25 m (10 inches) high. The shaft is of a pillar form with a square base 0.34 m (1 ft) wide tapering to a column 1.43 m (4 ft 8 inches) high. At 1.34m (4 ft 4 inches) there is a collar surmounted by a bun shaped capital. Cut into the top is a socket that probably held the cross head or stone ball. There are other pilgrims crosses in the area, notably Holcombe Moor to the east, and at Bradshaw, (which has now been removed) and the Pilgrims Cross theory appears to be the most plausible, as the route east to west was an old packhorse trail and was a major route for the passage of goods and people.

The top of the hill, where a path passes through a hedge to allotments. A delightful spot.