IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Crossgill Place, LANCASTER, LA1 2UF

Seen here is a part of Ryelands Road that was known as the 'Bull Ring' because the road in this area of the 1930s Council Estate was oval. Quite a number of the houses have been demolished giving parts of Ryelands Estate open areas in a radical plan of recent years. The junction on the left is the cul-de-sac of Artle Place, which is named after Artle Beck in the Lune valley. Artle Beck flows into the south bank of the River Lune four and one fifth of a mile east as the crow flies, near the village of Caton. Indeed I was happy to discover as a boy that the place names on Ryelands were named after beautiful valleys and fells etc in NW Lancashire. Wonderful places that I would visit on my push bike in late boyhood and early teens.

Now the Greenway, part of the Lancashire Coastal Way.

Part of the cycleway that uses the trackbed of the former Midland Railway branch from Lancaster to Morecambe, closed in 1966. It now forms part of the Way of the Roses (National Cycle Network route 68).

Looking along the shared footpath and cycle path towards Morecambe. The smear on the top left of the photo was caused by rain falling on the lens of my camera. The persistent rain perhaps meant the path was less busy than normal.

Investigating the mud for food, on a rising tide.

Ancient steps? Well not exactly ancient but old. These concrete steps connect the public right of way of 'Khyber Pass' (generations have given the path this local name) at the bottom with Wenning Place at the top. They were built in the 1930s when Ryelands Council Estate was constructed. Most of the hollow metal bannisters have gone apart from some remnants at the top. As children we would use these hollow railings as telephones to speak to each other top and bottom. Now one can only make short calls!

West of the Carlisle Bridge, the former railway route moves away from main roads and becomes more tranquil.

You will find this on the other side of the road to a derelict gasometer!

On the right is the cobbled part of the public right of way which connects Morecambe Road with Torrisholme Road 1/4 mile ahead. For generations local people have named this narrow path 'Khyber Pass'! The 'Pass' at several points gives access to the 1930s built council estate of Ryelands which is to the west side (left) of Khyber pass for its whole length. I was sorry to see on my nostalgic visits that appox 1/8 mile ahead at two points on the path the wall had been bricked up sealing off the once convenient public thoroughfares connecting with Ryelands estate. A sign of the times I would imagine! For its short journey the Khyber Pass runs parallel with the main west coast Carlisle railway to the right over the steel fence. Many years ago before this long steel fence there was a fence seemingly made from old wooden railway sleepers that had been sliced horizontally ! The point of access to Khyber Pass seen here is where the railway and a pedestrian way cross the dramatic Carlisle bridge over the River Lune and Morecambe road. To the left in the photo one can see the old concrete steps connecting Khyber Pass with Wenning place at the edge of the housing estate. Wenning place derives its name from the River Wenning, a tributary that joins the River Lune six and four fifth of a mile east as the crow flies near the village of Hornby.