With the festive period giving me plenty of time, I thought I'd treat myself to an explore....
Not a massively big/ exciting site, but one which is not too far from where I was based for the Christmas hols, so I thought I'd check it out anyway. Scroll down to L on this list and there's a couple of photos of bricks produced at the brickworks:
http://www.penmorfa.com/bricks/england14a.html
Looks like someone's trying to develop the site: http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/p...elop-tourist-facility-near-scalford-1-6221127
And more recently:
http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/p...elop-tourist-facility-near-scalford-1-6221127
History
(Borrowed from HughieD's report)
The site lies just North of Scalford in Leicestershire, next to a bridge on the minerals rail line (a.k.a the iron-works line). Lion Brick-works opened in 1875. The nearby railway line provided links to the local quarries. One legacy of the brick works in Scalford itself is a house built by the owner, called ‘Lion House’. Brick production stopped in 1930 and the works closed. The site was later used during World War II as an ammo store by the MOD. Some sources state the site was used to store munitions between 1939-1945 while other sources say the MOD occupied the site between 1940 and 1955. The four reinforced concrete billet style structures and brick tower are clearly of military construction.
In 1961 the site was being used as a poultry farm. Two years later planning permission was granted for use of the site as a recreational caravan site and a toilet block constructed along with the improvement of vehicular access. However the caravan site was never fully completed and it became overgrown. In subsequent years various other planning applications have been made for this site. In 2012 Melton Council’s planning committee refused the application to allow a fishing lake, 10 luxury log cabins and an associated cafe/clubhouse on grounds the proposed development was ‘considered to represent unsustainable tourism in open countryside’. In August 2014 a planning inspector dismissed an appeal on this decision.
Not a lot to see in the buildings apart from some odd looking metal boxes, possibly loudspeakers of some sort?
Nature reclaims the site
Looking into one of the old brick kilns:
These buildings were quite odd, not sure what they were used for. Each corner had what looked like an animal feeding bowl in.
Found a small pillbox on the way home, couldn't resist a quick look inside:
Quite cramped inside, made me wonder if it was ever occupied?
(the nest was empty)
PS I'm planning to get a tripod in the new year, so hopefully my photos will be less wonky in future!
Anyway, thanks and here's to 2017
Not a massively big/ exciting site, but one which is not too far from where I was based for the Christmas hols, so I thought I'd check it out anyway. Scroll down to L on this list and there's a couple of photos of bricks produced at the brickworks:
http://www.penmorfa.com/bricks/england14a.html
Looks like someone's trying to develop the site: http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/p...elop-tourist-facility-near-scalford-1-6221127
And more recently:
http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/p...elop-tourist-facility-near-scalford-1-6221127
History
(Borrowed from HughieD's report)
The site lies just North of Scalford in Leicestershire, next to a bridge on the minerals rail line (a.k.a the iron-works line). Lion Brick-works opened in 1875. The nearby railway line provided links to the local quarries. One legacy of the brick works in Scalford itself is a house built by the owner, called ‘Lion House’. Brick production stopped in 1930 and the works closed. The site was later used during World War II as an ammo store by the MOD. Some sources state the site was used to store munitions between 1939-1945 while other sources say the MOD occupied the site between 1940 and 1955. The four reinforced concrete billet style structures and brick tower are clearly of military construction.
In 1961 the site was being used as a poultry farm. Two years later planning permission was granted for use of the site as a recreational caravan site and a toilet block constructed along with the improvement of vehicular access. However the caravan site was never fully completed and it became overgrown. In subsequent years various other planning applications have been made for this site. In 2012 Melton Council’s planning committee refused the application to allow a fishing lake, 10 luxury log cabins and an associated cafe/clubhouse on grounds the proposed development was ‘considered to represent unsustainable tourism in open countryside’. In August 2014 a planning inspector dismissed an appeal on this decision.
Not a lot to see in the buildings apart from some odd looking metal boxes, possibly loudspeakers of some sort?
Nature reclaims the site
Looking into one of the old brick kilns:
These buildings were quite odd, not sure what they were used for. Each corner had what looked like an animal feeding bowl in.
Found a small pillbox on the way home, couldn't resist a quick look inside:
Quite cramped inside, made me wonder if it was ever occupied?
(the nest was empty)
PS I'm planning to get a tripod in the new year, so hopefully my photos will be less wonky in future!
Anyway, thanks and here's to 2017
