I’ve lived in Huddersfield for 33 years, on and off. Yet in all that time I’ve never been to the top of it’s most famous landmark – Victoria Tower up on Castle Hill.
The Tower is pretty insignificant historically, being built as recently as 1899 as a monument to Queen Victoria. But the hill itself is far more interesting, and remains of fortifications have been found there from the Iron Age, the time of the Roamn occupation, and also the Middle Ages.
There are also legends that the hill was the site of ancient Camelot – but to be fair there are similar legends attached to every single prominent spot in the UK, and all of them are complete rubbish. If you looked hard enough you would probably find rumors that Robin Hood was buried up there too, as well as Boudicca, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and possibly even Biggles.
Still, Castle Hill is a pretty cool place and we’re lucky to have it.
We were driving past this afternoon and decided on a whim to go and see if there was any kite flying going on as it’s definitely the place to be for stuff like that. We’ve even got a fair few photos of us flying kites up there ourselves. Here’s one from back when Kerry was pregnant with Evan, just so you can get an idea what the tower looks like:
There weren’t that many kite flyers up there today, probably because it was a bit too windy. But what we did find was that the doors to Victoria Tower were open and visitors were being allowed to climb to the top.
I’m sure the council must have some sort of schedule for opening the tower, but in 30 odd years of living in the area I’ve never been there when people were allowed in. So it was pretty much a given that we’d be paying our £3 for our family ticket and trudging our way up the stairs. After all, I might be 60 the next time it opens.
Unfortunately we didn’t have either of our decent cameras with us, and so had to resort to taking photos on the crappy ones in our phones. I did manage to get a nice one of Amy sulking about being asked to pose on a window ledge though, and an arty but not very illustrative one of the view from the top:
So that’s another thing ticked off my “things to do before I die” list.
Of course that list doesn’t actually exist, I just add things to it retrospectively as I’ve done them. It’s a fine strategy and I’d recommend it to everyone. I avoid a lot of disappointment that way, and don’t end up backing myself into convert an old bus into a campervan or writing a manual on industrial energy efficiency before I’m forty like some certain brothers I could mention.
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That picture of Amy is stunning…I’m sure she was thinking rather than sulking!!
.-= Nota Bene´s last blog ..Hair today gone tomorrow =-.
@Nota Bene, trust me, she was sulking
The view looks nice. The railing however looks inadequate to set my mind and fear of heights at ease.
.-= Ed´s last blog ..The $2 Question—Where’s Zoë? =-.
@Ed, that railing was more sturdy than my house. the bit the photo is of was at eye level, there was a lot more below it all made out of cast iron.
Seriously, camera phone or not, that picture of her is amazing.
.-= People in the Sun´s last blog ..A post about daddy groups, negativity, and Kaká =-.
@People in the Sun, I was pretty please with it. Owes a lot to the iphone’s camerabag app though
I was staring at Kerry in the first shot thinking, Dan, there’s something you’ve not told us.
Last shot makes me dizzy, I need to lie on the floor.
.-= Xbox4NappyRash´s last blog ..Things to come =-.
@Xbox4NappyRash, he, I shouldn’t have put the explanation there and made everyone wonder.
I’m jealous. I’ve never seen it open to the public either. I have to go up there!
.-= Rol´s last blog ..The Rainbow Orchid =-.
@Rol, it was complete fluke. I’m pretty sure the Kirklees website has a listing when it’s open though
Thats fine take the piss out of my blog because I don’t bother editing the sidebars or links, however I will have the last laugh as every time you link me, the number of visitors on my site quadrouples.
I thought that the tower on Castle Hill only opened to every 7th person when mercury and venus are perfectly aligned with mars for a period of 6 minutes?
.-= Sam´s last blog ..Notes from a Small Island =-.
@Sam, what happens when you quadruple 0?
Loving the sulking photo. But Emley Mast still has it for me.
.-= SingleParentDad´s last blog ..Max Needs Your Votes =-.
@SingleParentDad, really? It Emley Moor Mast has always looked like a bit of an eyesore to me
Picture of Amy is really great. Really.
An award for you at mine…
.-= Brit in Bosnia´s last blog ..Awards, schmwards, tags, shmags =-.
@Brit in Bosnia, Thanks:)
That photo of Amy is gorgeous Dan, the light is really cool. I also have a list of places I should visit before I die that I only add to after I’ve been there. The Roald Dahl Museum last year was one of them, even though we only found it by chance. There are so many places around me that I haven’t been to yet, like The Caves in Notts, the Galleries of Justice etc. But I did spend much of Saturday night here http://www.triptojerusalem.com/rock_lounge.php purely for cultural purposes of course.
And I just wiped Miss M’s tresses against the screen so now your blog has nits. Ha.
.-= Jo Beaufoix´s last blog ..A Rude Awakening =-.
@Jo Beaufoix, The light is actually partially fake – I used the helga setting on the camerabag iphone app. I really like the window behind her though.
And my blog can’t have nits, only clean blogs have nits and mine’s at least a 15 rating.
Doesn’t everyone have a list like that? I can’t believe that some people actually pre-write a list of goals they should achieve.
.-= Barbara´s last blog ..Bits and Bobs =-.
@Barbara, I dunno, it can keep you focused I suppose. And keep track of thngs. But for me it just seems like a avenue to disappointment.
.-= Kerry´s last blog ..I’d steal it if we had anywhere to put it =-.
Blimey, I don’t remember the last time I flew a kite. Was probably before I was 10.
.-= Kevin Spencer´s last blog ..Battlestar Galactica Movie =-.
@Kevin Spencer, you should do it man. It’s great stuff. Especially if you can get your hands on a power kite.
.-= Dan´s last blog ..Castle Hill =-.
That picture of your daughter in the window is fantastic. Nicely done.
.-= Holmes´s last blog ..The Hamster And The Bear =-.
@Holmes, yes, i’m rather pleased with it I must admit.
.-= Dan´s last blog ..Castle Hill =-.
Looks fantastic Dan, but it’s the Industrial Energy manual every time for me.
.-= Tim´s last blog ..Home Sweet Home =-.
the photo fits with sulking awesomely. Cool tower btw.
I think that’s an excellent strategy. I just crossed “kayak alongside a trio of wild seals” from my retroactive list.
.-= Erin´s last blog ..We have arrived =-.