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Wincobank Hill Memories


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I seem to remember that in the 1980's a large bonfire was lit on the top of the hill which was kept burning for several days. It was to commemorate the anniversary of something or other. Several beacons were lit across the country for the same reason if memory serves me correctly. Anyone remember what it was for? (Not 5 Nov BTW)

 

Could it have been to mark the 400 year anniversary of the defeat of the Spanish Armada?

Beacons were lit all over England as I remember.

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Hi Cat - thanks for the photos and your mentioning the searchlight and gun stands. From my memory I remeber two structures, 1 was a concrete oblong about 12 feet by 10 and standing about 3 feet off the ground - much lower in height - further down the ridge towards Grimesthorpe - and the other located up near the trig point - not far from the old 'castle' looks like the 1 in the photo - a much bigger structure of concrete with a brick top where in the centre there was about a 3 foot 'well' where maybe a searchlight was positioned? I now wonder which was used for the gun and which the searchlight? I always thought the concrete block was for the gun but might be mistaken? Would be too much to suppose anyone out there actually operated either during the War. Wonder also if they were first built for the Great War and used in anger during the Second? would love to know after all these years!
HI. Its almost 75 years since I was on the hill, l remember those concrete and brick structures, they was a little damaged especiallyon the edges so they would most likely have been used for something for the 1914 War. Cheers Arfer Mo.
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What memories Wincobank Hill bring back and the fun we had as kids on there. Free to roam in those days I can still vividly remeber the gun and searchlight stands (with the open base of the light stand forming a brill 'den / cave). The old 'castle' cum house and white cottages just below towards Jenkin Road. You could walk through a passage 1/2 way along the row and walk down the long steep path towards Brightside. The reservoir below the steep grassy slope of the hill where farming was done - seems like dozens of sylarks hovering above all day singing their hearts out. On the side overlooking shiregreen there were loads of small oak bushes forming a thick 'wood' - at least so it seemed to us kids - brill den country. I also recall a very long steel spiked fence which ran all the way from the old grey tip (we called them the greyhills) - to the daffodil road entrance to the hill - there was a gate at that end with a big gap under it. Could never understand why that fence was ever erected - it seemed to have a pathway / driveway running paralell to it on the upper side. there was also the frogspawn pond on the tip just below Honeysuckle Road and a big tip just below the Greyhills with a big seemingly bottomless crater filled with all sorts of chemicals / scrap / water. Often wonder what the devil was down there?? I could go on for ages about our childhoods on that wonderful spot where you seemed on top of the World! Hope this may bring back some memories to folks?

thats how i remember it lovely turnips in the farmers field used to swin in the dam

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My Grans name was Alice Habbajam married to James and yes they did collect old food for the pigs. My dad was one of their 5 surviving siblins, all sadly gone now. There were only chickens and a couple of horses there when I was growing up. I was only 3 years old when grandad died and left gran to maintain the farm.

 

My mum lived on daffodil rd just below where the cottages where,she used to get eggs from your nan when mum was a little girl.

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