The Rookhope Arch on the Rookhope Burn

 This pic was taken near the village of Rookhope, once a centre of lead and fluorspar mining in the Weardale Pennines about 5 miles north west of Stanhope.  This is all that is left of the Rookhope ‘arch’ a horizontal chimney (built 1821) that carried poisonous smelting mine fumes away from the workers and local population.  In 1961 I was out on my bike when I was stopped from going through to Allenheads (where I wanted to photograph the United outstation that housed a rare Guy Arab LUF). A team of Territorial Army soldiers were blowing the multi-arched bridge up and left just this one - exciting to watch.  Fifteen years later I met one of the men who helped blow it up, he worked with me at the Sunderland Echo.  Small world.