Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 1st January, 2024)

Very good photo Colin, I close my eyes and hear the water. Walked past here a couple of days ago.I love this part of the plantations, it brings back a lot of happy memories. Happy New Year to you, and everyone on PAD especially Ron and Brian.

Only Now.

It’s only now that really exists.
The past has gone and faded to mist.
The future is what has yet to be.
We cannot know it, we cannot see.
Only now is what is real
The pain we have, the joy we feel.
Let go of the past, we cannot change it.
Don’t fear the future, for that is what we make it.

Happy new year everyone.
A very refreshing photo to start a brand new 2024.
All the best.

This isn’t actually the Haigh sough though is it Colin ?
O.K…most of the water will be the same water that’s passed through the sough , but it’s been pumped up from the actual sough ( which is a hundred yards or so downstream from where this shot was taken ) , to those settling ponds , filtered through the reed beds , and is now on its way back down , via the yellow brook to join the river Douglas , passing on its way the outlet of the actual Haigh sough
……
(now impossible to view)
……
and the pumping station previously alluded to .

Apologies for my pedantry .
Just thought I’d point that out before someone else inevitably did .

No offence intended but at some point you may come to realise that you’re allowed very little margin for error on this site . This much I know from experience .

According to Google a "sough" is a UNDERGROUND passage to get water from a mine with the outflow from the mine either higher than the passage or water pumped to the passage .So who applied it to the outflow in the photo . Can I have a potted history about "soughs" to save confusion with a man make waterfall

The Sough is the three quarter mile tunnel that drained Park pit.

First of all Happy New year to one and all at WW especially to Ron for his Great Work and Dedication and to Brian without who's help my pictures would not appear and to all others who have taken the time and trouble to upload pictures and post comments and finally to my son who deserves the credit for this picture but too modest to post.
Lets together make 2024 a Good One.
THE HAIGH GREAT SOUGH
The Great Haigh Sough is a tunnel or adit driven under Sir Roger Bradshaigh's estate between 1653 and 1670, to drain his coal and cannel pits in Haigh on the Lancashire Coalfield. The sough's portal and two metres of tunnel from where it discharges water into the Yellow Brook at Bottling Wood is a scheduled monument.
The Yellow Brook got its name from the colour of the water that was polluted with minerals from the underground workings which ran yellow until the 1960's now I think much clearer, it discharged into the river Douglas near the bridge leading down from the plantation gates.

Happy New Year Everybody !
It would be nice to walk beside that sough, hear & see the water, rushing down. Don't get scenes like that in Norfolk. Good pic Colin.

I remember visiting The Great Sough with a friend and I'm sure it wasn't like this...it was a much more modest and "still" body of water, and the water itself was yellowish. However, the memory can play tricks and maybe I'm wrong. That's still a lovely photo. All the best to everyone for the new year....I'm so glad it's January 1st.... I hate New Year's Eve!

As long as it doesn't lead to the great Slough of Despond, Ozy. Happy New Year all.

Wigans own mini Niagara with its mini roar …( tongue in cheek!)Thanks to Colin for the photo….And a Happy New Year to all.

A lovely photo of Haigh Sough Colin, all the best.

A very refreshing start to 2024 Colin. Haigh Sough is indeed the correct name for it, and that we've all grown up to know.
Thank you.

It's Haigh Sough for sure, I've always known it as that and always will. A beautiful photo that's almost in our back garden.
Thank Colin.

The familiar staircase waterfall at Haigh Sough and always a recognisable sound of water splashing down the stairs.

It doesn't matter what it's called or where its from, one thing is for sure, it's beautiful. And I'll go with Haigh Sough because it sounds right and appropriate.
A lovely walk Colin.

There is never an error on photo a day, the photos tell the actual story and this one like them all is brilliant to start 2024.
I'm not too sure what it's called or where it's from or going. Sometimes the photos doesn't need any words to describe it, and this is one of them. But, Haigh Sough sounds about right.

Lovely poem Tease, so very true. We have to live in the moment. Not the past,, ( we all have wonderful memories of the past, which I treasure), It's a bit like the Serenity Prayer. Thank you. Happy new year.

Colin, only the first day of the New Year and the Nit-Pickers have started again with their captious, carping, hypercritical, fault-finding, niggling, censorious, querulous, deprecating, picky, cutting, belittling, peevish, testy, snappish, petulant, perverse, contrary, ornery, fractious, mean and cantankerous ways. What would I do without them!

Ozy, I am sure you mean well but I did not have my X Ray camera with me for an above ground shot and nor did I not relish the thought of crawling into the tunnel, not with my back anyway!
Thanks again all, here's to another 364 PAD's but bet someone says it's a leap year or something and that I've got the number of days wrong!

Carry on nipping ankles Bob the Dog before the real objectors have time to mull it over.
I’m sure Colin’s shoulders are broad enough to withstand. I agree Irene..the ‘still body of water” and it was yellow.

AB, I cleared away the blue plastic bag, stripped the trees of ivy and told the not quite full moon to go away.
Thanks again all for the fun of 2023.

Dear Bob, what big teeth you have! you certainly have a way with words.

Thanks to Colin's son for the 'Sparkling' new year photo.
Bob the dog, have you been watching The Good Old Day's?

I do agree with Ozy, and the Haigh sough exit as he and others have pointed out was a large pipe in the ground leading into the brook which ran through Bottling Wood, and which began as overflow water from the Swan Ponds at Haigh Hall, and the pipe if anyone remembers had a wrought iron grating across the front to stop children or any adults daft or slim enough to climb through it. The water from this pipe as Ozy said was later pumped into reed beds, and the following is copied and pasted from Wikipedia.
In 2004 the Coal Authority provided a passive treatment plant in a scheme costing £750,000. Work was undertaken by Ascot Environmental who built a pumping station, pipelines, settlement lagoons, and reedbeds and landscaped the site. The scheme has improved the water quality, removed manganese and iron which caused the discolouration and allowed fish to repopulate the brook.[17]

Regarding [17] above, you can read more about the pumping of water to the lagoons and reed beds here. https://web.archive.org/web/20100912140015/http://www.coal.gov.uk/environmental/england/aspullsoughminewatertreatmentscheme.cfm

Bob might crow like a Cock and bark like a Dog but I bet he is a big softy, like a CockaPoodleDoo!

Ozy, from some of your comments recently I get the feeling that 2023 has not been kind to you. I hope that 2024 goes better.
If I’m wrong just tell me to mind my own business.

Does this Great Sough start off in the Great Acre.

DTease, you are so polite, that gave me a big smile and a chuckle!

Dtease, the thing is ozy like to draw attention to himself.

Ozy is the Alan Bennett of Wigan World and when he is sure of what he’s talking about he’s quite polite as well as sardonic.

You’re right Veronica, Ozy has a brilliant way with words and Ozy is right, this is not the Sough.

Alan who???
Love the photo.... you are so polite Colin. A gentleman of Wigan World.

I love Haigh Sough, its such a beautiful photo. Colin your are a star.

I've noticed that any derogatory remark made on the photo-a-day or on other people's comments never carries a real name - anyone can 'hide' behind anonymity - it takes an honest person to put his name to his comments. A Happy New Year to you all.

If the flow of water is like this all the time then there must be a lot of water in the mine workings.

To Kath Ha.
All the best for you and your group in the new year.

In the past, I've spent much time in Norfolk. Swanton Morley Mill comes to mind, with the superb fish-ladder, along with many other waterfalls

https://www.waterfallfarm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/MG_4549.jpg

The trolls haven’t a clue either with the tripe they’re spouting.

Happy new year to all and love the photo of Haigh Sough.

It seems to be "against the law" to question anything on here. My opinion is that, if no-one says anything, a lot of misconceptions will be accepted as true.
Recently, there has been numerous good photos, unfortunately spoiled by being accompanied by ridiculous statements, ie: The Mayflower, Myles Standish's replica? Makinsons Arcade, where it all started for Marks and Spencer come to mind.
Say anything and you're shot down in flames and branded a troll.

Tommy, The Great Haigh Sough doesn't stat at Great Acre, It runs from Haigh, and discharges into the Yellow brook at Whelley / Bottling Wood.

Here here John Noakes. The site is about Opinions and people have as much right to say about the subject than the people who say the TROLLS are at it again. They are the ones who think they know it all, and they are the cause of it by interferering to what people say and question every word they post.
Sorry to Colin to use this space of his great photo of Haigh Sough.

My comment re trolls was referring to Pat Mc C’s post. Not to the regulars with their honest opinions and facts. There are obvious posts on here that don’t know the full facts and making light of those who do know which includes
Cyril, Ozy, Dtease, and Colin admitting later who do know.

Wiganer, I think you are right let people express their views whether they’re right or wrong anonymous or not. We have the right of reply. Some I would say are verging on malicious so please express any criticism constructively and in a civil manner.

Tuddy, the old outlet from the Sough is no more. The water from the Sough is now diverted to the specially constructed Settling Ponds near the Boundary in Whelley. From there the clean water runs off and joins the stream that begins life as the overflow from The Swan Lodge in the Plantations. From this waterfall in the photo the water joins what was the yellow brook and runs down past the original outlet of the Sough and on to the River Douglas.

Never known so many comments about water flowing down man made steps. Whether right or wrong comments it stirred up a debate.I asked why the photo was a "sough" when the definition is underground so it is a man made water fall leading from a "sough"

peterp, soughs aren't only used for draining mines, they have been used for hundreds of years to drain flooded land and for collecting water into reservoirs as well as irrigating otherwise dry land for farming. they aren't a wigan thing.
as for the pit having a lot of water, it won't have as long as that sough keeps running freely

Veronica, it's true, and looking there seems to be at least nine comments posted under pseudonyms on this photo alone, and usually they are mocking, derisive or acerbic comments made to or about others, though thankfully they have quietened lately, maybe they are busy on Communicate.

owd deputy, I reckon it'll keep on running freely as long as it keeps on raining, especially like it has been doing lately, any hermits living in the plantations will be using that for a daily shower or for a Wash and Brush Up, anyone remember them in Gents toilets, the last one I saw was in the posh (compared to the ones in Wigan) gents near to Leigh Town Hall, and that would be nearly 30 years ago.

It’s all that space
between their
lug holes Cyril.

This photo is on Wigan Nostalgia Colin.
They must be short of contributors! My Mayflower photo as well. I have complained.