The Time Tourist

In the small village of Marston, in Cheshire, there is a reminder of the areas (salty) industrial past, the Lion Salt Works . I really enjoyed my visit to this little gem. I had never heard of it before but while visiting my mum and dad, over towards Manchester, they suggested a visit. Why not! I love history, so a visit to an old industrial site and museum was right up my street. The first thing that struck me on arrival was the large red brick chimney, rising into the sky above the lower buildings - I do love a chimney. It reminded me a lot of the chimney at a site nearer to my home (and where I worked for a time), Stott Park Bobbin Mill. Passing by the chimney we entered the lovely little shop and cafe to pay then enter the site. The salt works is a mix of a recently renovated museum and more run down parts of the original works. The museum really helped to bring the site to life with excellent displays and videos telling the story of salt production in the area from as ea...

If you go down to the woods near Beetham today you're sure for a big surprise... Fairy Steps! Situated at the top of a hill, amongst the woodland above Beetham are these interesting and somewhat cute steps. Rising up through a tight gap in the large rock face are what is known as Fairy Steps. The steps are known as such due to a legend that surrounds them. The legend being that; if you climb or descend the steps without touching the sides of the narrow gully the fairies will grant your wish! A tantalising prospect, sadly though I doubt anyone has ever managed to achieve the challenge to verify that the fairies do indeed grant your wish. In reality the steps were used for something little different and somewhat macabre. The route, now a footpath, which Fairy Steps sits on will start to give you an idea of what it's original purpose was for, it sits on the 'coffin route'. Before 1866 when a church was built at Arnside the town was part of the parish of Beetham, th...