The Pop Botttle Top.
Hawker Hurricane
V7619 (Allenheads)
(Distance
covered = 0.5 mile /Ascent = 15m)
DH Dragon Rapide G-AERE on Dora's Seat
(Distance covered =
1.5 mile/Ascent =+50m)
While researching on the internet for any mention of a Hurricane crashsite both myself and Stuart had been searching for unsuccessfully on several occasions I came across details of another Hurricane incident which I wasn't aware of in the Northern Pennines.
As this new site wasn't too far away from my home and there was a published grid reference for a memorial I decided to nip over one weekend and have a look. Also not to great a distance from the Hurricane there was a crashsite of a DH Dragon Rapide so I penciled that one in as well!
Amanda the Panda parked beside the Allenheads to Nenthead road.
As it was only a quarter mile from where I parked the car to the reported location of the memorial I could hardly describe this as a walk, but it got me out of the house and into the fresh air at least. It was also a chance to use my new metal detector to search for any bits that may be hidden in the heather.
Walking along the Allenhead to Nenthead
road.
Looking towards the East Allen Valley, four Hurricanes were flying up this valley
in low cloud, one hit the ground and possibly crashed in the area I was standing to
take this photo.
Above and next two photos:-This is reported to be the memorial Stone laid here by the Pilot's parents.
After speaking to an Aviation Archaeology expert I learned that the Pilot's parents owned a Funeral business and they placed a memorial at the spot where their son had died. This memorial was an ornate White Marble Headstone type which is believed to have sunk into the boggy moorland a long time ago, the memorial stone reported at the site now bears no resemblance to that description and in my opinion just looked like a random stone that had been found lying in the area and mistaken for the memorial.
According to a report I found on the interweb the Hurricane struck the hillside on the north side of the road and wreckage was scattered over the moorland on the southside.
After finding what may or may not have been the memorial stone I had a bit of a search around with my metal detector. As I had neither permission off the Landowner, a license off the MOD or a shovel, I had no intention of digging, my intention was merely to find out if there was any sign of metal in the area, or if I was very lucky, some wreckage on the surface hidden under vegetation.
I thought I had got lucky when I got several pings in this area.
I did find several fragments hidden under some moss but my initial thoughts that I had found bits of the Hurricane were dashed after I sent Stuart the photos to see if he could identify anything. He found a photograph of one of the pieces online, not attached to a Hurricane but attached to the top of a sparklets seltzer soda bottle which was popular in the 1920's and 30's.
One of the pieces I found under the moss above and below is the same part fitted to the top of a soda bottle.
above and next 3 photos: A couple of other pieces found next to the soda bottle top. These could be pieces of Hurricane but there's no way of knowing for sure.
So although I found what could have been a memorial stone and some fragments at this site there's quite a bit of doubt if any of them had anything to do with the Hurricane crash. A description of the crash on the internet describes it as being across the road, as previously mentioned but also a short distance east of a cattle grid. So as this location was about 1km west of the nearest cattle grid and as I only had a grid reference for the stone and not the actual crashsite, this one goes onto my 'Probable' list, for now.
Parked up about 15miles to the south east
ready for a second short walk.
It was a nice hot sunny day by the time I set off on my second short walk of the day to look for the sparse remains of a DH Dragon Rapide. I had a positive grid reference for this one and I knew there was a discernable scar and some small fragments to be found at the site.
Can't remember exactly why I took this photo, but I took it so I'll include it!
above and below:-Not much of interest to photograph on this hill so here's a couple of a dry stone wall.
Approaching Dora's Seat
above and below:-The crashsite is on the steepish south side of the hill.
Overlooking the crashsite which is the area of disturbed ground at the bottom of the photo.
Not much I can say about this walk, so
here's another photo of the dry stone wall.
