Doffcocker Lodge

Lake, Pool, Pond, Freshwater Marsh in Lancashire

England

Doffcocker Lodge

Middlebrook Valley Way, Lady Bridge Lane Combined cycle and pedestrian path and river, Middle Brook, at road bridge; the bridge continues to the left over the railway line. In 1978 the path was not named or designted as a cycle route. — Middlebrook Valley Way, Lady Bridge Lane Credit: M J Roscoe

Doffcocker Lodge is a picturesque freshwater marsh located in Lancashire, England. Situated within the Doffcocker Nature Reserve, this serene and tranquil spot offers a variety of natural features including a lake, a pool, a pond, and a freshwater marsh.

The main attraction of Doffcocker Lodge is its beautiful lake. With its crystal-clear waters and surrounding lush vegetation, the lake is a haven for various species of water birds and aquatic life. Visitors can often spot ducks, swans, geese, and other waterfowl gracefully gliding across the lake's surface.

Adjacent to the lake is a smaller pool, which provides a peaceful setting for visitors to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The pool is home to a diverse range of aquatic plants, creating a visually stunning display throughout the year.

A short walk from the lake and pool leads to a charming pond, where visitors can observe a wide array of amphibians and insects. This small body of water is an important breeding ground for frogs, toads, and newts, and serves as an essential habitat for many other creatures.

Surrounding the lake, pool, and pond is a sprawling freshwater marsh. The marshland is characterized by its soft, waterlogged soil and is filled with a variety of reeds, grasses, and flowering plants. This diverse habitat supports a rich and abundant ecosystem, attracting numerous species of birds, insects, and small mammals.

Overall, Doffcocker Lodge in Lancashire offers a peaceful and idyllic setting, allowing visitors to connect with nature and enjoy the beauty of its lake, pool, pond, and freshwater marsh.

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Doffcocker Lodge Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 53.587737/-2.4791512 or Grid Reference SD6810. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Middlebrook Valley Way, Lady Bridge Lane

Combined cycle and pedestrian path and river, Middle Brook, at road bridge; the bridge continues to the left over the railway line. In 1978 the path was not named or designted as a cycle route.

M J Roscoe

Briksdal Way

A residential development off Chorley New Road.

Phil and Juliette Platt

Regent Road

A residential road in Lostock.

Phil and Juliette Platt

Carlton Villa

A semi-detached Victorian house built in 1887 and currently on the market.

Phil and Juliette Platt

Links Road

Leading from Chorley New Road to Regent Park Golf Centre.

Phil and Juliette Platt

Bolton Steam Museum

This centrifugal governor has appeared on display since my last visit here. It is the speed control governor from a 2500 horsepower horizontal tandem compound extraction engine built by John Musgrave of Bolton in 1923/4 for the east Lancs Paper Mill, Radcliffe. The engine also had an extraction governor to maintain pressure in the pass-out process main. The Museum also has this engine's barring engine. The governor is seen with the cover raised to show the weights and springs within.

Chris Allen

Bolton Steam Museum - Corliss valve gear

These components are the Corliss steam (inlet) valve trip gears from the low pressure cylinder of a horizontal tandem compound engine that was at Primrose Mill, Harle Syke. The engine was by Pollit & Wigzell of Sowerby Bridge and produced 700 horsepower. The intention is to reassemble these and drive them by an electric motor to demonstrate the trip gear in action. The green and red item behind is a barring engine from another site.

Chris Allen

Bolton Steam Museum - Robey cross compound engine

Seen running at about normal working speed of 120 rpm. Built by Robey of Lincoln in 1935 as a teaching engine for the Manchester College of Technology. The engine was removed in 1947 and stored for 40 years for possible resale. One of the society's members bought it and loaned it in 1987.

Chris Allen

Bolton Steam Museum - main entrance

This is the museum of the Northern Mill Engine Society and contains one of the best collections of stationary steam engines in the country.

Chris Allen

Bolton Steam Museum - 'Elsie'

The audience are admiring 'Elsie' during a run on live steam. The engine is a J & W McNaught of Rochdale horizontal tandem compound from Wasp Mill, Wardle. Bolton steam Museum is the country's finest collection of textile mill type engines and they can all be demonstrated in steam.

Chris Allen

Bolton Steam Museum - Robey uniflow engine

I have a real soft spot for this 'modern' design of reciprocating steam engine. This design has the efficiency of a much more complicated triple expansion engine in a much smaller footprint. This is because wasteful condensation is reduced by ensuring the steam flows in one direction only from the hot cylinder heads to the cooler exhaust ports in the centre of the cylinder. Because of the temperature gradient and differential expansion the cylinders were bored in a barrel shape with a wider bore in the cool centre. At operating temperature the bore became parallel. Another special feature was the need to provide compression relief when the engine was running without a good vacuum produced by condensing the steam. Many uniflows had manually operated valves on the sides of the cylinder that opened auxiliary clearance spaces. This engine has automatic auxiliary exhaust valves. These operate all the time in the Museum because there is no condensing plant in operation. This engine was built in 1926 and supplied to the Baltic Sawmills, Ammanford. From 1938 it was used as a test engine in the laboratories of the Manchester College of Technology. It was removed by a local machinery merchant in 1947 and stored until acquired by the Northern Mill Engine Society in 1987. The cylinder is 13.5" bore by 16" stroke and it ran at 200 revolutions per minute on superheated steam at 200 pounds per square inch.

Chris Allen