Low Ackworth Online: Discussion Forum, News and Community Guide


Dist:0.4km north<br/>As the village of Ackworth grew significantly in the 1970s with several large new housing developments, water pressure became a problem. The solution was to give Ackworth a water tower of its own. Previously the water tower at Pontefract had provided the pressure regulating facility, but Pontefract too had seen significant housing development and some parts of Ackworth were literally on the end of the line, about 5 miles from the Pontefract tower. Ackworth Water Tower is located at the top of Castle Syke Hill, just off the A628 Pontefract Road. The immediate effect of the pressure improvement was a series of mains bursts over many months all the way down the water main under the A628 as it ran through Ackworth. The water main had obviously deteriorated over time but the low pressure had concelaed the problem. Any repair cascaded the problem to the next weakest point. Eventually a full water main renewal, at considerable discruption to local traffic, was the solution.
©Robert Neilson
Dist:0.4km north<br/>
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.4km north<br/>
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.5km north<br/>This view is taken from the junction with the A628, looking eastwards.
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.5km north<br/>Milestone marker, Castle Syke Hill, Ackworth.
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.5km north<br/>The A628 runs from Hollingworth to Pontefract by way of the Woodhead Pass and Barnsley. The section through High Ackworth is relatively narrow and twisty and the response to a campaign for an Ackworth by-pass in the 1980s to divert what was then a trunk road around the village was to "de-trunk" it! This road scene shows the road as it nears the last sharp left-hand bend before it turns North to leave the village for Pontefract.
©Robert Neilson
Dist:0.5km north<br/>Ackworth Plague Stone is associated with the outbreak of plague that affected Ackworth in 1645. The hollow on top that now fills with rain water was filled with vinegar at the time as a disinfectant for coins left in it as payment for goods brought to the village boundary from the local market town of Pontefract.
©Robert Neilson
Dist:0.5km north<br/>This is the view from Castle Syke Hill, Ackworth, the base of the Water Tower, looking over Pontefract to Ferrybridge Power station on the horizon.
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.5km north<br/>This is the highest point in Ackworth, traditionally where water towers are situated.
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.6km north<br/>This is the view of the public footpath from Purston as it approaches Castle Syke Hill, Ackworth.
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.6km north<br/>This stile is situated at the entrance of the public footpath to Purston on Castle Syke Hill
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.6km north<br/>
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.7km east<br/>Farmers now have to leave a gap around the edge of any cultivated field, as an area where wildlife can survive in natural conditions. The wild flowers are flourishing in this piece of 'set by' land.
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.7km north<br/>
©Bill Henderson
Dist:0.7km north<br/>
©Bill Henderson

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Wakefield News (from the BBC)

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