The Woodland Trust has released its vision for the restoration of the iconic Two Lads stone monuments on Crooked Edge Hill, an outlying summit of Winter Hill in the West Pennine moors north of Bolton. The ancient cairns will be dismantled and rebuilt into traditional beehive shapes, surrounded by a new dry stone wall.
Restoration Details and Timeline
The project, funded by lottery heritage funding, will begin with the deconstruction of the current cairns between July 15 and 31. The restoration phase will run from August 7 through October and beyond, involving a local dry stone waller, volunteers, and the community. A community archaeological dig is scheduled from August 3 to 14, though dates may change depending on weather and bird surveys.
The Woodland Trust stated: “The current cairn structures are unstable and unsafe, they have been vandalised and rebuilt numerous times, with a third mound recently appearing. The large cairn has been deemed unsafe and does not currently meet health and safety standards, having a temporary wooden fence around it. Action must be taken to permanently deter further vandalism and make the area safer for visitors.”
Design Changes and Historical Context
Following public consultations, several changes have been made to the design. The trust noted: “The new iteration of Two Lads will include beehive shaped cairns. Traditional Lancashire cairns are built in a beehive shape and this is how Two Lads was originally built. The second cairn was originally built next to the current large cairn and is marked by a pile of rubble. We will be rebuilding the second cairn in its last known position, so ‘Two Lads’ remain in the landscape.”
The restored monument will not be returned to one point in history but will contain elements from several evolutions. The trust emphasized that the artistic interpretation may not be fully accurate: “Please note this is an artistic interpretation of the Two Lads restoration, the final monument will differ in size and shape.”
Current State and Significance
Currently, the Two Lads landmark consists of one large cairn, another demolished cairn, and a third very small stone construction set some distance away. The site is acknowledged by Historic England Research Records as a monument described as ‘Two Lads’, ‘a confused heap of stones, seems to be the wreckage of one or more cairns’. The stones have been a beloved destination for walkers and ramblers for centuries, with some believing they are an ancient burial ground. The landmark has been recorded on maps since 1787, and on older maps it is shown as two cairns.
The Smithills estate, where the cairns are located, is England’s largest Woodland Trust site and has been owned and managed by the trust since 2015. One route to the Two Lads landmark starts from Walker Fold car park, across the Smithills Estate and up to the moorland, a walk of around 1.7 miles.
