This is how the ‘Two Lads’ stone monuments which have stood on the moors for centuries will look after they are dismantled and rebuilt this summer
The iconic moorland stone landmarks high up on the West Pennine moors north of Bolton are on the Smithills estate managed by the Woodland Trust.
This week the trust released their vision for the project which would see the Two Lads cairns, on Crooked Edge Hill, an outlying summit on Winter Hill rebuilt into beehive shapes with a new dry stone wall surrounding them.
The stones have been a beloved destination of walkers and ramblers for centuries with some believing they are an ancient burial ground.
The landmark has been recorded on maps since 1787 – on older maps it is shown as two cairns.
The Woodland Trust said many people will be familiar with just one large cairn that existed until 1970 when the second cairn was rebuilt.
A spokesperson for the trust said the artistic interpretations may not be fully accurate.
They said: “Following public consultations, several changes have been made to the Two Lads cairns.
“The restored monument will not be returned to one point in history, instead it will contain elements from several evolutions.
“Please note this is an artistic interpretation of the Two Lads restoration, the final monument will differ in size and shape.”
The Smithills estate England’s largest Woodland Trust site and has been owned and managed by it since 2015.
Currently the Two Lads landmark is made up of one large cairn, another demolished cairn and a third very small construction of stones 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 trust made the decision to rebuild the ‘lads’ to make them safer, conserve their historical significance, and preserve them for future generations to enjoy.
The restoration has been made possible by lottery heritage funding.
A spokesperson for the Woodland Trust added: “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.”
After a public consultation, a design has been agreed that will involve several design changes from its current state.
The trust said: “The new iteration of Two Lads that 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 take down of the cairns will happen between July 15 and 31 involving deconstruction of the current cairns and preparation of the area and stone.
From August 7 to October and beyond the restoration of Two Lads will take place with the help of a local dry stone waller, volunteers and the community.
There will be a community archaeological dig in the area from August 3-14
The trust said those dates may change dependant on weather and bird surveys.
One route to the Two Lads landmark includes starting from Walker Fold car park, across the Smithills Estate and up to the moorland, a walk of around 1.7 miles.
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