HM-40 B Battery: An Derelict Nike Hercules Missile Base in Florida

 

HM-40 B Battery: An Derelict Nike Hercules Missile Base in Florida It wasn’t too long ago that the world – led by its nuclear superpowers – was on the brink of total war. The tense 12 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis were particularly terrifying, and as we looked at in our piece on the America’s now-abandoned Nike missile bases, there still exist frightening reminders of how close we came to World War Three. By the early 1960s, relations with the Eastern Bloc had deteriorated to the point that an order was given for the construction of hundreds of missile sites across the country. The HM-40 base (previously designated HM-66 B Battery) built in North Key Largo is one of only three Florida bases still in existence. It was active from June 1965 to June 1979. The now-abandoned missile base housed re-designed MIM-14 Nike Hercules missiles – a safer alternative to their predecessors, the MIM-3 Nike Ajax. Bases typically covered about 120 acres, and included five radar towers, missile storage vaults, a ready room, and systems for both launching missiles and tracking incoming objects, in a bid to identify their intentions through a system called IFF: Identification, Friend or Foe. When The Bohemian Blog headed to Florida, the site examined the remains of the abandoned HM-40, which had been decommissioned in 1979 and passed to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. While much of it has been destroyed, the former Integrated Fire Control (IFC) site was still there. Despite its location near the ominously-named Crocodile Lake, the intrepid explorers pressed on. Note: Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area for the American crocodile – an endangered species – and is also home to countless Burmese pythons, amid what was once America’s first line of defence against an incoming Soviet missile strike. The BB documented several remaining buildings, almost completely reclaimed by nature. Drowned in palm trees and mosses, covered in mould with windows turned green with vegetation, it’s hard to believe that the HM-40 site once housed some of the most hi-tech weapons and radar technology in the world.

10 Historic Landmarks of the Neolithic British Isles

 

10 Historic Landmarks of the Neolithic British Isles Forget the digital revolution. Forget the Industrial Revolution. Arguably the greatest revolution in the history of the British Isles may well have been the Neolithic one. A period where traditional hunter gatherer society gave way to agriculture and lives lived in a single location, it shook the world as our ancestors knew it. Across Britain and Ireland, primeval forests came crashing down. Complex societies sprang up. The landscape began to change as never before. Fittingly, such a drastic shake-up left behind a plethora of historic landmarks. From the mysterious henges that litter our green and pleasant land to ancient monuments carved for some inexplicable purpose millennia ago, the landmarks of Neolithic Britain incorporate some of the greatest treasures in the whole of Northern Europe. Ketley Crag, Northumberland The rugged border county of Northumberland is home to some of the most-glorious rock art from the dawn of history. Across northern England, mysterious Neolithic carvings flow across ancient stones, unchanged since they were first chiselled some six millennia ago. Some of the most spectacular of all can be found at Ketley Crag, near Chatton. Here, on a low summit overlooking the surrounding landscape, a plethora of cups, rings and grooves ripple across the stone, giving the whole place a mystical atmosphere. As with other prehistoric carvings, their exact purpose has been lost to time. But it’s not too difficult to imagine that these extraordinary Neolithic symbols were the birth of art in Britain, the beginning of an illustrious tradition extending to Turner and Constable, and on to the great sculptors of today. Other cup and ring marks abound on the moors above Chatton, but its sheltered position beneath a rocky outcrop makes the petroglyphs of Ketley Crag some of the most unique and important historic landmarks of Neolithic Britain. Castlerigg Stone Circle, Cumbria Under the watchful eye of Cumbria’s highest peaks, Castlerigg stone circle sits on an otherwise-empty plateau, its stone fingers stretching out to the sky. Comparatively modest in terms of both height and total area, Castlerigg nonetheless fairly oozes poetry, its ancient grey stones contrasting perfectly with the stark northern landscape. That’s not to say this stone circle isn’t impressive to witness. While it might not measure up to Stonehenge in size, its heaviest stone still weighs 16 tons. While Castlerigg gets less attention than many of Britain’s better-known historic landmarks, it has still had its share of fans over the years. Victorian era romantic drawings like this one by Robert Sears, speak to the poetry of the place. For locals and visitors alike, this is a Neolithic monument that manages to carve out a special place in even the flintiest of hearts. Standing above Keswick in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by mountains like Helvellyn, Skiddaw and Blencathra, Castlerigg is the Lake District’s most visited stone circle. Newgrange, County Meath Newgrange is like a dream. An imagined slice of ancient history, somehow brought to life in the green countryside of Ireland. A vast mound that pre-dates the Pyramids, pre-dates Stonehenge, and likely even pre-dates the Stones of Stenness (see below), Newgrange was first constructed some 5,200 years ago. Millennia before Christ, the Buddha, or even Moses would ever have a chance to walk upon the Earth. But Newgrange’s Neolithic credentials go beyond mere old age. It is an example of astronomical architecture of the highest order. Every winter solstice, as the sun rises (making allowances for cloudy weather), a single shaft of light pierces the interior of the mound, illuminating the treasures inside. According to those who’ve witnessed it, this moment can make you feel like you’re standing at the centre of the universe, making Newgrange not only one of the most important national monuments of Ireland, but one of the preeminent historic landmarks of the British Isles. Standing Stones of Stenness, Orkney While nowhere in Britain may match the sheer popularity of Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, perhaps nowhere else can match the Stones of Stenness in Orkney, Scotland, for sheer longevity. A haunting collection of sheer stone pillars rising from the rolling plains of the mainland island, this early proto-henge may have been around since 3100 BC, some 600 years before the Great Pyramid at Giza was built. To put that in perspective, you are currently closer in time to the English Civil War than the first pyramid builders were to the construction of the Stones of Stenness. Although they are few, the Stenness Stones still have an air of grandeur that few other Neolithic and Bronze Age sites can match. Seen on a rare sunny evening, as the sun descends into the waters and the skies turn dark, you can almost feel as if you are back at the dawn of the human age, witnessing this remarkable historic landmark of ancient Britain for the very first time. Ring of Brodgar, Orkney Stretching out alongside the shores of the Loch of Stenness in Orkney, not far from the aforementioned Stones of Stenness, lies a breathtaking Neolithic landmark. Arranged on a narrow spike of land between the island’s two great lochs is the fabled Ring of Brodgar. The northernmost circle henge in the British Isles, Brodgar is like a message from another time. Erected some 500 years after the Stenness Stones were put up, it today forms part of the same World Heritage Site; a selection of ancient monuments known collectively as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. Grand in scale, the Ring of Brodgar retains a sense of Neolithic mystery that has tantalised visitors, historians and archaeologists for centuries. Many theories about the purpose of this fascinating historic landmark have been put forward, from it being a place for ancient, mystical rites, to others involving astronomy and the reading of the stars. Roughting Linn (Prehistoric Rock Art), Northumberland Ketley Crag may be the best preserved example of prehistoric rock art in northeast England, but it’s not the only historic landmark of Neolithic Northumberland to fascinate scholars and those with an interest in the megalithic. At Roughting Linn, near Kimmerston, can be found one of the county’s most impressive collections of cup and ring carvings. Spirals whirl and coil across the boulders. Geometric shapes collide across the rock surface. The patterns are remarkable, fluid; the overall effect like peering into the mind of an ancient culture. Like Ketley Crag, the works themselves are so old that their true purpose remains a compelling enigma of prehistory. A BBC report estimated they could date back nearly 6,000 years. These artworks were carved way back in the mists of time, when Britain was still a wild place and widespread agriculture had yet to take hold. That the rock art of Roughting Linn has survived this long is simply awe-inspiring. Silbury Hill, Wiltshire Only a short distance from Stonehenge (below) itself, and part of the extended Avebury site, lies one of Britain’s least-known record holders. Silbury Hill is a towering artificial mound, standing over 39 metres high, overlooking the surrounding Wiltshire landscape. The largest man-made prehistoric monument in the whole of Europe, its origins have long since been lost to the mists of time. One of the most-interesting aspects of Silbury is the way it seemed to accrue history around it. Aside from its possible connection to Stonehenge, it was also the site of an ancient Roman village. In this case, ancient is a relative term. At the time the Romans built their streets in the shadow of Silbury Hill, they were closer in time to the creation of the internet than they were to work beginning on the Neolithic monument overlooking them. For the Romans, the historic landmark and icon of prehistory must have been as ancient and unknowable as it is to us. Callanish Stones, Outer Hebrides For such a small, remote corner of Britain, the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides sure has an impressive archaeological pedigree. The medieval Lewis Chessmen may be the most-famous of finds in this lonely place, but there traces of our Neolithic ancestors abound also. The most-stunning of these may well be the enigmatic Callanish Stones. A densely-packed stone circle, surrounded by alleyways of rocks forming what appears to be a crucifix shape, the Callanish Stones are strange, mysterious and otherworldly. The focus of countless myths and legends, they’re said to be the place where a pagan entity known as the “Shining One” appears on midsummer morning, stalking the ancient alleyways of the historic landmark of ancient Scotland. While modern visitors are unlikely to encounter any ancient gods, they’ll still be left with a feeling of awe. What’s more, the ancient monument pictured above is one of multiple stone circles forming part of the ancient Callanish site. Just at stone’s throw away are at least three other impressive Neolithic circles, barely visited by comparison their larger neighbour. Skara Brae, Orkney Few places in the British Isles, indeed in the world, can compare to Stonehenge. But Skara Brae may just be one of them. A well-preserved Neolithic settlement on Mainland, Orkney, this incredible historic landmark is sometimes called the Scottish Pompeii. Over a cluster of eight ancient houses, a whole way of life has been captured here, a fragment of our past, frozen forever like a mosquito trapped in amber. With a few leaps of imagination, it’s possible for visitors to feel like they’ve truly stepped back into the Neolithic. The ruins of each open-topped house are both identical, built along the same pattern, and curiously unique. It’s possible still to see the tiny touches that made each building a home for generations of ancient residents. While much of the history of Skara Brae remains shrouded in mystery, there’s still enough here to tantalise. Squint hard enough, and you just might be able to catch a glimpse of this long faded way of life. It’s not too surprising that the historic landmark was uncovered in a place recently dubbed “Britain’s ancient capital.” Historic Landmarks: Stonehenge, Wiltshire Like a revered rock star taking to the stage at a festival, Stonehenge needs no introduction. The most iconic of Neolithic monuments, Britain’s most famous henge may well be its most-famous historic landmark, period. Built sometime between 3,000 BC and 2,000 BC, incorporating stone mined from Welsh quarries hundreds of miles away, this vast circle of standing stones continues to exude a sense of mystery and magic unmatched across the nation. Perhaps the most-compelling aspect of Stonehenge is how little we still know about it. Despite being a source of fascinated study for centuries, we can’t say for certain what its purpose was, or why our ancient forebears dragged such heavy stones such distances to build it. For some, it will remain an ancient place of pagan worship. For others, it will always be intimately connected with astronomy. While the truth could be more prosaic, our chances of ever knowing for sure are minimal. Stonehenge, then, remains a mystery; the greatest and least-knowable of all Britain’s Neolithic leftovers.

“Komplex M”: Germany Train Cemetery Full of Ageing Soviet Locomotives

Known to urban explorers as Komplex M., this neglected railway yard, stocked with decrepit locomotives, is understood to have been built in the 1980s as a ferry harbour terminal. But as Morris wrote in our popular round-up of 20 eerie train graveyards and locomotive cemeteries, the site – in Germany – now “represents the end of the line for a generation of trains.” “Seen today, the first thing that strikes you about this train graveyard is how full it is,” wrote Morris. “Crowds of engines line the tracks, their windows kicked out, their sides lost beneath a wall of graffiti and rust. Yet these trains are far from ruins. Inside, they still retain their seats and many of their features.” Many of these defunct machines are likely to be broken up for scrap, while others will no doubt donate their parts to keep other locomotives in service. However, withdrawn railway engines, despite outward appearance, have a habit of being refurbished and sold on to other operators if their condition allows. At least two can be identified by their numbers, 232 633-8 and 232 137-0, making them DBAG Class 232s (part of the DR 130 family), Soviet-era locomotives produced in Ukraine in the 1970s and early ’80s, and imported into the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, the engines passed to the Deutsche Bahn (DBAG), which used them to haul heavy freight trains. Known as Ludmilla, more than 700 locomotives in the various DR 130 classes reportedly rolled off the production line at Luhansk between 1970 and 1982. Though many have now been withdrawn from service, superseded by more modern engines, it’s understood that some Class 232 locos remain in use. In addition to withdrawn Class 232s, Komplex M is home to other outdated rail hardware, from coaches and goods trucks to retro interurban train units that appear to be long past their sell by date.

Tonina: Home to One of the Largest Mayan Pyramids

 

Tonina: Home to One of the Largest Mayan Pyramids Over the course of history, there have been countless civilisations and cities that rose to great heights, only to find that they had farther to fall in the end. Some histories we know, while others, we’re not so sure about. It’s those mysteries that visitors to Tonina, in modern day Mexico, will find. When the Maya civilisation was at its height, Tonina was a military capital that drove conflict between the Maya and the neighbouring Palenque. Those based there elevated the city to new heights, a status that is reflected in its name. Some translate “Tonina” as “house of stone”, while another possible translation is the epic “place where stone sculptures are raised to honour time”. Both names are fitting, as the city is home to one of the largest pyramids in Mayan culture. Recent excavations revealed that the startling discovery that the city itself was almost twice as large as previously thought. The greatest mystery that still remains is what happened not only to the Maya, but at Tonina. Carved on the face of a monument at the pre-Columbian archaeological site is the latest known date ever recorded in the Mayan calendar: 909 AD. After that? Nothing. Tonina marks the end of the Maya and hopefully, someday, scholars will be able to answer some of the most baffling questions they left behind.

A Guide to Romania’s Spectacular Painted Monasteries of Bucovina

A Guide to Romania’s Spectacular Painted Monasteries of Bucovina On the eastern side of Romania sits a region forgotten by time. Moldavia is a land of endless, rolling plains stretching out to dusky horizons. In Romania itself, the region is known for being underdeveloped and relatively-poor. But Moldavia has something nowhere else in Balkans has. It’s here, in this vast and lonely world, that you can find Romania’s spectacular Painted Monasteries of Bucovina. Built for orthodox worship in the dying days and immediate aftermath of the Byzantine Empire, these small buildings have stood, virtually unchanged, for five long centuries. Their outsides decorated with spectacular Christian frescoes, each rendered in unique colours, the churches have survived hostile Habsburg Emperors, invading Ottoman forces, and decades of neglect under Communism. Utterly beguiling, almost hypnotic, these neglected masterpieces represent some of the most-haunting works of total art you will ever likely lay eyes on. Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist (Arbore) When the foundation stone of the small church of Arbore was laid in 1503, it was in a land scarred by poverty and relentless conflict. Vicious raids by Ottoman troops had marred Moldavian life for centuries, and squalor and illiteracy were deeply entrenched. So when it came time to paint the churches, the artists weren’t looking to merely decorate plain walls. They wanted to create a kind of living, breathing Christianity that could be understood by the local peasants. Nowhere is this perhaps clearer than at the painted church at Arbore. Dedicated to the Beheading of John the Baptist, the painted church’s frescoes tell a truncated story leading all the way from the book of Genesis to the death of the Saint. Inside and out, expertly-detailed pictures give the sense of a vast narrative unfolding over centuries. While many images have been lost due to centuries of weathering, enough still survive to make visiting Arbore church feel like flicking through a picture book by some forgotten old master. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin (Humor) In a corner of the frescoed porch at Humor Monastery sits one of the most-fascinating of all Byzantine artworks. Etched in red, black, and white, three separate images show the medieval viewer exactly what to expect if they sin in this life: the fires (red), the darkness (black), and the never ending cold (white) of Hell itself. But this triptych isn’t the only artwork unique to Humor. Founded in 1530 and painted in 1535, the painted monastery’s distinctive red-and-brown hues hold all manner of strange and disturbing images. Among these is an unusual work that depicts Satan as female, a slice of gender-equality that seems incongruous for the time. Others feature sinners being cast into hell at the Last Judgement; the dragon-slaying exploits of St George; and the devastating Siege of Constantinople. Everywhere you look, deranged, expertly-crafted images stare back at you with painted eyes, almost as if you’ve been placed in the very middle of a carnival fun house. The work on Humor may have finished 500 years ago, but its power to shock remains undiminished. Church of the Annunciation (Moldovita) Nowhere else in Romania looks like Moldovita Monastery. The dazzling golds and deep blues of the exterior frescoes are unique in this region, possibly the world. Like visions emerging from the depths of a cloudless sky they mesmerise the casual viewer. For a medieval peasant, seeing the awe-inspiring works at Moldovita was likely close to coming face to face with God himself. Interestingly, the monastery as we see it today is merely a copy of what came before. The original painted monastery was destroyed by ferocious mudslides in the 15th century, and not rebuilt until 1532 (it was repainted five years later). It’s hard to imagine the previous version being anywhere near so spectacular. Adorned with an intricate family tree of Jesus himself, and taking in battle scenes and sieges, everything about Moldovita’s frescoes is sublime. Interestingly, the preserved paintings also include graffiti scratched on by Habsburg troops in the mid-19th century, still visible today. Church of the Holy Rood (Pătrăuți) Parauti Monastery today is little more than a sad reminder of the destructive powers of time. The oldest of the painted monasteries of Bucovina, Parauti was built in 1487 and founded by Stephen the Great. When it was first built, the Byzantine Empire still existed, Shakespeare was yet to be born, and the Holy Roman Empire was still over 315 years away from its dissolution. Yet all those decades have taken their toll on the glorious painted monastery. Today, the frescoes which once covered its exterior are all but gone. Only a fragment remains around the main doorway, a last holdout against the relentless assault of Romania’s harsh winters. From what little remains, we can tell that Parauti was once one of the great painted monasteries of Bucovina. Images of divine judgement and souls awaiting hell contrast with significantly more-surreal pictures, like the saint sitting astride an enormous fish (a reference to the legend of Jonah, perhaps?). While the colours are mostly-faded, its deep reds must have once been a spectacular sight. Sadly, little now remains of the grand fresco that once was. Church of St Nicholas (Probota) The Monastery of Probota holds a unique accolade in Romanian history. It was here, in 1532, that the practice of painting frescoes on church exteriors first took shape. While other churches featured on this list were built earlier, they all stood unadorned until Petru Rares ordered Probota’s church to be decorated. The resulting frescoes inspired others across Moldovia to follow suit. Within less than a decade, a unique Orthodox tradition had been born. Despite their longevity, Probota’s frescoes have been better preserved than those on other painted monasteries of Bucovina. While those on the exterior are bleached and faded, they are crucially still visible, even after centuries of enforced neglect. In the 19th century, the Catholic Habsburg rulers ordered large parts of the frescoes to be torn down and replaced; perhaps despairing of the Orthodox heresies depicted there. Although many survived, it was not without acute damage. Yet Probota Monastery still retains a sense of what it originally must have looked like; a pioneering church that changed the way an entire region worshipped. Church of St George (Suceava) The grand church of St George at the Monastery of St John the New was completed not as a show of piety, but rather as an expression of raw power. Finished by Prince Stefăniţă in 1522 after his father died during construction, it was intended to reassure the world that, despite the loss of lands and influence, authority still flowed from the prince. As a result, the church towers, fortress-like, over the surrounding landscape, its high tower keeping solemn watch over everything – and everyone – surrounding it. As with Parauti Monastery, the frescoes at Suceava Monastery have sadly been ill-treated by time and the climate. While still visible, many have been faded by the burning sun and howling winds of the wild Moldovian plain. Despite this, enough luckily still remains here to get a sense of the majesty this church must once have had. Church of St George (Voronet) This is it. The grandest monastery in the whole of Romania. Known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East”, Voronet Monastery (today actually a nunnery) is beauty and divine judgement on an epic scale. The entire exterior wall is given over to an enormous blue fresco depicting humanity’s journey from the Garden of Eden, to its spectacular end at the Last Judgement. The only monastery to have a world-famous colour associated with it (Voronet Blue), Voronet Monastery is the quintessential Romanian Orthodox experience. Everything about the building is impressive. Despite its size, it took a mere three months and three weeks to build, hastily thrown up to commemorate a 1488 victory over the Ottomans. When it came time to paint the building, only the greatest of fresco makers were brought in to work on it, as can be seen from the stunning level of detail. Christians rise from their graves at the sounding of the last trumpet. Cain kills his brother in a spectacular display of light and shadow. St Paul escorts the believers to heaven below a choir of angels. Voronet Monastery is arguably Orthodox Christian design at its very best, and the finest of all the painted monasteries of Bucovina. Church of the Resurrection (Sucevița) The last of Moldovia’s painted monasteries of Bucovina to be afforded UNESCO World Heritage status, the Church of the Resurrection at Sucevița was also one of the very last to be built. Constructed over 20 long years beginning in 1582, it was only finally finished at the end of 1601. Fittingly, the artists chose to decorate Romania’s last great church with images from the final book of the Bible. The south side is a vast, doom-laden retelling of the Book of Revelation, depicting the Apocalypse in full, disturbing swing. Famous at home for its hypnotic, green-red hues, Sucevita Monastery is also notable for having an entirely bare western wall. This isn’t due to exposure or damage inflicted by some passing army. In 1590, as artists worked on the exterior frescoes, the head painter took to the roof to survey part of the western wall. He slipped and fell to earth with a fatal crash, leading the other painters to believe the westward-facing section of the church was cursed. To this day, no-one dares inscribe anything on this forbidding blank section of wall.

Explore 10 Historic Landmarks of Bronze Age Britain

 

Explore 10 Historic Landmarks of Bronze Age Britain Head back 4,000 years into Britain’s past, to one of the most-exhilarating periods in the history of the British Isles. The start of the Bronze Age was a time of great excitement. Agriculture and livestock farming were widely established during this time, megalithic structures were built, older Neolithic monuments were modified, and the Bell-Beaker period gradually established new cultural ideas, including complex metalwork. Sandwiched between the Neolithic and the Iron Age, Bronze Age Britain lasted some 1,700 years, from around 2,500 BC to 800 BC. Today, relatively little remains on the surface of those pioneering communities and ancient farmers who walked the forests and uplands of Bronze Age Britain. But for those who are prepared to seek them out, traces of their existence abound. Henges, ring cairns, and ancient barrows and other relics, attesting to the multitudes who lived and died in Britain’s age of bronze. This article documents some of the greatest historic landmarks of that period. Must Farm One night, thousands of years ago, disaster struck a remote corner of Cambridgeshire. A fire ripped through a riverside village, consuming the wooden jetty. As residents fled, the jetty collapsed, sending homes tumbling into the mud. By the first light of dawn, the community was no more. For the villagers, watching their homes succumb to the raging fire must’ve felt like the end of the world. But for archaeologists working four millennia later, it presented a remarkable opportunity. As the wooden houses collapsed into the river, their weight forced them to sink into the mud, preserving them. When they were finally uncovered in 2015, they were remarkably intact. No other British Bronze Age village had so successfully withstood time’s onslaught. The discovery was hailed as “the British Pompeii”. Not only were the wooden structures preserved, they still retained signs of their hasty abandonment. A pot was discovered that still contained the remains of a half-cooked meal, left behind when the villagers fled the fire. The site, known as Must Farm, is without doubt one of the most important historic landmarks of Bronze Age Britain found to date. Grimspound High up on Dartmoor, near the great ridge that runs toward Widecombe, lies one of most-haunting Bronze Age ruins in the whole of Britain. Grimspound was built from granite at the same time as Moses was receiving his Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. A collection of stone huts ringed by a defensive wall, the settlement was as remote and forbidding as they come. Thanks to the acidic nature of the soil on Dartmoor, nothing organic has survived from Grimspound down the centuries. As a result, there’s really precious little we know about it. But that doesn’t detract from the overall experience of visiting this once-great ancient village. Opened to the public by English Heritage, Grimspound lies in a valley often shrouded in mist or sliced with freezing rain. Looming out of the shadows, the historic landmark takes on an almost mystical quality; a haunting fragment of a bygone time. Brean Down There’s a reason ancient ruins like Grimspound or Must Farm are celebrated: unlike many remains, they are visible. While anyone can witness mud-preserved wooden huts, or great stone villages constructed millennia ago, most Bronze Age artefacts aren’t so visible to the untrained eye. Where an archaeologist may see evidence of earthworks, burial mounds and enclosures, many just see rolling terrain. Such is the case with Brean Down. A rocky ridge jutting out from the coast of Somerset, Brean Down is certainly exciting from an historic point of view. There are the remains of Bronze Age salt works, of Bronze Age animal enclosures, of tools and burial mounds. Huts once stood here, and their foundations have been excavated many times. For most of us, though, these remains are hard to distinguish from the dramatic landscape surrounding them. It would take a trained eye to explain all the many, wonderful mysteries of this site. Flag Fen In the old, sunken fens of East Anglia, traces still remain of one of the Bronze Age’s great engineering projects. The Flag Fen causeway was a vast wooden platform that unfurled across the marshes, running for over a kilometre to a small artificial island. But it wasn’t just its length that was impressive. The causeway was constructed by sharpening wooden posts and driving them deep into the mud in rows of five. The resulting structure used over 60,000 timbers, many originating from trees not found for miles around. Thanks to the sheer effort involved in the causeway’s construction, and some items like earrings, brooches and gold uncovered at the island, it is now thought Flag Fen was a place of religious worship. That we know of this historic landmark of Bronze Age Britain at all is due to a piece of almost-comical good luck. In 1982, Francis Pryor was surveying the area for English Heritage when he tripped over a piece of wood sticking out a ditch. The wood turned out to be part of the remains of the Flag Fen causeway, leading to its subsequent excavation. Napton Like Brean Down, Napton is a place that was once of significance to our distant ancestors. It’s likely a small Bronze Age settlement once stood here, where people lived out their lives over many generations. But again, as with Brean Down, there is precious little evidence left that can be perceived by casual visitors. Out in the middle of a sea of green fields, about 700 metres south of Tomlow, the remains of Bronze Age Napton have blended in almost totally with their surroundings. All that really remains today are traces of a ring ditch and a possible round barrow; a kind of low mound built of earth that was often used for burials. Of these, the round barrow is visible if you happen to be strolling past and looking out for it. The ring ditch can really only easily be discerned on satellite, and even then you have to squint and use your imagination. Thanks to expert analysis at the ancient Bronze Age site, the past is definitely alive at Napton. Bryn Cader Faner (Ring Cairn) Like an unclenching fist, Bryn Cader Faner rises from the Welsh hillsides, its jagged stone fingers reaching out to the sky. This historic Bronze Age ring cairn still has a raw power that has been awing visitors for centuries. One of the most-dramatic pre-Iron Age ruins in the whole of Wales, Bryn Cader Faner has unfortunately been mistreated over the years, to the point that it’s now a mere shadow of its former self. In the 19th century, the historic landmark was looted by grave robbers, who dug up what is now assumed to have been an ancient grave, and made off with whatever artefacts were inside it. Then, in the 20th century, the British Army used it as target practice in the run-up to World War Two, permanently damaging some of the ancient Bronze Age stones. Given this level of mistreatment, it is remarkable the cairn has survived at all. But survived it has. Today, it’s even considered one of the area’s top historic landmarks for tourists to visit. Nine Ladies Stone Circle A mysterious little stone circle in the heart of Derbyshire, the Nine Ladies have been impressing visitors with their understated beauty for centuries. One of the first 26 ruins in England, alongside Stonehenge, to be offered protection by the ground-breaking Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1882, the site has been legally preserved ever-since. And with good reason. The Nine Ladies are one of the finest Bronze Age remains in Britain. Even the name alone evokes romance and mystery. While we obviously have no idea what the circle’s builders called it, the Nine Ladies name comes from a Christian tradition that states the rocks depict nine women who were turned to stone for the crime of dancing on a Sunday (a punishment we can’t help but feel was a tad harsh). Yet the modern circle contains little trace of Christian belief. A place where pagan worshippers gather on the solstice, the Nine Ladies today is somewhere where you’re more likely to encounter New Age beliefs than Old Testament teachings. Bush Barrow In the sweep of ancient sites concentrated in the region around Stonehenge, perhaps none is so simultaneously spectacular and subtle as Bush Barrow. Part of the Normanton Downs Barrows, Bush Barrow is a vast pile of earth; a mound with a diameter of 49 square meters, but that only rises a mere three meters into the air. From a distance, it looks like a low, pleasant hillock, somewhere to take a gentle afternoon stroll. But Bush Barrow is so much more than that. It was here that some of Britain’s greatest grave artefacts were excavated. Dug up in 1808 by William Cunnington and Sir Richard Hoare, the grave’s contents are enough to send a shiver down your spine. There were ceremonial gold daggers from ancient Ireland. A mace carved from fossilised rock. An antique knife. And two strange gold hexagons known as lozenges, made by someone with an excellent knowledge of geometry; something you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find in Bronze Age Britain. Thanks to this spectacular haul, Bush Barrow is part of the extended Stonehenge and Avebury UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising some of the most important and mysterious historic landmarks in the British Isles. “Seahenge” In the early days of Britain’s Bronze Age, something remarkable happened. A heavy oak tree went crashing down onto Holme beach in Norfolk, its trunk soon buried in the mud. Not long after, locals began hammering deep wooden posts into the ground around it, creating a large timber circle. When it was finally uncovered in 1988, after thousands of years buried deep beneath the mud, the press instantly coined a name for it: Seahenge. While Seahenge had little in common with Stonehenge, and was likely used for a different purpose, the name stuck. Ironically, it was the only thing to remain constant in the following years. Despite objections, archaeologists excavated the Holme beach site (also known as Holme I) completely, shipping Seahenge itself off to Lynn Museum, preserving the wood and reconstructing it in a controlled environment. Yet, strangely, this wasn’t the end of the story. A few years later, another wooden circle was uncovered buried in the wet sand near the original Seahenge. Testing showed it dated from the same ancient summer. Holme II is still in situ, and there are currently no plans to dig it up. Clava Cairns For a few dozen miles around Inverness, a vast swathe of ancient history lies, waiting to be uncovered. Dotted across the Scottish landscape are about fifty Clava Cairns, ancient stone burial cairns, typically angled to face the midwinter sunset. Mysterious historic landmarks built thousands of years ago, they represent a haunting link to Scotland’s Bronze Age past. Although Clava cairns are found elsewhere, it was those around Inverness that gave them their name. At the original Balnuaran of Clava, three of these cairns were found squashed up close together, their surfaces marked with carved indentations. This trio of cairns is remarkable for its level of preservation, which has to be seen to be believed. Even today, after millennia of exposure to harsh weather and generations of indifferent humans, the enigmatic Bronze Age artefacts still retain a sense of their original shape, forged in ancient rock.

Head Deep into the WWII Stockport Air Raid Shelters

 

Head Deep into the WWII Stockport Air Raid Shelters The crash of bombs. The crackle of flames consuming homes. The screams of the wounded and the eerie silence of the dead. In late 1938, this was the dreadful soundtrack of the future so feared by the Stockport town council. As part of Greater Manchester, the town was likely to be targeted by Luftwaffe bombing raids when war finally came. Desperate to avoid mass-casualties on an industrial scale, the local authorities scrambled to build a vast network of bomb shelters, capable of housing tens of thousands. The result: a deep underground air raid complex (extending for nearly a mile) almost unparalleled in wartime Britain. At the time, the official government position was that huge shelters would be detrimental to the war effort. Far better, according to Whitehall, to have people dispersed around cities in smaller groups, rather than in one place where disaster could strike (as it sadly would at Bethnal Green station in 1943, when over 170 people were crushed). They UK government even went as far as to refuse funding to any town that contemplated building large-scale shelters. Nonetheless, Stockport went ahead – and the results rightly became famous. Carved from a collection of old cellars and mine shafts, the Stockport tunnels were the Ritz of British bomb shelters. The largest of them all, Chestergate, wound up becoming a relatively sought-after place to spend the night, thanks to its chemical toilets, bunk beds, and good ventilation. Residents eventually dubbed it the ‘Chestergate Hotel’; a name not without a hint of irony, as the shelter was frequently forced to hold upwards of 6,000 people. Still, it proved so morale-boosting that the government eventually relented and allowed funding. Amazingly, this grand temple to wartime camaraderie and northern blitz spirit was practically forgotten after the war. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the Stockport air raid shelters were rediscovered, sparking an interest in the town’s World War Two history and life on the Home Front. You can even visit key parts of the shelter today on a guided tour, and experience a section of the tunnels similar to the lost world captured in these photographs. The images show the gloomy interior of the Dodge Hill air raid shelter, one of the less restored section of the haunting Stockport tunnels.

5 Giant Ferris Wheels That Were Never Built

Many of us are familiar with the London Eye, a giant £70 million Ferris wheel (with its own Twitter account), towering 443 ft above the South Bank of the River Thames. We even included it in our recent feature covering 20 awe-inspiring landmarks of the world. In this article, we thought we’d examine five similar rotating structures, several of them proposed by the Great Wheel Corporation, that never quite began to turn. Great Berlin Wheel (Germany) Slated to take pride of place near the Berlin Zoological Garden, the Great Berlin Wheel would stand 607-ft-tall and hold 36 passenger capsules (later revised down to 574 ft and 28 capsules). The giant observation wheel was set to open in 2008, having broken ground the previous year, but fell by the wayside due to financial woes. Had it gone ahead, the Great Berlin Wheel would have been the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. That accolade has since gone to the High Roller on the Las Vegas Strip. Beijing Great Wheel (China) The Beijing Great Wheel should have begun turning in 2008 in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics. But a year earlier, it was reported in China’s state media that the project had been delayed until 2009 (and later 2010) due to design problems. Had the project succeeded, the giant 682 ft observation wheel, with its 48 air conditioned capsules, would again have become the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, with passengers able to see the Great Wall of China to the north. Great Orlando Wheel (USA) On a 20-acre lot adjacent to the Orlando-Orange County Convention Center, the Great Orlando Wheel was set to reach 400 ft into the sky, offering 25 mile panoramic views of the surrounding Florida landscape. Attractions including Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld would all have been visible to passengers, as would rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral. Unfortunately the project was halted in 2010 and the land put up for sale. Great Dubai Wheel (United Arab Emirates) Planning permission for the 607-ft-high Great Dubai Wheel was granted in 2006. But like other giant observation structures on this list, the 30-capsule Ferris wheel was doomed to fail. Expected to open in 2009 at a cost of AED 250 million, the grand project was soon halted. The financial crisis of 2007–2008 had put many construction projects in Dubailand on hold by 2008, and in 2012, it was announced that the much-anticipated Great Dubai Wheel would no longer be built. Jeddah Eye (Saudi Arabia) Another giant Ferris wheel proposed in 2008, construction of what would have become a 492 ft icon of the Saudi Arabian city was due to commence in 2009, with an opening date of 2012. But little more was heard of the Jeddah Eye, which seems to have gone the same way as the other massive observation decks outlined above. Above: an artist’s impression showing the dramatic entrance concourse of the Great Berlin Wheel in Germany.

Russia’s Central Air Force Museum: Stunning Birds-Eye Photographs of Monino Airport

If you’re a fan of Russian aircraft developed back in the days of the Soviet Union, the Central Air Force Museum at Monino Airfield is a must-visit attraction. The awesome collection, located around 25 miles east of Moscow, is home to around 173 aircraft and 127 engines, making it one of the world’s largest aviation museums. Many of the artefacts were developed at the height of the Cold War, representing some of the greatest advances in Soviet aerospace innovation during that tense period of history. The Central Air Force Museum was founded in 1958, but it wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that its doors were finally opened to the public. This was due to a number of classified Soviet prototypes being among its exhibits. (If only the USA could reveal some of its classified prototypes and top secret demonstrators, which are said to be stored (or perhaps even preserved) at Area 51.) In addition to Monino’s extensive collection of planes and aircraft engines are other artifacts, including weapons, spy instruments and flying uniforms. Among them is the flight suit worn by CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers, whose Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down in 1960 by an S-75 Dvina surface-to-air missile. Situated adjacent to the Gagarin Air Force Academy, the Monino museum has been known by a variety of names over the decades, including the USSR Air Force Museum and later the Russian Federation Air Force Museum. Tours are offered by ex-pilots who volunteer their time to take visitors through the history of Russian aviation. According to this unofficial website: “The facilities are largely unimproved and the majority of aircraft are exposed to the harsh Russian weather… Despite these conditions, the aircraft are in surprisingly good shape and most are sitting on the original tires they landed at the Monino airfield with. This is a testament to the museum employees who have a great historical legacy to preserve.” However, rumours have circulated about the Central Air Force Museum’s imminent closure, so those planning a visit would be wise to book a ticket to Moscow sooner rather than later. If that happens, it’s likely many exhibits would be moved to another location, and the larger ones scrapped. But as of December 2016 it was still open to the public, just one among numerous historic landmarks of Cold War Moscow and its surrounding area. CNN wrote of Russia’s capital and most populous city: “From bunker complexes to rusting MiG fighter jets to the vestiges of long-defunct secret weapons programs, Moscow is a living museum of the epoch that shaped the 20th century.” One of the most unusual exhibits on display at the Monino museum is the Bartini Beriev VVA-14, an amphibious wing-in-ground-effect aircraft, of which only two prototypes were ever built. Nearby, Myasishchev M-50 and Sukhoi T-4 prototypes stand alongside MiG and Sukhoi fighters/attack aircraft, mighty Tupolev bombers and other examples from early Russian aviation to the present day. The Central Air Force Museum’s exhibits may represent outdated tech, now superseded by more modern jet aircraft, but it’s hard to imagine that the rows of warplanes wouldn’t make for an impressive air force even today. You can check out the official website (in Russian) here.

The Giant Concrete Directional Arrows of Wartime Britain

The Giant Concrete Directional Arrows of Wartime Britain All across the UK, from the country’s most remote corners to locations surprisingly close to civilisation, the ruins of wartime bombing ranges still hide amid the countryside. Some firing ranges remain in use today, such as Otterburn in the Northumberland National Park. But many others lie dormant and forgotten, save for the broken remnants of hastily-built World War Two structures that betray their original purpose. Among the more interesting relics of that turbulent period are the giant concrete directional arrows that once pointed incoming bombers towards practice targets. A number of wartime navigation arrows survive today, including the seven examples documented below. Abandoned Navigation Arrow on Ashley Walk Bombing Range One of the best documented concrete directional arrows of World War Two lies on the abandoned Ashley Walk bombing range, a once-top secret facility in heart of the New Forest. Under the control of RAF Boscombe Down, the classified firing range was established in 1940 to test a new generation of bombs that would bring the UK’s arsenal up to speed with its Luftwaffe adversary. It was here that the 22,000 lb Grand Slam earthquake bomb – the largest bomb ever dropped on British soil – was tested, dropped from Avro Lancaster PB592 from a height of 18,000 feet on the range below. Today, these once-closely guarded secrets are out in the open. The Ashley Walk bombing range has long been decommissioned and hikers are free to wander the wild heath-land and the ruins within. One of the most photographed of these structures is the large concrete directional arrow that helped bomber crews navigate to their targets. (View the concrete arrow on on Google Maps here.) Still visible amid the heath, if somewhat overgrown, the giant arrow lies on Deadmans Hill, and pointed towards a series of practice targets on Leaden Hall, across the valley. You can find out more about this fascinating period of European history in our detailed article on the abandoned Ashley Walk bombing range here. Braid Fell Bombing Range (Concrete Directional Arrows & Target Wall) Our next concrete navigation arrow takes us north of the Scottish border to Dumfries and Galloway. Braid Fell bombing range was established during the Second World War to the east of Cairnryan, near Loch Ryan. Fast forward to the present day and the large directional arrow can be found immediately adjacent to the single-track road from Innermessan to Penwhirn. The concrete arrow points towards a large reinforced target wall nearby, which has an undeniably military look to it. Like the arrow, the old target wall has stood the test of time, certainly moreso than other wartime ruins reported to lie in the area. Secret Scotland writes that the site of a dummy factory lies about a kilometre to the north of the wall. The WW2 indutrial mockup reportedly had to be rebuilt between exercises. According to Secret Scotland, no evidence of the factory remains, though its location is marked ominously by a series of bomb craters. (Reports suggest a second concrete arrow pointed towards this full scale factory replica. If you find it via Google Earth, be sure to leave us a message in the comments below.) However, we don’t advise straying far onto the abandoned Braid Fell bombing range. Secret Scotland reports that unexploded ordnance is still found out on the range, and bomb disposal experts have regularly scoured the moors looking for potentially dangerous wartime leftovers. For the roadside arrow, click here. Concrete Directional Arrow on Lilstock Royal Navy Range Concrete Directional Arrow on Lilstock Royal Navy Range We covered Brean Down in another article earlier this month. On that occasion we were looking at the Somerset promontory’s Bronze Age heritage. This article delves into its more recent history and the role that it played during World War Two. Here, on this spectacular headland near the resort town of Weston-super-Mare, a large concrete arrow can be found pointing out into the waters of Bridgwater Bay (see here). Located between Brean Down and the tiny hamlet of Lilstock, a Second World War gunnery range was established in connection with RNAS Yeovilton. The Lilstock Royal Navy Range is still in use for Fleet Air Arm helicopter crews to practice their gunnery skills. It was also used by fixed-wing aircraft dropping inert bombs until 1995. The Lilstock Royal Navy Range incorporates a series of practice areas, including the Kilve Bend Range, and has also been referred to as the Bridgwater Bay bombing range. The shallows may be out of bounds (for good reason) and navigational aids far more sophisticated than their World War Two predecessors, but the abandoned concrete directional arrow built to guide bomber crews onto their dummy targets remains extant – assuming you know where to look. Abandoned Navigation Arrow at Skipness Point Another Fleet Air Arm gunnery range in Scotland, Skipness bombing range lay off the east coast of the stunning Kintyre Peninsula. Approaching bombers were guided onto their targets out in Skipness Bay by the large concrete directional arrow that remains clearly visible on Google Earth today (here). The giant arrow lies in a field alongside the attractive ruins of the old village chapel, immediately adjacent to the graveyard wall. According to Secret Scotland, several observation posts overlooked the shallows of the bay where targets were moored. Observers would report the result of each bombing run to the aircrew, who mainly flew out of RNAS Machrihanish (also known as HMS Landrail) on torpedo and bombing practice sorties. One observation post (now demolished) is reported to have stood near the giant navigation arrow. The other tower survives and can be found by a cattle grid on the edge of the village. Ruined Concrete Arrow on Normandy Down, Isles of Scilly Situated on the east side of St Mary’s, the largest of the Isles of Scilly, this rather ruined concrete directional arrow may be the most remote wartime example on our list. Built during World War Two on a clifftop area known as Normandy Down, the large arrow once pointed aircrew towards a floating target moored in Crow Sound. According to Strolling Guides, the target offered bombing practice for six locally-based Hawker Hurricane aircraft. An intriguing wartime relic set amid an landscape of compelling ruins spanning the ages, this navigation arrow can be hard to spot at ground level, despite (and perhaps because of) the rough track that runs straight through it (see here). Concrete Directional Arrow on Challochglass Moor Isolated and alone on Dumfries and Galloway’s rugged Challochglass Moor, this abandoned concrete directional arrow might be the best preserved of all those featured in this article. The giant navigational installation, like others shown here, once pointed the way to a forgotten World War Two bombing range that has now been lost in the moorland (here). Despite its remote location, a farm track runs just to the south, no doubt providing access for military personnel during World War Two, and allowing intrepid rural explorers to easily uncover it. Restored Target Arrow at Musselburgh (297 Squadron ATC) The site of our last wartime directional arrow is far less remote and has enjoyed an overhaul in recent years thanks to the cadets of 297 Squadron, ATC at Musselburgh, just outside Scotland’s capital Edinburgh. The arrow points towards the chilly waters of the Firth of Forth, where a series of targets were positioned in a bid to train pilots operating out of surrounding airfields like RAF Turnhouse (now Edinburgh Airport), RAF Drem and RAF East Fortune. Among the targets moored off the east coast are two midget submarines wrecks, which remain in Aberlady Bay today. A plaque next to the Musselburgh directional arrow reads: “This concrete arrow was renovated by cadets of 297 Squadron, ATC in recognition of its original purpose of training bomber crews by aligning their aircraft up with a target in the Firth of Forth.” (See here.)

The Leaning Tower of Pisa After a Global Cataclysm

The Leaning Tower of Pisa After a Global Cataclysm A photographer using the screen name rolandmey took the Leaning Tower of Pisa and reimagined it like you’ve never seen it before. The iconic Central Italian landmark has long captivated visitors with its characteristic tilt, so much so that during the 20th century concern that it may finally topple spearheaded an effort to reduce the Leaning Tower’s lean (from 5.5 to 3.3 degrees off-centre). In the concept art above, however, the famous building (which is really the bell tower of the city’s cathedral, located in Pisa’s Piazza del Duomo) still stands. The rest of the Tuscan city, however, is nowhere to be seen. All that remains is a small, broken patch of land peering above the waves, upon which the Leaning Tower of Pisa stands proud. Whether global warming and rising sea levels finally took their toll, or some unseen cataclysm sent a devastating tsunami tearing across the Ligurian Sea, we can but imagine.

Earls Court’s Great Wheel: The 19th Century London Eye

Earls Court’s Great Wheel: The 19th Century London Eye Just as work commenced on the ‘first’ Channel Tunnel back in 1885, it’s also a fact that the iconic London Eye isn’t the English capital’s first giant Ferris wheel. The original Great Wheel was built for the Empire of India Exhibition at Earls Court and opened on July 17, 1895. Built in Greenwich by Maudslay, Sons and Field, construction of the 308-ft-tall observation wheel had only begun the previous year, in March 1894. With a diameter of 270 ft, the design of the Great Wheel was based on the original Ferris Wheel that appeared at Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The London Eye, towering above the River Thames on the South Bank Unlike the London Eye (above), which is intended to be a permanent structure, the grand 19th century wheel, with its 40 Victorian-era observation cars, remained in use for just over a decade before being demolished in 1907. Its last appearance was at the Imperial Austrian Exhibition, also held at Earls Court, in 1906. The exhibition closed on October 6th that year, by which time the Great Wheel had turned its last.

The Lost City of Z (& the Mysterious Disappearance of Colonel Percy Fawcett)

The Lost City of Z (& the Mysterious Disappearance of Colonel Percy Fawcett) In 1925, British explorer Lt. Colonel Percy Fawcett set off into the Amazon jungle in search of a mysterious lost city, which he called Z. He was never heard from again. If anyone was able to survive the most gruelling of adventures, it was Fawcett. He had served the British military in Sri Lanka, infiltrated Morocco as a spy, and fought in World War One. He had also been to the Amazon half a dozen times, mapping the area and making contact with hostile natives. He was a friend of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and The Lost World was based on his adventures. Lt. Colonel Fawcett‘s contact with local people, and his research into the history of Amazonian civilisations, led him to believe that cities documented by early conquistadors had yet to be discovered. He embarked on two trips that failed early on. But not one to admit defeat easily, Fawcett organised a third expedition. He rejected an offer of help from fellow British adventurer T. E. Lawrence, known to history as Lawrence of Arabia, instead taking his 21-year-old son, Jack, and Jack’s best friend along with him. Fawcett believed that the Lost City of Z was to be found in the dense jungles of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The trio left New Jersey in January of 1925 and, by April, were in the jungle in the company of two guides. On May 29, they reached the spot Fawcett had camped before – the place where he had called off a previous expedition. They sent their guides back, with a letter and a warning that no-one would hear from them until they emerged from the Amazon rainforest. Since 1928, more than 100 people have died trying to solve the mystery of Fawcett’s disappearance, and that of his young companions, as they supposedly searched for the fabled Lost City of Z. No-one was able to uncover any solid evidence of what befell them, but in 2004, an examination of Fawcett’s private papers allegedly brought to light new information, and helped established a bizarre theory about as to his fate. Television and theatre director Misha Williams claimed to have found evidence that Fawcett never planned on returning from the Amazon at all. Instead, he intended to establish his own secret commune. The theory is certainly unusual. Williams said that Fawcett talked about a “Grand Scheme”, in which he would set up his own community centred around the worship of his own son and the mystical ideas of theosophy. Fawcett’s papers also referenced the influence of a mysterious female spirit guide, which was reported to lure men into the heart of the jungle; for better or worse. Did Lt. Colonel Percy Fawcett disappear on purpose? Or did something terrible befall the adventurers as they searched for the legendary Lost City of Z? Interestingly, an archaeological site known as Kuhikugu – discovered by anthropologist Michael Heckenberger – may have existed near the region Fawcett disappeared in, and contemporaneous legends of this undiscovered civilisation may have inspired Fawcett’s visit to the region. When New Yorker staff writer David Grann visited the Kalapalo tribe in 2005, he learned that Fawcett featured in their oral tradition. The explorer had apparently stayed with the tribe, who believed that he was likely killed by “fierce Indians”. These accounts, and the discovery of Kuhikugu, are discovered in Grann’s 2009 book, The Lost City of Z. A movie based on the book was released in October 2016.

Static Test Articles: 3 F-35 Lightning II Ground Test Airframes Are Put Through Their Paces

Static Test Articles: 3 F-35 Lightning II Ground Test Airframes Are Put Through Their Paces Before entering full scale production, an aircraft design must undergo a series of exhaustive tests, taking it from the drawing board to wind tunnel models and flying prototypes (and much more in between). If the prototypes are successful, flight testing may continue to a small batch of early production airframes, on which any bugs are hopefully ironed out, and other technologies proven. But another part of this intricate jigsaw lies with a number of unsung heroes that rarely get the recognition they deserve. These early test airframes often disappear into the shadows once projects end or when full scale production ramps up. They are static test articles, airframes that are built to the same specifications (though often incomplete and not intended to fly) as flying examples in a bid to simulate the conditions and stresses that a plane will encounter during its lifetime. To illustrate, this article examines three F-35 Lightning II static test articles built by Lockheed Martin as part of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme – see below.) Static test articles, which may be used for fatigue/durability testing, weapons firing and more, form a crucial part of aircraft development and may remain in use after the type has entered operational service. We’ve featured a number on this blog before, including the giant Airbus A380 and A350 “PAMELA” rigs, an F-117 Stealth Fighter (known as Airframe 777) that became a radar cross section model at Holloman AFB before disappearing (presumably into storage or scrapped), and an unusual aircraft boneyard at Paine Field, Washington, where the hulks of Boeing fatigue articles slowly rust away. Occasionally, static test articles are refurbished to flight status. Such was the case with NASA’s ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger, which began life as a structural test rig known as STA-099. Others are brought up to museum standard, like the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber static test article designated AT-1000, which is preserved at the National Museum of the USAF at Dayton, Ohio. Often erroneously described as a “mockup”, AT-1000 is one of two Northrop B-2 structural test airframes built without engines or instruments. It was tested in a giant rig that enabled engineers to push the airframe to the limits without ever leaving the ground, subjecting AT-1000 to forces far greater than a B-2 would ever encounter in flight. After the structure fractured, it was donated to the museum, where staff spent more than a year restoring the broken Spirit. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Static Test Articles The F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) is one of the most ambitious and expensive defence procurement programmes in history, and involves three different versions of the fifth generation stealth jet: F-35A, the conventional takeoff and landing version; F-35B, the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version; and the carrier-based F-35C. A total of six non-flyable ground test versions of the F-35 were built by Lockheed Martin, including three static test articles and three durability test airframes (one of each per variant). This feature examines the three F-35 static test articles, known as AG-1, BG-1 and CG-1. Their durability counterparts (AJ-1, BJ-1 and CJ-1) are not outlined, but more information can be found here (pdf). F-35A Static Test Article ‘AG-1’ In April 2009, after a three week ocean voyage, F-35A static test article ‘AG-1′ arrived at BAE Systems’ Structural and Dynamic Test facility at Brough, East Yorkshire. AG-1 was one of six ground test versions of the Lightning II, which entered trials alongside 13 dedicated flight test development aircraft. Built in 2008 to demonstrate the strength and stability of the F-35A airframe, AG-1’s structure was verified up to 150 per cent of its design limits or 13.5 times the force of gravity, according to a press release issued by Lockheed Martin. The airframe was then returned to the USA. Above, the F-35A static test article is pictured in a protective bag during transportation from Lockheed Martin’s plant at Fort Worth, Texas to the BAE Systems facility at Brough, UK. All three variants of the F-35 static and durability test articles were expected to complete three full lifetimes of virtual flight testing during their development programmes. At that point, like other aircraft projects before them, the well-worn ground-based specimens will likely retreat into the murky annals of test aircraft history. Perhaps one of them, like the B-2 bomber (mentioned above), will get a cosmetic restoration and find its way into a museum. But with so many other F-35 development aircraft built for flight testing, now to mention the programme’s early technology demonstrators, that option seems unlikely. F-35B Static Test Article ‘BG-1’ Set to replace the RAF/Fleet Air Arm’s and US Marine Corps’ iconic Harrier ‘jump jets’, the F-35B is the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter family. Despite being at the cutting edge of aircraft design and development, the F-35B static test article pictured above, known as BG-1, has clearly seen better days. BG-1 was photographed in September 2014 following four months of live fire testing on the vast ranges at NAWS China Lake. According to F-16.net: “The live fire testing… consisted of a series of fifteen shots directed at various positions on the airframe. The effort was led by Naval Air Systems Command’s Weapons Survivability Laboratory.” The open doors on BG-1’s spine are for the patented lift fan, a system unique to the F-35B variant which, along with deflected thrust from the engine exhaust, enables the aircraft to hover and achieve short take-offs and vertical landings. BG-1 is thought to have been built in 2008, meaning these live fire tests may have been the ground test article’s last assignment. BG-1 isn’t the only F-35 condemned to such a role. After around 100 flights, the first F-35A development aircraft (2AA-0001) was retired to live fire testing also. F-35C Static Test Article ‘CG-1’In 2010, Vought Aircraft Industries undertook a series of drop tests at their plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, using the F-35C static test article known as CG-1. The F-35C will form the backbone of the US Navy’s strike fighter force, and will also serve with the US Marine Corps. The trials were conducted in order to simulate aircraft carrier landings and test the structural integrity of the F-35C airframe. Carrier landings place a great deal of stress on aircraft, far beyond that experienced by land-based jets operating from conventional runways. The above video shows CG-1 being dropped from more than 11 feet in one of 53 tests planned for the ground test article. A Lockheed press release stated: “The drop conditions included sink rates, or rates of descent, up to the maximum design value of 26.4 feet per second, as well as various angles and weight distributions. The tests were used to mimic the wide range of landing conditions expected in the fleet.”

Bryn Cader Faner: Bronze Age Ring Cairn, Wales

Bryn Cader Faner: Bronze Age Ring Cairn, Wales “Like an unclenching fist, Bryn Cader Faner rises from the Welsh hillsides, its jagged stone fingers reaching out to the sky,” wrote Morris in our recent article featuring ten of the most impressive historic landmarks of Bronze Age Britain. The ancient monument, situated in Gwynedd, Wales, is a Bronze Age ring cairn (or round cairn) thought to date back to the third millennium BC. Its rather poetic name, Bryn Cader Faner, is said to translate to “the hill of the throne with the flag”. Sadly, the ancient Bronze Age ring cairn has been greatly abused in more recent years. During the 19th century, the site fell victim to Victorian treasure hunters, no doubt looking for ancient artefacts to place in their curiosity cabinets. A hole in the centre of the monument may indicate a looted burial cist. But worse was yet to come. In the run-up to World War Two, Bryn Cader Faner was used for target practice by the British Army, which removed some of the eastern stones and pummelled the remainder with ordnance. Remarkably, the 29 ft diameter ring cairn endured, though its 18 upright pillars account for just over half that number that historians believe made up the original site. Damaged though it may be, Bryn Cader Faner still cuts an eerily beautiful sight on the uplands of Ardudwy.

Visit China’s Once Top Secret 816 Nuclear Military Plant

Visit China’s Once Top Secret 816 Nuclear Military Plant For years, the 816 Nuclear Military Plant was one of China’s most closely guarded secrets. That all changed in 2002, though, when the underground nuclear base in Chongqing was declassified by the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence. It’s now open to visitors. The project, which was designed to reinforce China’s defensive network in the face of increasing tensions with the Soviet Union, was launched 1966. But building the top secret underground base, which is located in Southwest China, was a massive undertaking. Working under a veil of intense secrecy, construction workers carved out the largest artificial cave in the world, in an epic feat that employed more than 60,000 people. With more than 20 kilometres of tunnels, 18 individual caves, and a height that would allow a 20-story building to be constructed inside, 816 Nuclear Military Plant took 17 long years to build. It was designed to withstand 8-magnitude earthquakes and explosions equivalent to those generated by thousands of tons of TNT. The project was halted in 1984, called off because of the relatively peaceful environment that China found itself in at the time. Even then, 816 Nuclear Military Plant remained classified for decades after. The secret nuclear facility’s existence was considered so sensitive that even after it was decommissioned, many locals remained unaware of its existence near their homes. China Daily reported in 2010 that the once-classified nuclear warfare tunnels of 816 Nuclear Military Plant would be opened to the public in stages, as resources allowed. Dong Guanzhi, a Jinan University professor who worked as a consultant on the project, described the cave “magical, mysterious and holy”, and hoped that it would offer people a glimpse at China’s true military history.

Classic Urbex: Vintage Abandoned Jaguar & Racing Car in Portugal

Classic Urbex: Vintage Abandoned Jaguar & Racing Car in Portugal For those with an interest in vintage cars, aircraft, and pretty much any antique collectable one can imagine, a ‘barn find’ is the ultimate discovery (we’ve seen a few of them on Urban Ghosts to date). The idea that classic treasures can sit tucked away for years inside anonymous buildings is itself compelling. These haunting photographs by Diogo Ramos reveal two vintage vehicles discovered inside an abandoned building in Portugal. They’re understood to known to urban explorers and photographers across Europe, though the Portuguese urbex community is remaining tight-lipped on their whereabouts. The abandoned racing car, which sports a liberal coating and dirt and grime, wears the number seven forward of its small windscreen. But it’s the vintage Jaguar (top) that is the major draw to this undisclosed location. Filthy, neglected, its tires long deflated, the ageing vehicle would no doubt prove the ideal long-term restoration project for many an enthusiast and collector. Explore more of Diogo Ramos’ photographs on his

Divine Lorraine Hotel: An Abandoned Philadelphia Landmark (Now Under Restoration)

Divine Lorraine Hotel: An Abandoned Philadelphia Landmark (Now Under Restoration) In its heyday, the Divine Lorraine Hotel was an iconic symbol of progress in Philadelphia. Originally known as Lorraine Apartments, the grand building was one of the city’s first high-rise structures, a hitherto unheard of 10 stories tall when it was built in the early 1890s at the corner of Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue. Not surprisingly, the Late Victorian-style Lorraine Apartments attracted the rich and the elite, catering to their every whim with its own in-house staff. Philadelphia was booming, after all, as the Industrial Revolution turned the north side of the city into a mecca for the new industrialists. The building didn’t become a hotel until later, when it was sold for $485,000 in 1948 to one Father Divine. As head of the Universal Peace Mission Movement, the cleric renamed the building and turned it into another Philadelphia landmark: the first completely racially integrated hotel in the United States. All were welcome, as long as they followed Divine’s rules like no smoking, no drinking, and maintaining a modest appearance. Several large rooms at the Divine Lorraine Hotel were remodelled into public spaces, including a public dining room that provided low-cost meals to those in need. The iconic Philadelphia landmark closed in 1999. The International Peace Mission sold it in 2000. Since closing, the building has been shuttled from owner to owner and gradually fallen into abandonment. Many of the grand features and other valuable internal fixtures have been stripped bare, rendering the once-glorious Divine Lorraine Hotel little more than a hollow, hulking shell. With its windows boarded up and graffiti scrawled across its walls, the building is a sorry shadow of its former self. Despite being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, renovation plans eluded the abandoned Divine Lorraine Hotel for years, and the future looked bleak. That was until September of 2015, when a restoration effort finally began in earnest, as part of a huge movement to revitalise Philadelphia’s fortunes over the last two decades. Just as it was back in its heyday, the Divine Lorraine Hotel will once again be transformed into apartments.

Nagoro: Japan’s Strange Village of Dolls

Nagoro: Japan’s Strange Village of Dolls Tucked away in the valleys of Shikoku, the village of Nagoro is set amid a quietly beautiful part of Japan. But unfortunately, that beauty comes at a price. The village’s remote location means that many people have been forced to leave their homes and move closer to the cities. Other members of the Nagoro’s ageing population have passed away, leaving the handful of people who remain to wait and watch as their village dies.In 2014, Fritz Schumann documented the village and one extraordinary resident: then 64-year-old Ayano Tsukimi. In 2002, she made her first doll, simply intended to be a scarecrow that would keep birds away from her crops. She sewed it in the likeness of her father, and from there, she came upon the idea to repopulate her dying home with dolls fashioned in the likenesses of those who’d once lived there – and those who never would. Nagoro’s school closed in 2012, after its final two students graduated and left town. Now, the classrooms are full of student-sized dolls, sitting at their desks in a rapt silence that would make any teacher jealous. There’s no telling who else visitors will meet – the village has become something of a tourist attraction, in an ironic twist that’s led tourists to descend on a village that has seemingly little to offer its own people. According to Business Insider, Ayano not only makes the dolls and positions them all over town, she also arranges them in such a lifelike way that if you didn’t know they were straw and cloth, you might think there was a real person sitting on the banks of the river, lethargically dangling a fishing line into the water. Clothes worn by the dolls once belonged to local residents. In some cases, the scarecrows are fashioned after actual people who have since died. She checks up on them every day, walking the town and greeting neighbours that, if they respond at all, might only nod in the wind. She’s made hundreds of the dolls – replacing those damaged by the elements – and she’s even made one of herself. Fortunately, you don’t need to go all to Japan to see them. Once the doll-maker realised that people might be interested in visiting her tiny village, she made sure she positioned some of her neighbours near the road, where you can see them on Google’s Street View.

A Resort in Ruins: Mexico’s Club Maeva Tulum

A Resort in Ruins: Mexico’s Club Maeva TulumWhen Man on the Lam’s Raymond Walsh checked out the remains of Mexico’s Club Maeva Tulum, he found little short of devastation. An urban explorer using the screen name Yanni Blue Man, whose photographs are shown here, found similar scenes of abandonment. Club Maeva Tulum, sitting beach-side along the Mayan Riviera, was all but destroyed in 2005 as hurricanes Emily and Wilma flexed their massive might. Before then, the now-derelict luxury resort was a 300-room slice of paradise. But that year, people fled as windows were shattered and the grounds were filled with debris when the elements ripped across the Mayan Riviera. Just what’s going to happen to the hotel remains to be seen. Some on TripAdvisor have claimed that the discovery of a cenote on the property may mean that the land is protected. It would be an epic end to a modern-day paradise, a 21st century abandonment standing alongside ruins from centuries ago, and a reminder that time waits for no one, and preserves nothing.

An Ancient Stone Circle in Ethereal Concept Art

An Ancient Stone Circle in Ethereal Concept Art Ancient stone circles have always had a mystical quality to them, due to a combination of the largely mysterious nature of their construction and likely the more recent focus afforded such ancient monuments by the New Age community. So, in many ways, these relics of Neolithic and Bronze Age farmers need no further magicalisation. But there’s no denying that they make great subjects for concept artists seeking to do just that. The above work by Mysticartdesign depicts sunrise (or sunset) over an anonymous stone circle. The standing stones that make up the lower half of the circle are partly submerged in a pool of water, as crows (which are believed by some cultures to carry the souls of the deceased) stand on and swoop over the megaliths. It’s a dreamlike image, though one that may have taken its cues from a real monument. If you recognise the ancient stone circle behind this ethereal concept art, please let us know!

Visionary Architecture: 10 Grand Unbuilt Structures of the World

Visionary Architecture: 10 Grand Unbuilt Structures of the World Few aspects of history are more compelling than a ‘what if?’. What if Germany had won World War Two? What if Napoleon had lost at Austerlitz? What if the Soviet Union had never collapsed or 9/11 had never happened? Each of these scenarios is fascinating to consider, even if we can only ever guess at what might have been. But there’s one area of history where our ‘what if?’s are more than simply guesses: architecture. Across the world, filed away in dusty offices are drawings, plans and blueprints that could’ve changed the world, or at least the built environment. Vast structures are recorded here that only ever existed in an architect’s vision, but once had the potential to become resolutely real. That these examples of visionary architecture failed is a testament to the grinding realities of human life. That they were imagined at all is a lasting testament to the power of artistic dreams. The Palace of the Soviets Imagine standing at the foot of Nelson’s Column in London’s Trafalgar Square. Now imagine that, instead of a mere 52 metres, the column is stretching a gravity-defying 491 metres into the air. Now imagine that it sits atop a vast skyscraper complex that completely dwarfs everything around it. Congratulations, you are now part way to imagining what Boris Iofan’s staggering Palace of the Soviets would have looked like. Initially designed as a place for the new Soviet Congress to hold meetings, it soon metamorphosed into a gigantic monument to Vladimir Lenin. A 100-floor skyscraper would tower over the Kremlin, in Moscow, lit by a profusion of spotlights. At the very top, a metal statue of Lenin would stand, hailing the glorious new socialist future. The design was signed off by Stalin himself. If built, the Palace of the Soviets would have been the then-tallest structure in the world. So what happened? The answer is World War Two. Construction was underway when the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, but the war effort required the steel to be melted down. Once the frame was demolished, building never restarted. Museum of Modern Art in Caracas To look at images of the unbuilt Museum of Modern Art in Caracas is to look at a work of either genius of madness. A vast, inverted pyramid, the building would have perched on the edge of a cliff high above the city’s Central Zone. It’s sides were designed to be sheer, impenetrable. The only light would’ve entered by a huge skylight in the roof. To those passing through the streets of Venezuela’s capital far below, it would have looked like some crazed temple to humanity’s forgotten gods. The design was by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who would later find fame building the visionary structures of his home nation’s capital (which we’ve covered in a previous article). While there’s no doubt that his Museum of Modern Art in Caracas would have attracted global attention, it’s not certain how such a design might be faring today. As breathtaking as his sketches look, a huge, impenetrable pyramid crowning a colonial city might be regarding nowadays in the same way as the worst excesses of Brutalist architecture. Sunny Car Centre Images of Finland’s unbuilt Sunny Car Centre may not be much to look at, appearing, as they do, like some vision of a dull industrial estate. But go digging into the numbers behind it, and you’ll find your jaw dropping open in wonder at the sheer audacity of this visionary architecture. Sunny Car was designed to be the biggest car sales centre in the whole of Europe. Located in Hämeenlinna, eight floors totalling 75,000 square metres would have stretched up into the sky. Car lots would’ve sprawled over 30 hectares of endless asphalt. It was estimated that building it would’ve required over 200 years’ worth of man hours. That the project died a sad death was due to a combination of factors, none of them particularly flattering. The company involved, Sunny Trading Ltd, reportedly struggled to find investors. Twice, the company fell victim to fake entities that swallowed hundreds of thousands of Euros and disappeared into the night. The company subsequently went bust in 2014, and the Sunny Car Centre contract was cancelled. Tatlin’s Tower The early days of Soviet art and architecture today seem like the work of either madmen or forgotten geniuses. As the old Tsarist order came crumbling down, Russian visionaries began smashing down boundaries with such gusto that the results seem hallucinatory even today. It was in this exciting, febrile world that Vladimir Tatlin designed the Soviet answer to the Eiffel Tower. An example of visionary architecture intended to stand in the middle of St Petersburg and house the Comintern (the organisation dedicated to bringing the light of Communism to the world), it would’ve stood 400 metres tall, and looked like a monument to the possibilities of geometry. One of the strangest aspects would’ve been the three cylinders suspended within the metal frame. Each would’ve housed a different branch of Comintern, and each would’ve rotated at a different speed. The top one would have completed a turn once a day. Below it, a centre for executives would’ve turned once a month. Below that, a final lecture hall would’ve rotated once every year. Sadly, shell-shocked, post-revolution Russia simply couldn’t afford something so revolutionary, and Tatlin’s Tower was cancelled. Visionary Architecture: The Illinois n 2020, Saudi Arabia is set to complete work on the dazzling Kingdom Tower. At a kilometre high, it will dwarf even Dubai’s monstrous Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building. Impressive as this is, in a parallel universe, it is merely a sad attempt to play catch up to the tallest structure ever built. Had Frank Lloyd Wright had his way, the mile-high Illinois tower would have been scraping America’s skies since the 1960s. It’s impossible to overstate how overwhelming this tower would have been. The Empire State Building would have been only a quarter of its size, the Burj Khalifa only half. Seventy-six elevators, each standing five stories tall themselves, would’ve catapulted hundreds upwards at speeds of a mile a minute. Five-hundred and twenty eight floors would’ve contained an entire city in miniature. Fifteen thousand cars and 150 helicopters would’ve been housed within the Illinois’ superstructure. Standing on the top floor, you would’ve been able to see seemingly forever. Regrettably, the design was only speculative, and lack of serious funding meant work never even got started on what must be one of the world’s most impressive examples of visionary architecture. Beacon of Progress Had it been completed, Constant-Désiré Despradelle’s Beacon of Progress in Chicago would’ve felt like something out of the Book of Genesis. A group of 13 sheer obelisks that would’ve joined together into a single, 457 metre tower (taller than the Empire State Building), this visionary architecture was designed to look like a long-lost structure from ancient Egypt. Rising from the centre of a plain, a vast staircase would’ve swept onlookers helplessly towards the monument’s base. Surrounded by enormous statues depicting science, rationality and progress, it would’ve been as awe-inspiring as it was terrifying. Looking at pictures today, perhaps the closest real-life ever came to the Beacon of Progress was in the old Hollywood sets built for lavish productions by directors like D.W. Griffith. But while Griffith’s sets were made from wood, Despradelle’s tower would’ve been impossibly heavy stone. Proposed for the World’s Columbian Exhibition of 1893, it was meant to represent the near-mythic founding of America. Although the Beacon of Progress was never built, the drawings inspired a whole generation of subsequent architects. Hotel Attraction It’s likely there has never been another architect as strange and mercurial as the Catalan master Antoni Gaudi. Known today for his awesome, unfinished La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Gaudi tore up the rule book of Spanish architecture and replaced it with something that lay between madness and genius. In 1908, he nearly did the same for America. Commissioned to design a building for New York, Gaudi came up with a skyscraper that even today has the quality of a dream. The Hotel Attraction would have been a strange beast. Standing at 360 metres tall, the visionary architecture eschewed the rigid, straight lines we associate with skyscrapers in New York. Instead, it would’ve grown almost organically from the landscape, a series of rocket-shaped towers that joined together at different heights to create a surreal fortress. While Gaudi got as far as the planning stages, it’s not known how much interest there was in his design. The visionary project was shelved, and Gaudi returned to obsessing over his cathedral. Balatonring One of the many casualties of the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession was Hungary’s Balatonring. A twisting, turning, 4.6-km-long motor racing circuit, it was designed to raise Hungary’s sporting profile and attract millions in foreign investments. Originally slated to host its first MotoGP event in autumn 2010, the project was eventually cancelled when funding dried up across the entire continent. Although work actually began on the project, little remains to be seen of Hungary’s bygone sporting dream. The area set aside for the Balatonring has become something of a wasteland, and the paths laid down for the tracks have become overgrown with weeds and grass. The plot itself has been sold off, and only the future will tell what becomes of it. For now, it simply remains another monument to the glories of the early 21st century boom years – and the destructive fallout left behind when it all came crashing to the ground. Rampart DamWinding down from Canada’s frozen north into the state of Alaska, the Yukon River is one of America’s great forces of nature. Spanning some 2,000 miles, it sends uncountable gallons draining into the icy sea every second. So when the Army Corps of Engineers decided to dam it in 1954, you better believe the results would have been impressive. The reservoir it created would’ve flooded an area the size of Wales and the state of Brunei combined. The Rampart Dam was designed to generate enough hydroelectric power to light up almost the whole of Alaska. Ideal as that might seem to environmentalists today, at the time it was hugely opposed by eco campaigners. Part of the area flooded would’ve included the Yukon Flats, an area home to millions of waterfowl whose habitats would’ve been wiped out. Combined with cost objections from politicians in the contiguous United States and it was enough to shelve the Rampart Dam permanently. Had this visionary architecture been realised, though, the resulting reservoir would’ve been among the fifteen largest lakes on planet Earth. Never Forgotten National MemorialDepending on your point of view, the Never Forgotten National Memorial of Canada (also known as Mother Canada) was either a heart-rending tribute to the country’s war dead that sadly never went ahead, or a tacky piece of tasteless tat that was thankfully canned. Designed to be a companion to the Mother Bereft statue (above) overlooking Canadian World War One graves in France, the visionary architecture was to depict a mourning woman, her arms outstretched towards Europe’s distant shores. Given the official go-ahead in 2015, it nonetheless proved so controversial that Trudeau’s Liberal government immediately scrapped it upon coming to power. That the 10-storey statue would’ve been an impressive sight is beyond a doubt. However, the choice of location wound up infuriating many. Designed to stand on the shoreline of a National Park, permission to build it was eventually withdrawn by Parks Canada. At time of writing, there are no plans to build the Never Forgotten National Memorial in an alternative location.