A well-known pair of stone landmarks on the moors above Winter Hill is about to come down, before going back up again.
The cairns known locally as the “Two Lads”, on Crooked Edge Hill between Lancashire and Greater Manchester, will be dismantled and rebuilt this summer to make them safer and deter further vandalism.
The cairns have been a popular destination for walkers and ramblers for centuries. Woodland Trust, which owns the land, said they were first recorded on maps in 1787 and may also have been mentioned in a land deed from Cecily, widow of Roger de Worsley, in 1280.
The trust said that after the cairns are taken down, a community archaeological dig will take place in August. The cairns will then be rebuilt with the help of a dry stone waller and local volunteers.
The landmark currently consists of one large cairn, another demolished cairn and a third very small construction of stones some distance away.
Historic England research records describe the site as “Two Lads”, “a confused heap of stones, seems to be the wreckage of one or more cairns”.
Woodland Trust, which has owned the land since 2015, said it had decided to rebuild the “lads” to make them safer. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the work also forms part of efforts to conserve their historical significance and preserve them for future generations to enjoy.
A spokesperson for the trust said: “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.”
A design has been agreed after a public consultation and will involve several changes from the current layout.
The trust said: “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 trust said cement will be used in the reconstruction to improve stability and safety, but only internally so it is not visible.
A mounded wall in traditional Lancashire drystone style will also be built around Two Lads.
According to the trust’s estimated timeline, subject to the weather and a bird survey, the cairns will be taken down between 15 and 31 July. A community archaeological dig will run from 3 to 14 August, and restoration will take place from 7 August to October and beyond.
One route to the landmark starts from Walker Fold car park, across the Smithills Estate and up to the moorland, a walk of about 2.7 kilometres. From the summit, visitors can spot Lancashire’s Ribble Estuary, the Peak District, the Irish Sea and the Yorkshire Dales.
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