Bamber Bridge? The land that time forgot. My sister lives there. That's another good reason for avoiding the place! Working on Walton Summit maybe???
I'm not to fussed about the Singing Ringing Tree. It is one of the Lancashire Panopticons....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticons
It is really just a pile of steel tubes that act like a flute, and make a noise in the wind. Quite arty, but photographically a bit uninspiring. The surrounding hillsides are just plain dull so you will struggle to get anything other than a record shot.
The best time is sunset/sunrise when you might get colour in the sky. Other than that you need to get all creative...
There is another Panopticon above Haslingden called the Halo. This too is little more than a steel framework. Once again it is on a somewhat dreary stretch of moorland. It comes to life at night when it is lit up and resembles a spacecraft...
The other two panopticons are hardly worth the effort going to see them, at least from a photographic point of view. The problem with the two above is getting the light right. Up here we have had little more than a great grey blanket of murk for months now. There have been very occasional exceptions when we have had a clear sky - so clear that the light is almost too harsh.
If you don't want to travel too far you are on the doorstep for Rivington. Once the home of Lord Lever (Founder of Unilever) he had the whole hillside landscaped and terraced. It's now in ruins but you can spend a day wandering round the ruins, and on a day of poor light mono shots work well. In the sun there are extensive views as far as the Lakes & N. Wales....
But why restrict yourself to just the Preston area? You are only an hour away from either Yorkshire Dales or Lake District. It will take you nearly that to get anywhere else. I tend to use those locations^^^ as emergency fall back ideas.
There's snow in them thar hills and with more forecast for this week there should be plenty around at weekend. Maybe even lasting till next weekend. Happy to take you up there - I have to drive past Bamber Bridge on my way out.
Angelzarke
