Halo - Panopticon

Halo, Rossendale
Design by John Kennedy, LandLab.

Rossendale's Panopticon, 'Halo', is an 18m-diameter steel lattice structure supported on a tripod five metres above the ground. From its position on Top o' Slate, an old quarry and former landfill site situated in the hills above Haslingden in the Rossendale Valley, it is clearly visible for miles around.

'Halo' is lit at night using the latest LED technology and after dark glows a sky-blue colour, appearing to hover above the town. This dramatic gateway piece overlooks the A56, welcoming visitors to Pennine Lancashire.

'Halo' is the centrepiece of a wider scheme, led by the REMADE in Lancashire programme, Groundwork Pennine Lancashire and Rossendale Borough Council, which has reclaimed and returned to public use 33 hectares of land including Top o' Slate and the adjacent Duckworth Clough. New tree and shrub planting has taken place and picnic tables, seating and interpretation features have been introduced, together with improved footpaths.

From the attractively re-landscaped site there are dramatic views overlooking the Rossendale Valley, and on the horizon can be seen both Darwen Tower and Peel Tower. To the south the visitor can see Bury and Manchester and, in the distance beyond, the Derbyshire Pennines.

Panopticans was devised and managed by Mid Pennine Arts with a network of partners across Pennine Lancashire.