Sam Burton

Projects & Collections / The Marilyn (Ongoing)

Historically known as Edgar Hill, Winter Hill is a Marilyn situated within the West Pennine Moors at the intersection of the three boroughs of Chorley, Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen. Currently it is the site of one of the largest telecommunication masts in the North of England, serving approximately six million people reaching as far as North Wales.

The wider area has a history of being used primarily for agriculture with further remnants of quarries and mills scattered throughout. Tourism then became prominent after a scheme to build and develop multiple large reservoirs drastically changed the landscape forever.


The moorlands surrounding the summit are also associated with a number of plane crashes, natural disasters and feature a number of burial mounds from various periods.

Having evidence of activity dating back to around 1500 BC, the area has been in use long before it was ever considered for its current purpose of broadcasting back in the 1950s.


The dichotomy presented by the contrast of both contemporary and ancient uses of this land, raises questions relating to public access, conservation and politics.


This project attempts to explore these relationships to  local history by documenting obvious markers and signs of the past, whilst juxtaposing them with how the area is used today.


Historically known as Edgar Hill, Winter Hill is a Marilyn situated within the West Pennine Moors at the intersection of the three boroughs of Chorley, Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen. Currently it is the site of one of the largest telecommunication masts in the North of England, serving approximately six million people reaching as far as North Wales.

The wider area has a history of being used primarily for agriculture with further remnants of quarries and mills scattered throughout. Tourism then became prominent after a scheme to build and develop multiple large reservoirs drastically changed the landscape forever.


The moorlands surrounding the summit are also associated with a number of plane crashes, natural disasters and feature a number of burial mounds from various periods.

Having evidence of activity dating back to around 1500 BC, the area has been in use long before it was ever considered for its current purpose of broadcasting back in the 1950s.


The dichotomy presented by the contrast of both contemporary and ancient uses of this land, raises questions relating to public access, conservation and politics.


This project attempts to explore these relationships to  local history by documenting obvious markers and signs of the past, whilst juxtaposing them with how the area is used today.

Next – A Farmer & His Dogs (2018)

Next – A Farmer & His Dogs (2018)
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