Ringstone Edge Moor
RINGSTONE EDGE MOOR: Gliding site (Aka BARKISLAND)
The map was kindly provided by Mr Graham Frost. The local view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: Halifax Gliding Club
Location: Just W of Saddleworth Road, about 0.75nm SSE to SE of Ripponden town centre. Roughly 5nm SW of Halifax town centre
Period of operation: Unknown? Almost certainly from 1969 to 1971 at least?
NOTES: We have Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for pointing out this location.
We do not know for certain the exact location, but, judging from the contours on the map, I think this is most likely? It seems to afford a fairly level area with a landing area, roughly SW/NE of around 650 metres.
One aspect that initially confused me, is why was it also referred to as BARKISLAND when Ripponden was closer? I now think that the map provides the likely answer as the only decent road to the site, Saddleworth Road, runs south from Barkisland.
It appears that the Halifax Gliding Club had three aircraft, one of which appears in an accident report. This is the Slingsby T.21 BGA1521, (ex WB948), which crashed here and written off 06.04.69.
Another aspect of this location is that, since 1973, it has been used for model flying by the West Yorkshire Model Flying Club, see the RINGSTONE listing. If anybody can kindly offer advice and information, this will be much appreciated.
Chris Birkett
This comment was written on: 2026-02-04 15:31:18My log book tells me it was the 29 June 1969 that, as an 13 year old school boy, I took my first glider flight at the Halifax Gliding Club in the club Slingsby T21 ( BGA 1388 ). I made a total of 15 glider flights at HGC, that year. Existing members told me Ringstone Edge was a difficult sight to operate from, as it had a hump in the middle, which required a mid batsman to relay signals between the glider and winch.Mr Mike Rose was the CFI. The clubhouse was an old stone farmhouse. The hanger was a half round barn that would have held no more than three fully rigged gliders. 1969 was the last year of glider flight at Ringstone Edge/HGC. To my knowledge no glider flights were undertaken from 1970 onwards as the Central Generating Board had started erection of Electric High Tension Cables, during early 1970, across the Southern boundary of the Airfield.
David Bottomley
This comment was written on: 2026-02-10 15:26:57Hi I was a member of Halifax Gliding club when our only glider crashed. Mike Rose was not available to fly that day so he had arranged for an instructor from Doncaster gliding club to take over for the day. The wind was coming from an unusual direction so we were taking off across the site parallel to the reservoir . The passenger on that day was Geoff Greenhough .Coming into land they lost height too quickly and both ended upside down still strapped in . Luckily no one was hurt on the day.
David Bottomley
This comment was written on: 2026-02-10 16:02:47When I first joined the club we had an open cockpit glider . It was due for an air worthiness check which took place at slingsby . Unfortunately whilst it was there a fire occurred and the glider was destroyed. For quite a while we were a gliding club without a glider until the insurance payment came through.
David Bottomley
This comment was written on: 2026-02-11 09:48:37If it is of interest to anyone I have four slides of the accident two before and two after.
Chris Birkett
This comment was written on: 2026-02-20 14:11:54SOME MORE RECOLECTIONS OF THE HALIFAX GLIDING CLUB - 1969 The club Slingsby T21 ( BGA1388 ) had canapies, one for the port side and one for the starboard side. The combination of the slow flying speed and the canapies made for a quiet ride. At thermalling speeds it was nearly silent. The T21 went to Nympsfield ( Bristol and Glostershire Gliding Club ) where it was destroyed in a hanger fire on the night of 6-7 May 1973. * The only other glider on site, during 1969 was a de-rigged Slingsby T31 which occupied a corner of the hanger. One soaring flight drifted the T21 towards the M62, which during 1969 was under construction. Good views were had of the constructin below. Looking on Google Earth the old hanger has been replaced with a more modern structure. The stone clubhouse still exists, but it looks to be in a very poor state of repair! * Ken Brown - History of Bristol and Glostershire Gliding Club.
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