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Panopticons - Atom

 

Plan Your Visit

Plan your visit

Leave M65 at Junction 14 - At roundabout take 1st exit A6068 for Keighley - After almost 2 miles at another roundabout take 2nd exit A6068 for Keighley - After 2 miles, at Laneshawbridge, turn right on to minor road signposted Haworth - After 2 miles turn into car park for Wycoller Country Park on your right.

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Panopticons - Atom

Atom - a panopticon that sits on the hillside above Wycoller Village, Pendle.

Design by Peter Meacock with Katarina Novomestska and Architecture Central Workshop.

Pendle's Panopticon, 'Atom', rests on the hillside above Wycoller village in Wycoller Country Park. Constructed in ferro-cement with a surface coating of metal-based paint, it is both a striking contemporary viewing point and shelter from which to enjoy Pendle's glorious scenery, and an intriguing and beautiful object which can be viewed from afar. From inside, its circular viewing spaces frame spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, and an initially hidden, polished steel ball reflects back those views to the visitor.

Wycoller is a historic settlement dating back beyond 1000BC. It has close links with the Brontes, and Charlotte is thought to have been a frequent visitor. In 1973 the village was declared a conservation area and the surrounding 350 acres of farmland were designated a Country Park. Wycoller has several unusual architectural features, including seven small bridges that cross Wycoller Beck, and an 18th-century five-aisled barn, now converted into a visitor centre.