Henheads
(A area which includes Sherfin and Stonefold)
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| Old Map showing Henheads lying between Sherfin and Stonefold (Click over Map to enlarge) |
Dog Kennel Road
(A track which leads off either Brook Street or Hud Hey Road (opposite Carr Hall Street entrance) and followed the proximity of the old Clough End Mill)
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Dog Kennel Road is showing running at the rear of the Clough End Mill (Click over to enlarge) |
I remember the area here very well at the side of the Clough End factory from when I was a child (1950s)), having played there and climbed walls etc hundreds of times, but by then the dog pound had long gone and the whole area was individual garden allotments each belonging to nearby residents (mainly living on Hud Hey). The same area today (Allotments) has been built on and is or was occupied by the company Jamesway Printers. Dog Kennel Road could also be accessed from on Hud Hey Road almost opposite Carr Hall Street, but here at times the large green metal gate may have been shut (closing access) or like most times the gate would have been open, but if shut we would climb over the wall. So this indicates that the road may well have been private and probably owned by the factory. So after going through the gate and then by the front of the Clough End Mill "boilerhouse" where you would regularly see Mr. Dewhurst stoking the factory fire in the firehole, and after only a few yards you would turn the corner and follow along a straight section following the side of the Mill boundary and this road at this point was made up of "compressed black ash with growing mosses" and named "Dog Kennel Road", and then still keeping with the wall boundary the road turned at right angles past three buildings on your left hand side (old houses belonging to the factory and almost derelict in the 1950s) and here the ground floor was concrete for a short section (rear mill yard floor) and then shortly afterwards came back into a rough pebbly stone and sand mix (crusher run), the road here sandwiched between the mill boundary walls and the gorgeous Swinnel Brook. Just before the end of the Road there was a sluice which could be opened to direct waters to the Clough End Mill Lodge and then within a few yards you would come into what is now known as Brook Street. Looking at the time of Dog Kennel Road on the above map it does not show the newer houses in Brook Street has having been built or for that matter the street having been named, and only marks it off as a footpath. Although it does show the old cottages at the start of Dog Kennel Road.
8th January 2016 - Michael Mullaney wrote:
As a child I used to visit relatives who lived in the top cottage in Brook Street, Clough End.
My grandmother always referred to it as "Dog Kennels", it backed onto the mill lodge where we played skimming stones on the water.
My understanding as to how it got its name was that it was the old town dog pound which played an important roll when everyone who owned a dog had to have a dog licence and the police where kept busy impounding dogs without a licence until the owner appeared in court and was fined or the dog was destroyed. Market days were good hunting for dogs without a licence as the farmers came into town with their dogs and the police were always ready to pounce.
12th January 2016 - Annie Taylor wrote:
I have just looked on your blog
spot and noticed the blog about Dog Kennel road. It was the boundary of
Carterplace and home to Carterplace's dog kennel originally from my
understanding.
Brook Street is on your map, it
is unnamed and the other side of the mill running parallel to Dog Kennel road
Brook Street ran from Hud Hey to Dog Kennel Road and still does, it is just
they have now renamed this part of Dog Kennel Road as Brook Street! It is the
bit of Brook Street just after the houses that runs up to the traffic
lights. Annie Taylor
Sheep Green (top of town, between Haslingden Old Road and leading down into Chapel Street - behind Hargreaves Street Mill.
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| Sheep Green (long demolished), and showing a young Jimmy Babbister (photo courtesy of John Bedford) |
Robbers Row (A row of houses at the top of Hud Rake)
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| Robbers Row on Higher Hud Rake (Click over to enlarge) Photo kindly contributed by Robert Wade |
The houses are situated on high elevation accessed by steep steps almost fronting Higher Lane to its rear. It is said it got the name "Robbers Row" because the builders ran out of stone midway through their project and decided to rob the rest of the stone from the local Quarries to finish off their buildings.
Pinch Belly Row
(A row of houses on lower Hud Rake - now demolished with wooden garages built on the same ground)
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| Pinch Belly Row (Hud Rake) - Photographer unknown |
Why would this row of houses receive the nickname of "Pinch Belly Row". The only offer of a explanation so far which is kindly offered by Ann Taylor who's Grandma lived in one of these houses up until the mid 70's. Her dad Fred Lynsky recalls the reason it got this name is because: "The row went in a curve, just like a pinched belly".
Salt Pie Steps
(The steps leading down from near the bottom of Hud Rake to Blackburn Road, opposite Carr Mill Brow an area also once known in the past as “Loose Pulley”.)
Photo shows “Salt Pie Steps” (Click over to enlarge)
It is said that these stone steps used to be known as “Salt Pie Steps” and it is also said that the shop at the bottom of these steps (which is shown in the next photo with bricked up window and door) was a Chip Shop. I was once informed by a well known life long local resident (the late Harry Wilkinson) that this shop (in the 1930/40s) was actually know as the “Loose Pully”. He did make the point to me at the time that the term "Loose Pully" referred purely to the Chip Shop and not the (Selling Out Shop/Off Licence) as others seem to mention in more recent notes.
Maybe we are being led down the "Salt Pie Steps" with this one! and there were no such thing as a "Salt Pie" as in the edible sense, because Jackie has turned up some old information which is very interesting eg: Salt Pie is an old fashioned term for houses with a roof on one side only, shaped like an old fashioned wooden salt boxes. Also described by an Auctioneer in 1942 as back to back houses without any houses at the back or as back to back houses sawn in half. In dialect dictionaries it states a house slated on one side only.
Loose Pulley Chip Shop with bricked up door and window
Salt Pie Hall
Also of interest is the 1881 Census which clearly shows a SALT PIE HALL somewhere in a close vicinity.
Census showing a “Salt Pie Hall” from within that vicinity
Loose Pully
I have had the name "Loose Pully" referred to me as a old Chip shop or a area at the bottom of "Salt Pie Steps" on Blackburn Road, and also had it referred as a "Selling Out" shop/Off Licence shop which was situated on Blackburn Road at the top of Carr Mill Brow (opposite the "Salt Pie Steps".
It is difficult to establish whether the name "Loose Pully" actually refers to one of the above businesses or to the actual area in general as you will gather from the following descriptions which have been kindly offered to me.
We have two conflicting descriptions which both have very credible possibilities, so for now I will include both and leave it for you to decide. Hopefully we may get some conclusive information at some future date.
(Information given on 1st January 2016 by Barbara Hendry recalling an account given to her many years ago by her neighbour the late Mrs. Mary Chadwick who was a life long nearby resident of 315 Blackburn Road).
"It was called "Loose Pulley" because that was the area where the trams had to change from one set of upper lines to the other, and the pulley had to be moved across"
(Also we have another report kindly offered to me back in 2008 by David Rothwell, which had been offered to him by his Aunt Mary Beech who for many years (1950s) actually owned the Selling Out Shop/Off Licence - known today by many as the "Loose Pully". I think the business today may well be a ladies hairdressers). Her account reads:
"It was named "Loose Pulley" because of the workers on the looms in the weaving shed behind the shop (eg: Carr Mill just at the bottom of Carr Mill Brow), they used to nip into the shop for refreshments from their labours and in order to be able to do this they had to "loose the pulley" belt driving their loom in order to stop it whilst they nipped out"
Mucky Back
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| Mucky Back - Back Beehive Terrace (Click over to enlarge) Photo: kindly contributed by Chris Kirby (from his late dad Mr.Arthur Kirby's archive) |
"Mucky Back" is probably known best as "Back Beehive Terrace" which is accessed from Cross Street North to the rear of the "Old Post Office" which stood on the corner of Blackburn Road and Cross Street North (now a private dwelling but still retains the red post box in the wall), or almost opposite the very first house I had when we got married at 36 Cross Street North. The houses on the rear are four stories. The top two stories usually belonged to the houses which had their access from Blackburn Road (this was also their postal address). But SOME of the bottom couple of stories (NOT ALL) were houses in their own right called "Back Beehive Terrace" which had their own independent entrances and postal addresses.
I presume it got its nickname "Mucky Back", because the area has always looked "very dark and overpowering" as you will gather from the above photograph with plenty of Black Soot grime having covered the backs of these houses over the years, and when you look from the Cross Street North end you see that very "Mucky look appearance".
Skinners Row and Tanpits (Vale Street between Blackburn Road and Cross Street South/North)
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| From the top of these steps heading up towards Blackburn Road is the area known as Skinners Row and the Tanpits (Click over photo to enlarge) the previous "Mucky Back" photo also shows "Skinners Row" towards the middle of the photo |
The area got its name through obvious reasons. It was a area were they tanned the leather etc.
Donkey Row (postal address was Bridge Street,)
Donkey Row (top) shows in situ to surroundings and also photo below shows close up prior to demolition (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: Thanks to Chris Kirby (both photos taken from his late dad Mr. Arthur Kirby's archive)
Opposite the bottom of Delph St/Commerce Street - and crossed over the railway tunnel or the "bonk" better known as North Hag and continued through to Downham's Farm (Sunnyfield), and at one time this track continued onward to Booth's Farm Nr. Caldwells). Today the properties are no longer there and neither is the "North Hag" Bonk having been removed whilst building the current by pass. Although a detoured route was built to still maintain access to the nearby farms etc.
I would has a youngster on my way home from school regularly walk past these houses and over to the Caldwells etc. And would see Donkeys in the pens which were straight across from the above houses, and just from that thought maybe the name came from that perhaps! But I am sure that there will be a more valid reason behind the naming of Donkey Row.
On 20th January 2016 Kathleen Haworth wrote:
My great grandfather lived in Bridge Street (Donkey Row). He was there when they were built. My mum always said it was called "Donkey Row" because the building materials were carried by donkey and cart.
Free Trade Place This was in Carrs
Ranters Row this was Paradise Terrace which was on Blackburn Road, almost opposite the entrance to Regent Street.
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| Shows "Ranters Row" (Paradise Terrace) Blackburn Road (Click over photo to enlarge) |
John Simpson wrote: I'm a bit unsure of the exact name of the society that built it. John Taylor has it down as the Primitve Methodist Sick Society, while an article in the Selling News in 1981 says it was the Peaceable Liberals, who met at the PM chapel. Perhaps the answer is that the Peaceable Liberals were a PM Sick Society. A Ranter being a Primitive Methodist.
Sandpits Bordered by Hazeldene Avenue, Ryefield Avenue and Manchester Road. (Close proximity to the Haslingden Secondary Modern School).
The area which today has the Fire Station and Police Station built on it was well known as "The Sandpits". When I went to the Haslingden Secondary Modern School way back in 1959 the area was a sort of sandy floored "open" area in a almost square shape and you would run across it to the nearby bus shelter which then stood close to where the pelican traffic lights are now.
After Marsden Square had been built on they had annual fairs and also a circus on the "Sandpits". Also it was a area were lots of photos were taken on the Royal Visit. Here below is one of those photos.
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| Crowds of Schoolchildren on the Sandpits to see the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in June of 1913 (Click over to enlarge)  |
This photo have is King Street Methodist walking day in 1953,
but clearly shows the Sandpits between the bus shelter and the school.
Touch and Tek Bentgate
Navvy Row (Park Lane View, Holcombe Road, Helmshore)
How did it get the nickname NAVVY ROW? I am told that these properties once housed the many quarry or reservoir navvies required during the construction etc.
Wedge Row or Coffin Row (Weirfoot - Holcombe Road)
Weirfoot (on Holcombe Road) was commonly called "Wedge Row" or "Coffin Row". Both names refer to its shape, it is narrower at one end than at the other. You would get a better prospective of the shape if you walk up behind "Navvy Row" and looked down upon it.
Hencote Row or Tanpits ("pronounced Hencoyte") (Holcombe Rd opposite Middle Mill the old Airtours building) area also often known by the name "Tanpits"
"Hencote Row" (Holcombe Road opposite Middle Mill (Wavell Mill) (Click over photo to enlarge) - Photo: Robert Wade
Original photo of "Tan Pits"Holcombe Road, Helmshore (Click over Photo to enlarge)
Photo: Unknown
Bowl Alley (Pronounced Bal Ally)
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| A fabulous old photo of Bowl Alley (Click over to enlarge) Photo: Kindly shared to us by Chris Kirby |
Grandstand or Pisspot Row (Holcombe Road, Helmshore)
"Grandstand" or "Pisspot Row" on Holcombe Road (Click over photo to enlarge)
Photo: kindly contributed by Robert Wade
It was nicknamed "Pisspot Row" on account of the poor sanitary arrangements when it was first built.
10th January 2016 Derek Whittaker wrote: On another matter
regarding your “curious names” perhaps the following may help - or maybe
not.
I started work after Xmas
1964 at Porritts and Spencer’s Sunnybank Mill, Helmshore as an apprentice
maintenance electrician. During my couple of years there I used to join in a
football game every lunch time in the “Monkey Hole”. There was a pit in
there where the woollen endless belts manufactured by the mill for the
paper trade were rotated on rollers through a brown, acrid liquid at the bottom
of the pit. I was told that this made the belts more durable and resistant to
the sap that comes from trees in the paper making process.
I was also told that in the
early part of the 20th century every house in Helmshore village near the mill
was provided with a P and S “potty”. A man had the task, with a horse and
cart, of collecting the contents of these potties every day and this was what
was used in the Monkey Hole before chemicals became available. I was wondering
if this would be of help in your research of “Pisspot Row”. Or am I, as
the man and his horse and cart did, merely taking the p***.
Keep up the good work,
Derek
11th January 2016 Michael Mullaney wrote:
A small snippet on the use of urine in the
woollen industry.
Usually the sale of urine was a practice of the
poorer families. For a chamber pot full they could get a couple of
pennies. Obviously there was a needed to have a pot to collect the urine
in, if you were really poor it was said that " they don't have a pot to
piss in".
Michael.
Tommy Nook (Schofield Street, off Holcombe Road)
The street which goes down the side of the old British Legion Club which is officially known as Schofield Street, but nicknamed "Tommy Nook".
Cockroach Row Holcombe Road, Helmshore.
A row of back-to-backs that stood on Holcombe Road next to the junction with the road up to Tor End.
Snig Hole
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| A old postcard showing how Snighole used to be (Click over to enlarge) Postcard kindly shared to us by Robert Wade |
Little Blackpool (Ravenshore)
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| "Little Blackpool" (Ravenshore Viaduct) (Click over photo to enlarge) |
Virgins Row (Heap Clough, Grane)
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| "Virgins Row" Heap Clough, Grane (Click over photo to enlarge) |
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| Virgins Row - Heap Clough - Grane (Click over to enlarge) Taken from a old Bury and District Joint Water Board Map |
Fairy Glen
OTHERS:
Manchester Road was originally called "Albert Street".
Near its junction with Deardengate and Blackburn Road there was a row of houses called Victoria Terrace with a datestone from 1847, I suspect the buildings are still there as part of the shops numbered 2-10, Manchester Road, but the stone is not visible.
Havelock Terrace on Grane Road
The row of terraced houses between the archway at the end of Holden Terrace and Greaves Street. Probably named in honour of Sir Henry Havelock who led the relief of Lucknow in the Indian Mutiny.
Tupenny Brew on Charles Lane
Flash Row Grane Road
Nellies Brew on Spring Lane
Grane - a old "Norse" word GREIN which means a "smaller valley which forks from a larger valley"
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Geoffrey Heap wrote on 12th January 2016
I have been browsing the Baptismal Parish Records for St. James's Church which go back to 1683 and thought you might be interested in a few names of streets, or more likely areas, in and around Haslingden.
I know there has been a bit of interest in "Paghouse" on your site and I spotted a baptism of Elizabeth Duckworth, daughter of George Duckworth, which took place on 3rd April 1687, according to the records, George lived in Paghouse.
The following streets or areas appeared in the records between 1685 and 1747, most of them were repeated many times, often with different spellings, which is not unusual for this period in our history, when most of the participants in baptisms and marriages could not read or write. The officiating vicar or curate, who may not even have been familiar with areas of Haslingden, would have to rely on how words sounded, it was no use asking a bridegroom to spell out even his name, Also, at this time, there were no hard and fast rules regarding correct spelling anyway!
Here we go:-
HELLSHORE is the first intriguing area mentioned in a baptism in 1691, which presumably refers to Helmshore. I thought it was a one off spelling quirk, but Hellshore is repeated many times over the next 150 years, you only start to find the name Helmshore appearing in the mid 19th century.
HENHEADS
COCKHAM
TONBANK
HADDOCKS
EODEM (flaxmosse)
SUNYARD LAW,
GREENHOUSES or GREENHOWSES
GAMBLESIDE
BALLADIN
FRIER HILL
SWINERD LAWSIDE
SCARFOOT
ALLICROSS
BARRACK HEAD near Heap Clough
DEDWEN CLOUGH
KNIGHT HILL
CLOD
TOAD HALL
LOWER COCK HOUSE
PIT HEADS
WINDY HARBOUR
Interesting also to note how spellings of some well know areas have changed, e.g. Grayne, Graine, Grain, Ryssenbridge, Rissenbridge, Dearden Yeat, Bent Yeat.
I personally have no idea where any of the above areas are located, but perhaps some of your readers may be able to pinpoint some of their locations!
Thanks to the following persons who have been kind enough to make such valuable contributions towards this blog so far: Michael Mullaney for his account of Dog Kennel Road and Jackie Ramsbottom for including the old map, Chris Reid and John Edwards for information on Robbers Row.Chris Reid for offering Tupenny Brew (Charles Lane) and Nellies Brew (Spring Lane), Ann Taylor for kindly offering information from her dad Fred Lynsky in regards to Pinch Belly Row, Barbara Hendry (with information given to her by the late Mrs. Mary Chadwick), Jackie Ramsbottom (for bringing it to my attention in regards to the "Salt Pie Hall") and also for researching and finding out the meaning of "Salt Pie", also for map information on Dog Kennel and Henheads, To a old friend the late Harry Wilkinson (who first told me that the old bricked up chip shop was called "Loose Pully" in the 1930s/1940s). David Rothwell for giving a description of his uncles shop which was Dickie Beeches (selling out shop or off licence) and his aunt who quotes the meaning of the "Loose Pulley". Judith Knight for bringing to my attention about "Mucky Back".To Chris Kirby for kindly allowing the use of is dads photo for Mucky Back and the two photos of Donkey Row. John Megan Edwards for Skinners Row and Tanpits suggestions. John Simpson for a list of nicknames and unusual names plus their descriptions which are currently being added which include, Weirfoot, Pisspot, Hencote, Cockroach, Ranters, Havelock, Free Trade Place, Manchester Road, also for information on Ranters Row. Robert Wade for the kind use of his Grandstand and Hencote Row and Robbers Row photos. Dave Wise for bringing up "Tommy Nook" and "Tanpits". Geoff Heap for kindly providing list of names.John McGuire for offering Henheads, Derek Haworth for offering Touch and Tek (Bentgate), Sandra Smith for Flash Row, Other thank you's will be offered here when I include the actual contributors "interesting names". We still have a few more to go at and will be included soon - bit by bit! thanks.
