Here we have a selection of photos from the Derek Woodall Collection
Derek Woodall was a local artist who worked at Accrington and Rossendale College during the time they were based at the Old Grammar School on Bury Road. Derek spent his lunch time taking photos of the area from which he based most of his drawings which he used to exhibit locally. In 2015 he kindly allowed his photos to be copied and used for our Haslingden Memories Exhibition that year. He hopes you enjoy them and that they bring back one or two memories.
"Every time I look at Derek's photo's I shudder with so much pride,
he has without doubt captured many fabulous assets of both Haslingden
and Helmshore in these old photos, and so many of the structures
he portrays have now disappeared,
Yet thanks to him for having the vision and the time
to go out and capture these great images to which we are so grateful,
and hopefully now the photos are placed in perpetuity for the future generations"
thanks Derek from all of us........
Nuttall Street is the little Street near to Prinny Hill which was to the left
of Mrs. Kings bric a brac shop and Danny Rudges Chip Shop
On
the photos posted recently the name of the street to the left of Ridges Chippy
was Nuttall Street. My gran(Elizabeth Beech) and Aunty(Clara Beech) lived at
number 3, the one behind the street light, for many years. As children me
and my sisters spent a lot of time there.This was very poor housing with
shallow stone sink and stone stairs and no hot water.Of course there was no
indoor toilet . The tippler toilet had to be accessed by crossing the street
and going down the back of houses on Blackburn Road and turning right at the
bottom to another small row of houses and a row of shared toilets. The
photograph actually shows the back of the houses but this is the entrance
everybody used. As you walked through past the houses there was a yard which
housed an open lime pit.this is where the kids played( no health and safety
then). I don't know who owned it but there were no gates on it and I don't remember
ever seeing anybody there.
Hartley Street - behind the Public Hall
Lodge belonging to Albert Mill (seen in the background) The Mill
was owned by Porritts and closeby were the mills of Carr Mill to the left
and across from it was Britannia Mill (CWS). I spent many a hour
fishing in that lodge and caught sticklebacks and goldfish
Lower Lane which ran between Hud Rake and Church Street.
Opposite these houses was originally part of the Baxter's Brewery, and much
later was a Cotton Waste Mill, but in
more recent times it is the "West View" properties built on there.
This shows "Booth Street" (Station area) On the very left of the photo is what
was the Railway Hotel and the back gates where they took through the barrells
of beer. It was a Beverleys House. Also on the right you see the upended
railway sleepers which formed the enclosure of the Railway Goods yard.
Top Church - St. James Parish Church overlooking.
This is yet another special photo and shows the sloping backs of the properties -
On the left is what was Station Road,
On the right the properties of Railway Road, and directly in front is what was Delph Street.
The photo will have been taken from up on or near Station Steps. It shows all the little buildings
on the rear of the houses which were the "outside toilets" (tippler toilets) To read more about Tippler Toilets CLICK HERE.
This is the old railway track were the by-pass is built now
This photo shows the area where the Haslingden Commercial Mill and Station Road used to be.
You can also see Delph Street and Booth Street, Robinsons Union Mill. The photo will have been
taken from up on Blackburn Road and not far away from the St. James lychgate.
This photo is again the old railway (prior to by-pass) and shows the backs of
the houses which were in the Mill yard (owned by Robinsons Mill). Just at the start
of the photo on the left hand corner was a small building which was a good yard
office for the railway. You accessed from opposite the bottom of Railway Road. Also
the mill showing half way along is the Brittania Mill (which was the CWS Slipper factory)
This is "Mucky Back" or its correct name is Back Beehive Terrace and runs to the rear of Blackburn Road and is accessed from Cross Street North
Rear of Peel Street overlooking Charles Lane
Alleyway which goes from the top of Grane Road through to Charles Lane
This is the top of Charles Lane, showing the Roebuck and the little shop attached and also the rear of some of the Lower Deardengate properties.
Bowl Alley, Helmshore (pro Bal Ally) No.1 (Click over to enlarge)
Bowl Alley, Helmshore (pronounced Bal Ally) No.2 (Click over to enlarge)
Car Park (Now Market) at Ratcliffe Fold on site of the old Trinity Baptist Church
Car Park No.2 (now Market) at Ratcliffe Fold - originally the site of school (Cockerills) and this front side was were Trinity Baptist Church was (Click over to enlarge)
This is a cracking shot showing the "ginnel" entrance and the
many stone steps leading up to the Back of the Blackburn Road property
whilst below it was a separate house using the lower quarters. Photo
taken from Cross Street North
This one is taken from up near the old railway bridge which was on Hud Hey Road,
and you can see the old railway after the lines and ballast were taken up. Also note the
sleepers for fencing (remnants still there today) Also Hartley's scrap yard and the rear
of Carr Hall Street properties. The late Harry Wilkinson's hen pens were just to the right
behind the bushes.
Back of Blackburn Road and showing the long gone Cross Street South
houses on the right hand side. Photo taken from near to where you head down
on the right to the mills in the bottom Vale, Union, Brittania, Albert etc
This is again to the back of Blackburn Road (near the back of Clifton House) and shows you the
bottom end of Cross Street North on the left hand side and Mucky Back or Back Beehive Terrace
on the Right hand side.
In that same area known as "Skinners" and showing Mucky Back to the right, and the old
placard on the side of "Bob Gardners" (fantastic and well missed grocers- who specialized in
home cured bacons etc)
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Showing the pens and gardens to the back of Blackburn Road, taken from Hud Rake and close by
on the Left hand side of the photo was a shortcut path that leads between Hud Rake and Vale Street
Bus Stop.
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This is another one which is the back to Cross St North/Blackburn Road and to this side
of the parked car is what they call "Vale Street" and at one time was the main thoroughfare
from Blackburn Road to the Mills down in the bottom on the right. The area also was known as
Skinners were once of a day there was a tannery.
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| This is another photo which shows the backs to what were the shops Co-op etc and on the right are the backs to what was Cross Street North |
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| This is where Commercial Mill was and high on the left hand side are the houses of Blackburn Road which were opposite the St. James Lychgate which included Howleys Chemist |
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| Top of Prinny Hill |
