Looking back at roads and parks
IN this week’s Memory Lane, we take a look back at the history of the town of Haslingden, which sits next to Rawtenstall in the Valley of Rossendale.
The name Haslingden means ‘valley of the hazels’ and part of the town, together with Rawtenstall and Bacup, was part of the Forest of Blackburnshire during the 13th and 14th centuries.
A market was established in Haslingden in 1676 and the market town quickly grew, becoming a hub of industry during the Industrial Revolution.
In the 18th and 19th centuries cotton and wool mills sprang up, along with weaving factories and weavers’ cottages, where the workers lived. Water mills were developed, followed by steam power.
Another industry which thrived in Haslingden was stone quarrying, with the sandstone – Haslingden Flag – exported across the UK in the 19th century.
Haslingden was made a municipal borough in 1891 and in 1974 became part of the borough of Rossendale. An Anglican parish church, St James’, was built in the 18th century and the East Lancashire Railway built a station in the town, connecting it to Bury and Accrington. The station stayed open to passengers until November 1960 and to goods until November 1964.
In the 1960s, the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society tried to have the station re-opened, but the project was abandoned in favour of reopening the Rawtenstall to Bury line.
Down the decades, Haslingden has been home to a host of notable figures. It was the birthplace of industrialist John Cockerill, who lived from 1790 to 1840, and Irish Republican leader Michael Davitt, who was born in 1846 and died in 1906. Clive Lloyd, West Indies and Lancashire County Cricket Club player, also lived in the town and Indian cricketer Vinoo Mankad played for the town’s Lancashire League cricket team.
Our first image of the week (Picture 1) shows Market Square in Haslingden, while Picture 2 depicts Helmshore Road. Picture 3 is a shot of Flaxmoss Road, and Picture 4 is a wintery image, with snow in the pavements and people wrapped up against the cold. In Picture 5 we see Deardengate, and our final picture (Picture 6) shows Victoria Park.
Do these images bring back memories of Haslingden in years gone by? Please get in touch and share your stories and photographs. Many thanks to all our nostalgia contributors.