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Originally Posted by Tealeaf
Oh Dear..........It must be that strong German beer on the the brain cells, Darby. The canal tow path runs alonside the coke ovens; it switches to the other side at Church Kirk bridge and stays threre until it reaches Clayton (see the previous attachment on the toffs at the Dunkenhalgh estate)
Until about 1970, the support for the winding engine above the Aspen Colliery shaft was still in place by the coking ovens. This was pulled down and the little canal "inlet or dock" all tidied up about then. Like the warehouse further along, this was a technologically advanced facility for it's time. The coal came up the shaft, into the ovens, then loaded onto barges in the dock an away. Once again, clever stuff.
Some of you may also recall the wooden signals box which stood close by. Again, this was pulled down about 1970, as the signals moved from manual to electronic. The interesting thing about the railway as it crosses from this point towards Rishton is that it appears to be built on a massive embankment across Aspen valley. But it's not an embankment; it's actually a huge wooden viaduct which was filled in with soil sometime around 1900. I've seen piccy's before....it would be nice to have posted on here. Anyone help....Atarah?
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Sorry about that Tealeaf....Of course you are right, and my brain cells are dying a death!!
Remember, I can't pop down at weekends to refresh my memory, and it must be about 30 years since I walked on the canal at that spot!.
From the Piccys that Bazf has posted (we've seen them before on the cotton town site) I notice that the one showing a tram travelling under the railway bridge towards Blackburn, shows that 20 steps hadn't yet been built. I wonder why they were built in the first place? Must have been to connect to a footpath to Hill Street or the Whiteash. Any ideas?.
As for the wooden Railway embankment at Aspen valley. I've seen a photo in one of my little Accrington Books or Ossy Observed book. I can't scan at home (and my books are in Bavaria anyway), so I can only confirm that there was a very long wooden viaduct which is now filled with earth (when was this done?).