Thorn Inn
 

Hi, been to Church today, took this for any of you Accywebbers living away from the area.
If you look at the immediate right hand side of the pub, anyone know what that extra stonework once was?

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Hi Atarah, Faded memories here and I’m sure our Tea will broaden things out. I recall a smithy and the old pump house that held an old fire cart in its history and a number of cottages. I don’t recall the order other than the cottages didn’t line up with the houses on St James’s. I loved this area around the Kirk and Church Kirk Bridge? Please tell me you went down over the Bridge.

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:drink: before the flats were built,a row of cottages was attached to the pub,probably for the many factorys we had in the area.

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:drink:what a good pic ,what a way of life that must be!3mph along the waterways,what easier way to total chill.

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Lovely piccy Doug...looks positively Pastoral.

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:drink: always fancied having a do at it myself, over the past two three years, we get groups of people in the pub from down south who are up here on a boating holiday.they found out about the stag through good beer guide they all seem to be very friendly people. the thought of young kids of today throwing bricks off the bridges puts me off the idea of going on one.

Re: Thorn Inn
 

Oh your pics do brighten up a dark, dismal winters evening. Only thing that puts me off going on one is the locks. In-laws use to have a boat on the canal, and it scared me every time the locks opened. And i wouldn't even be on the boat.

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You can always get off and walk along the toe path... I must admit that the locks do put me off a bit but I don't think that there is that many on the Leeds - Liverpool. The farm I look after backs on to the canal at Garstang and the family own the rights along the bank on one side, often thought of getting an old boat and doing it up there. I coming over this weekend so I hope to get some Photo's of inside the kirk....

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I used to get off a walk along the bank and meet them at the other side, thing is i used to break out in a sweat thinking that my nearest and dearest was still on the boat. Kids used to laugh at me, they thought it was highly amusing.

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Do they still laugh at you now Sara, hahahahaha

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I know I maybe going away from the Thorn here but these shots are within a good stones throw. The to shots of the farm buildings is Church Kirk Bridge Farm, where we also played as kids, to the right of the Road about 50 yards down the canal is Plowtalgh farm (not Show) the shot down the canal looks towards the back of Masertbar aside the Donkey Back. The last shot is from to other side of the bridge looking towards St James Road.

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Thanks Doug some very nice pictures, that bring back many memories.

Church Kirk Bridge Farm ....I think that use to be (or is on the site of) Ponthalgh. Have a look at

http://rishton.es6.net/web/History/M.../ponthalgh.htm

...I reckon it's somewhere near there or thereabouts.

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Cheers Darby, Plowtalgh farm is about 50 yards down the track that leads right at the bridge between the Hyenburn Brook and the canal. This is a pritty poor shot from behind (looking from Church Kirk Bridge)

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I love the architecture of Church Kirk Bridge Farm. I almost took a photo of that myself a few weeks ago then realised I didn't have my camera at the time. I noticed scaffolding up at the time. Is it being renovated?

Thorn Inn area
 

Here is a very old photo showingn Ponthalgh. Gracious, its so old I cant believe it! Appears to go back to the 1400's!

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When I was a kid it was a Dairy Farm and then it changed to a Chicken Ranch. I believe that Peter Jordan owned it (He was my mate when I was just but 2 years old), and his dad had a bigish chicken allotment just to tehg left of St. James Church, and set back a bit. That was many, many years ago when eggs were difficult to get hold of.

Peter originally lived on Henry Street the moved up to just before the Canal Bridge that you'd photographed.

The farm now seems in a dilapidated state, often wondered what happened to Peter, he must have left the property for it to get in such a condition.

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There may not be many locks on the canal around Accrington, but once you start going towards the Yorkshire border and beyond there are quite a few. For those who want to try boating and not have the inconvenience of any locks I would recommend the Norfolk Broads. No locks at all on there. It is a bit overcrowded with boats, but still a very good holiday for a change. I don't think there is anywhere you are allowed to go more than 7 mph and there are lots of pubs and restaurants along the banks to pull into when thirst or hunger rears its head.

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Sounds wonderful JohnW, very relaxing.

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:drink:the ponthalgh has been renovated by the current owner,and is probably the next oldest building in church apart from the church tower. did you know that the church opens the tower once a year so that people can go top and look around.

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Yes, on Easter Saturday, apparently.

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I never knew that.

How old is the Stag in comparison? That's fairly old isn't it?

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Didn't know that either Staggeringman and i lived in Church for the first 24years of my life. Can you confirm what AB says, is it Easter Sunday? Wouldn't mind visiting it.

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Where about sara?

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Lion St until about 10 then we made the big move to Maden Street.

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Did we go to School together then? - Church Kirk. Miss Hoyle and Mrs Ogan.

Church Kirk opening day.
 

Whether it be Easter Sat or Easter Sun, I reckon we should all meet in the "Tower" then go in the Thorn for a drinkie and a chat! :) What say you Tealeaf?

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I could probably manage the Saturday if I'm not back up on Carnforth (which I probably will be)

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Oh that sounds like a good idea, meeting at the Tower.

Went to Sacred Heart, Doug.

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Right....oh well not to worry......;)

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Locks - if you don't like locks, don't go over to Leeds! There are something like nine locks in a row at Bingley, and they are DEEP!! - I don't mind locks, I usually volunteer to do them (ask me about almost falling into the Thames at Chertsey - SOBER!) but the Bingley ones are horrendous.

We could always do an Accyweb boat trip - but I doubt it would be sober (hope not). Could we organise one via the best pubs?

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Do they still do those trips from Foulridge where you can have a meal on the barge?

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i must know you, I went there.
Think its just clicked, SL?

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the stag is a good few hundred years older than the thorn,the thorn was built in the 18 hundreds,the stag is recorded back to the early 15 hundreds.
guess what ? i went to sacred heart as well!:drink:

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Yep, now you have me wondering.

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I have a feeling that quite a lot of people on this site lived in Church at one time Staggering man, and either went to Sacred Heart or Church Kirk schools.

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i lived in church but went to st, marys on moscow mill st . yes willow they still do the barge trips

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[QUOTE=pendy]Locks - if you don't like locks, don't go over to Leeds! There are something like nine locks in a row at Bingley, and they are DEEP!! - I don't mind locks, I usually volunteer to do them (ask me about almost falling into the Thames at Chertsey - SOBER!) but the Bingley ones are horrendous.

Went to Bingley a few years ago i was terrified, and we weren't even in a boat. Didn't stop long near the canal.

Go on tell us about almost falling into the Thames at Chersey.

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Has anyone been in the Thorn Inn lately ? It is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, new games room, sky sports on large plasma screens, video jukebox etc, and to top it all the beer is reduced in price until 7pm.
It's worth popping in if ever you're in the area. What a good pub !

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No real ale, though.

Until they get that right, that is the pub of last resort in Church.

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Tell me then Tealeaf, where do you go drinking ?

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This building was the farm house known as Park Farm.
I lived in this house from 1950 to 1957.
This photo appears to have been taken a long time before we were there or
a long time after.
When we lived there the walls of the whole building were cement washed every year and it was much cleaner.
The central part of the house was not used.
To the right of the building was the dairy.
It was in fact a dairy farm before being over-run by chickens and left to rot.

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hi i think it used t be a wall all around the pub
thanks jackie

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Thanks for jogging my memories, my friends and I used to fish for minnows under Church Kirk bridge, I loved the view from the bridge too and to wander through the farm fields.

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Question not aimed at me but
I remember the Church Kirk junior school teachers, - Miss Grimshaw, Mrs Hogan, Miss Hope {good at rapping knuckles if you misbehaved!], Miss Hoyle and Mr Chew, not forgetting Mr W.[Billy] Aspden the Headmaster. Also remember the trek to Moorhead school for P.E. Oh. happy days.