Monkey steps
 

Suppose quite a few of you dont know where these are? Still used today, if you are a brave person! Its a short cut from Manchester Road to the top of Adelaide Street, so if you were going to the college, you could use this route, but .... you have to be a brave person in this day and age! :) This view is taken looking down towards Manchester Road. You can vaguely make out North Lancs Training Building, which of course used to be The Tramway Public House.

I did'nt know they were there. Next time i go to oak hill park i will have a wander up.

It looks like a nice place to make a TV advertisement for chocolate.

I know i'm going to regret asking this but, WHY? T.

It just does. Look at how many TV adverts you see on Telly where there's usually a young bloke chasing a young lass up some steps just like in our piccy above. usually set in Italy....it can be adverising anything from chocolate to cars. There's usually a church in the background, maybe a few priests & a few old dears.

Why can't we have the same advert shot in Accy? (Other than the fact we're pulling all the Church's down to build Mosques)

Carefull tealeaf, remember what happened to killroy? lol.

He's been here?

O'h my word T! what are we going to do with you?

Monkey Steps
 

This is the view you will recognize Janet. If you were on the side of the Hargreaves Arms Pub, and was about to turn to where the Ambulance Station is, thats where you will find them.

Can you imagine staggering out of the Hargreaves after 10 pints or so & trying to get up them steps.....no wonder they put the ambulance station nearby!

Atarah, is that near the row of elevated houses?

Do they still call them "The Monkey Steps"?, well after all this time it seems that the old place hasn't changed that much. I used to live in Adelaide Street as a kid and we used to play in the monkey steps but I haven't been up there for at least 40 years. I wonder if anyone has any memories about that area in the 60s, if you have then you will probably know me, Everyone called me Ernest then, I hated it.

Monkey steps
 

Hi Janet, yes, after the Hargreaves Arms public house, you then pass the elevated row called Bank Terrace (built 1834), the oldest elevated terrace in Accrington. Then you will find the steps!

Adelaide Street
 

Hi Ernie, I have always been told that one of the houses in Adelaide Street, about half way up, was haunted. Ever heard any stories about it?

I lived at number 14 which was my Grandma's house with my Mum, Dad, and Grandma and I cannot say that I have heard anything about a haunted house on the street, maybe it was a story that has started since I left in 1964.

Thanks atarah, will have a look at it when weather gets better.

it's only last year since i rode my bike down the old monkey steps... i used to go that way on the walk home from school .. hollins high.... if we walked down through oak hill park back in the late seventies....:dogrun:

We used to cut through the monkey steps on our way to school ( woodnook Sec )

Re: Monkey steps
 

There can't be many threads which have gone on for as long as this one has. Started in January 2004 and active over 8yrs later.

Re: Monkey steps
 

That was one of my route's home from school on many days back in the days...:rolleyes::hothothot

Re: Monkey steps
 

Used to use the monkey steps to deliver papers every morning and night. Delivered for Sugdens on Plantation St and had one paper to Dr McGloughlins? just before Oakhill park gates. Don,t ask me how I remembered his name after 55 years. Didn,t the path come out on Sandy Lane by the "air raid" shelter?

Re: Monkey steps
 

Just been smiling to myself as to how things change. This thread was started in 2004 and mentions using the Monkey Steps as a quick way to the college. Of course that doesnt apply now, because the main college entrance is now just around the corner, past the entrance to the steps and in on Broad Oak Road. Also the Hargreaves Arms pub was mentioned. This of course is now known as Grant's.

Re: Monkey steps
 

The path came out behind the rear of Greensills dentists, and the loading area for the toffee works and Adelaide St back, it then led into the top of Adelaide St, the drive way into Highams was then on your right, don't remember any air raid shelter in that area.

Re: Monkey steps
 

This brings back memories I used to go that way to school 56 to 60!

Re: Monkey steps
 

How's that for ideal locating ? :D

Re: Monkey steps
 

The air raid shelter is still there - it's at the bottom of one of my neighbour's garden on Queen Elizabeth Crescent. You can still see the entrance to it from Adelaide Street, it's a bricked-up former door in his garden wall. From what he's told me it seems that it was a communal shelter for local residents built by the owners of Bank house.

Re: Monkey steps
 

Went to have a looksee, seems the door in the wall has been restored back to its original state, couldn't get a photo, bloody cars parked on the kerb. Going round the back of Adelaide St, things have changed, part of the old toffee works has been knocked down for some reason, and the rear of Greensills has changed too. Its now over 65 years since I last went round there.

Re: Monkey steps
 

The "air raid shelter" as I remember, was at the fork in the road at the top of Adalaide st. as the road branched left in to Sandy Lane, the right branch going to the Monkey steps.