River Stink

Willow, if you stand on the corner of the Aldi carpark nearest the petrol station, with the river on your left then thats Croft Street. You would be looking towards Bradleys Transport garage with Conveyer and Elevators works and I think a tripe/black pudding making place on your left against the river. God the whole of Bull Bridge/Milnshaw Lane/Hyndburn Road has changed since I was a kid...and I`m only 42!!
 
Thanks Uncle Mick.

I remember some of the way that area used to look, the Ambulance Drill Hall, Ken Clegg's TV shop, a blacksmith, The Australian.
 
If I had time today I'd take a photo of the river for you but it's going to be a bit of a hectic day.

Finding the river could be quite a challenge for anyone who doesn't know the town. You'd even be forgiven for thinking we didn't have one. Most of it is underground. I can understand why it was better off hidden in the olden days when it did indeed stink but I think we should make more of a feature of it now and open up the areas where it is still visible - turn it into an attraction.

As for the canal. It doesn't actually come through Accrington but it features in parts of Hyndburn such as Clayton le Moors, Church, Rishton and there are some very pleasant walks along its bank these days. At one time it was full of rubbish and the towpaths were in a right old state but it has been cleaned up a lot. When I worked in Clayton and in Rishton I enjoyed a stroll by the canal in my lunch hour.
 
Hi, two old photos showing the Croft Street area of town. Sorry about quality. This might help people to remember the area.
 

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At last Atarah. Somewhere I recognise. That's the street that leads up to the clock garage. That's the st. where I mentioned in another post we used to come down on our billy carts. Milneshaw st. I had forgotten but now rings like bell. What a ripper. Now all that is familiar territory.:D
 
janet said:
Old grave yard that was opposite the slaughter house on hyndburn road, i think.
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:drink: you are right janet i think they put them in there to eat the grass they say it was nutritional with plenty of body in it,can you remember when someone opened the crypts it was in the local papers.

just wondering how less got to be around here...he..hee!
 
Seeing the photos of milnshaw lane takes me back to my paperlad days for harry pollards whos shop was next door to the bull pub my first round took me up union st then up eagle st and the area round the old baths back to the shop my second bag then ready first delivery up the steps on the right under the bridge about four houses there one of the familys were the deans a biggish family if I remember rightly then under the bridge a row of houses left were aldi is two familys I remember on there brian wriggleswoth who sang in the choir at mary mags church another family jackie hibberts a good footballer who played in the same pioneer works team as my older brother jim my round took me across the round then up some more steps were perrys park someof there cars one of the familys there the jacksons there son alan I knew very well my round went then owenst haywood road aitkin st queens road and my last deliverys was round the wards victoria hospital then dash back home to get into my uniform and on parade with the church lads brigade
 
The Stink had trout in it around Broad Oak works,that was in the 70's coz we used to catch them and eat them.They could be found in that stretch behind the Bridge pub,then the river went under a bridge and I think it was there that a lot of polution was poured into it from the Town Centre by the time it surfaced just at the other side of Accy Car Park near the Viaduct.Anyway the Thames has over 100 species of fish and is very clean now - it looks muddy and that is the way it's been for 1,000's of years,apparently!
 
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Here is pic I took in 1988 of bull bridge. Nice and clean and tidy. Milnshaw and Croft round to the right. I suppose it looks different again now. Castle street gone. etc. I remember a pawn shop in Castle st.
 

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Here are a few more for you
 

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Absolutely enthralling pics for me. Thanks for that Nick. I am just going to have to save up and come back for one last time to see Accy. Don't know when but it'll have to be soon. Last time didn't have much time. This was an area that I used to know like the back of my hand. It had changed when I was here last but I couldn't take it all in:)
 
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