River Stink

We used to go down to the far end of the car park near the Viaduct and go down to the river and walk along, it came out of a dark concrete tunnel we never went up and the other end where it flowed there always used to be rats, that was towards the cemetery end. I suppose this is the area you are talking about.

At the other end behind the bridge pub, even though it smelt there were trout in there in teh 70's that came down from further up at Warmden Reservoirs which are now drained!

I just keep getting the idea to go into the tunnel end behind the bridge and walk right through to the Arndale Centre side and film it and see what it was like? See if there are any secret doorways into buildings beneath Accrington!
Been through the length of the Hyndburn from Cross St to the bottom of Castle St many times with the Fire Brigade. Before they built that so called new maket there was an entrance in the middle where we could lift a man hole cover and go down from there, the entry was in two stages, with a platform leading down to the river. Theres not much to see, but I suggest you put you wadders on, its deep in places.
Retlaw
 
I just keep getting the idea to go into the tunnel end behind the bridge and walk right through to the Arndale Centre side and film it and see what it was like? See if there are any secret doorways into buildings beneath Accrington!

Further to what I put in a previous post about the culverted part of the river Hyndburn, it starts in Cross St/Grange Lane continues under Cross St, then down Duke St Back, under the Commercial Hotel, across little Blackburn Rd, then under where the clock used to stand at the corner of Peel St for about 50 yards, then it veers left under the outdoor market, across Broadway, under the Arndale and Car park and carries on then fairly straight to the Bull Bridge end.
There are no secret doorways, but there are a number of drains leading into it which can gush there contents out at unexpected times.
What has happened to the entrance that was under the old outdoor market I can't say.
The other part, Woodnook Water that is culverted, runs from behind the old baths in St James St, drops about 12 ft, goes under Paradise St, then under what was the Ritz cinema, turns sharp right down under Grange Lane, then left to meet up with Warmden Water at the end of Cross St.

The reason the Fire Brigade used to train under there was for emergencies, in case some idiot tried to go it alone and had to be rescued.

As Spuggie has said, to venture in there without proper gear is stupid. And there's nowt much to see anyway.

We will probaby read your obit in the Observer.

Retlaw.


 
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The reason the Fire Brigade used to train under there was for emergencies, in case some idiot tried to go it alone and had to be rescued.

As Spuggie has said, to venture in there without proper gear is stupid. And there's nowt much to see anyway.

We will probaby read your obit in the Observer.

Retlaw.

Thank you for posting that.
Lets hope anyone thinking of doing it sees this and takes your advise.
 
Been through the length of the Hyndburn from Cross St to the bottom of Castle St many times with the Fire Brigade. Before they built that so called new maket there was an entrance in the middle where we could lift a man hole cover and go down from there, the entry was in two stages, with a platform leading down to the river. Theres not much to see, but I suggest you put you wadders on, its deep in places.
Retlaw

Thanks for that - but I don't know all the street names. All I recall is the river behind the Bridge Pub were it went into a tunnel then as far as I understood it, it came out at the other end of the carpark in Accy Town Centre out of a very well made concrete tunnel.

I wouldn't actually go down there - it was a mere fantasy. I suppose there are town plans that show the exact course of the river under the town!

It must have been cleaned up these days though and the source of it's name - "Stink" no longer relevant?

We used to fish for trout in the stream from Warmden Reservoirs down passed Broadoak, caught many trout there in the 70's and eaten them - very tasty!
 
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Eh. :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

Retlaw.

The source of the River Hynburn came from Warmden Reservoirs and ran down to Broad Oak Factory's - I don't know if there was another subsidary joining it. But as it ran through the factory's chemical waste was dumped in it some smells like rotten eggs. THis is where the smell came from - I don't know about Rishton probably more was added to it as it went down the river!
 
The source of the River Hynburn came from Warmden Reservoirs and ran down to Broad Oak Factory's - I don't know if there was another subsidary joining it. But as it ran through the factory's chemical waste was dumped in it some smells like rotten eggs. THis is where the smell came from - I don't know about Rishton probably more was added to it as it went down the river!
The sources of the Hyndburn have already been dealt with in http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f66/what-is-the-real-name-for-the-river-stink-2134.html
Besides its main sources of the Warmden and Woodnook Water quite a number of small streams which are no longer visible joined those two both before and after it became the Hyndburn, there is a lot of run off under Water St, from the Coppice lodges. When the floods closed Water St, Avenue Parade and Melbourne St in the sixties, we could hear some of the culverts collapsing.
All the main polution came from Broad Oak Print Works and the Turkey Red at Baxenden, which was diverted round the factory's in Bath St and Victoria St by the big iron pipe kids play on up Priestly Clough.

Retlaw.
 
The sources of the Hyndburn have already been dealt with in http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f66/what-is-the-real-name-for-the-river-stink-2134.html
Besides its main sources of the Warmden and Woodnook Water quite a number of small streams which are no longer visible joined those two both before and after it became the Hyndburn, there is a lot of run off under Water St, from the Coppice lodges. When the floods closed Water St, Avenue Parade and Melbourne St in the sixties, we could hear some of the culverts collapsing.
All the main polution came from Broad Oak Print Works and the Turkey Red at Baxenden, which was diverted round the factory's in Bath St and Victoria St by the big iron pipe kids play on up Priestly Clough.

Retlaw.

Cheers Retlaw...
Yes I realise that Ardenhall stream ran into it there were no trout there ever! Priestly Clough also was troutless and I never caught a fish in that poluted water. But there were plenty of trout in the Broad Oak stream and as I said I caught and ate many of them. There was also trout in the main stream that came off the moors above Oswaldtwistle that would have ended up in the Hynburn!

Eels I wonder if there are any Eels in there, there wern't any in the 70's! Also last time I was up North I noticed that the River Calder at Altham had anglers along it's banks! Back in the 70's I think the Calder was fishless! Due to industrial pollution from various sources!
 
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My dad worked at Threebrooks mill next to Tinker Brook.
During post war rationing he often brought trout home.
He taught my son how to 'tickle' them
 
My dad worked at Threebrooks mill next to Tinker Brook.
During post war rationing he often brought trout home.
He taught my son how to 'tickle' them

I think I tickled trout only a couple of times. Mainly used rods with worms or maggots!
 
My brother and I spent lots of happy hours playing on Nelson Square, Gaty and Milnshaw Parks during the early sixties. Ray used to go down every day for a game of footie.

My Nan used to shout us from the top of Holland Street would you believe and we would run home.

Happy days xx
 
Cheers Retlaw...
Yes I realise that Ardenhall stream ran into it there were no trout there ever! Priestly Clough also was troutless and I never caught a fish in that poluted water. But there were plenty of trout in the Broad Oak stream and as I said I caught and ate many of them. There was also trout in the main stream that came off the moors above Oswaldtwistle that would have ended up in the Hynburn!

Eels I wonder if there are any Eels in there, there wern't any in the 70's! Also last time I was up North I noticed that the River Calder at Altham had anglers along it's banks! Back in the 70's I think the Calder was fishless! Due to industrial pollution from various sources!
There were fish in the twin lodges behind Broad Oak factory, there was also a smaller a smaller pond which we used to catch tiddler in, we called it the breeding pond, there was all sorts of pond wild life in there, but it was dangerous, I once tried to measure the depth of it, it only appeared to be a few inches deep but I couldn't touch the bottom with a 6 ft cane.
When they started to fill the lodges in we went up and collected a gallon of frog spawn, and other creatures and tipped it in the pond in the garden, their off spring come back every year to breed. Don't know where they go during the cold weather, but by the end of March they will be coming back, always from the South, I go out every night around March with a torch looking for them, pick them up and put them in the pond, even found them on our front door step. Usually get between 20 & 30 every year.

Retlaw.
 
There were fish in the twin lodges behind Broad Oak factory, there was also a smaller a smaller pond which we used to catch tiddler in, we called it the breeding pond, there was all sorts of pond wild life in there, but it was dangerous, I once tried to measure the depth of it, it only appeared to be a few inches deep but I couldn't touch the bottom with a 6 ft cane.
When they started to fill the lodges in we went up and collected a gallon of frog spawn, and other creatures and tipped it in the pond in the garden, their off spring come back every year to breed. Don't know where they go during the cold weather, but by the end of March they will be coming back, always from the South, I go out every night around March with a torch looking for them, pick them up and put them in the pond, even found them on our front door step. Usually get between 20 & 30 every year.

Retlaw.

Yeh I remember there were various lodges around Broad Oak. There was the big one next to the sports field, I think you had to have a licence to fish on it. Then there were the two top ones either side of a road, you had to have licence for them as well, that had a few trout in but got fished out and not replaced! one of them and course fish in the others they got drained eventually in the early 80's I don't know why? But then there was a couple of really small ones between Broad Oak and Manchester Road and I remember caught a couple of big perch in there one year, big for the size of the pond. I remember sometimes the frogs came out when there was still snow on the ground up at Ardenhall lodges that was years back now. You must have a big garden to fit 30 frogs in it
 
With all these frogs around, I'm surprised no one has ever opened a French restaurant in Accy.

The french frogs are different species, much bigger legs. I don't know if you can eat the English Common Frog, probably illegal now as there arn't that many left. But you can eat snails...


Gather them up and put them in a sealed bucket with cabbage for about 2 days this cleans them out. You then boil in a pan simmer for a few mins and you have a lovely snail meal!:D
 
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