Balderstone
Balderstone maps (2 available)
Map of Lancashire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Lancashire
Personalised maps
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Balderstone books (21 available)
- 1 photos on Balderstone appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Balderstone
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Balderstone and Lancashire
Balderstone memories
Read and share memories of Balderstone and Lancashire inspired by Frith photos
Living there
As a young boy I used to stay at my aunt's house in Commons Lane. It may well be the house pictured? During summer school hols my brother Ken and I were often taken by our 'mam' on the Ribble bus to Mellor Brook, from where we had to walk to get to auntie's house, probably about 3 to 4 miles. The whole outing was someting of an adventure as often we were accompanied by mam's friend(s) and their offspring.
In good weather we could run ahead and play in a small wood until the grown ups caught up. If we were only going for the day the time sped by and the reverse journey could be tiring, and we were ...read more here
Contributed by First name Last name
Lancashire memories
Living there
As a young boy I used to stay at my aunt's house in Commons Lane. It may well be the house pictured? During summer school hols my brother Ken and I were often taken by our 'mam' on the Ribble bus to Mellor Brook, from where we had to walk to get to auntie's house, probably about 3 to 4 miles. The whole outing was someting of an adventure as often we were accompanied by mam's friend(s) and their offspring.
In good weather we could run ahead and play in a small wood until the grown ups caught up. If we were only going for the day the time sped by and the reverse journey could be tiring, and we were ...read more here
A memory of Balderstone contributed by First name Last name
Pheasant Beating
I spent many a Saturday, walking the woods of the tower, beating sticks and making noise.
After a good 8 hours trudging up and down slopes and in the mud, they feed us a bowl of bad stew and beer. There was always a joke about who got the only piece of meat. I was the lucky recipient once, had to eat it quick tho.
I remember all the shooters in the next room having a meal and trying to catch a glimpse of the glamourous life, thru a crack in the door.
Not an old memory yet, but it will be eventually.
A memory of Hoghton contributed by vicky keating
Childhood memories in Blackburn
My first school was St Michaels and All Angels in Whalley New Road. We all had to have our gas masks over our shoulders and hang them up on our own little peg. I can remember we all had school dinners, I don't think we paid, we had no money. Also all the very young children had a sleep for a couple of hours in canvas beds so we had to creep around. My father Harold buck and his friend Edmund kept pigs, so they came after dinner to collect the food that was left over to feed the pigs, they called it pig swill. I used to hide when they came. There was a wall at the bottom of the ...read more here
A memory of Blackburn contributed by bill buck
Extracts From Balderstone & Lancashire books
Balderstone Grange and Balderstone CE Primary School stand on Commons Lane, which eventually joins Higher Commons Lane. In this still mainly rural area, names redolent of the country abound: Pewter House Fold, Smalley Fold, Hubbersty Fold (like ‘booth’, ‘fold’ means a cowhouse or animal pen). Amongst the farms are Sharples Farm and Holmes Farm. Mellor Brook is the nearest village of any size in this well-wooded area.
An extract from from"Lancashire Villages Photographic Memories".
This is how local historian W A Abram described
the Town Hall: ‘The west front, 120 feet wide,
with an elevation of 63 feet, presents the main
entrance in the centre, by three massive arched
doorways. The front is emboldened by Corinthian
columns resting upon a rusticated basement
upholding a broad tablature surmounted by
a perforated parapet’ - an impressive piece of
architecture.
An extract from from"Blackburn Town and City Memories".
The Exchange looks here much as it did when Charles Dickens ascended
its steps to give his reading. The premises on the right advertising Whittle
Springs Ales was W H Gregson’s brewers’ agents, later to become an office
for Grant’s whisky, the only one they had outside Scotland - a tribute to
Blackburn’s fondness for strong liquor. On the left was the Exchange Hotel.
An extract from from"Blackburn Town and City Memories".
Note the change of illumination outside the Town Hall. On the right is
the Exchange Building in its incarnation as the Majestic Cinema. Davy
Crockett is showing, and you could have had a seat in the stalls for one shil-
ling (5p), or in the circle for one shilling and sixpence (7½p).
An extract from from"Blackburn Town and City Memories".
This is the edge
of the rock
gardens, and we
can see one of
the terra-cotta
vases (centre
left). There
were over
two miles of
footpaths in the
park. The sign
on the grass in
the foreground
reads ‘No dogs allowed‘.
An extract from from"Accrington Old and New Photographic Memories".