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Smithills
Smithills maps
Historic maps of Smithills and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Smithills maps
Smithills photos
We have no photos of Smithills, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Belmont| Bolton| Rivington| Blackrod| Wingates| Turton| Westhoughton| Heath Charnock| Adlington| Darwen| Atherton| Tottington| Hindley| Chorley| Withnell| Walkden
Smithills area books
Displaying 1 of 17 books about Smithills and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Smithills
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Lancashire memories
Windsor Road
We moved to Bromley Cross about 1947 just before my sister Virginia was born, it was a lovely new prefab, but I don't remember much about the inside of it apart from the wood-burning stove, that sticks in my mind for some reason. When it was thundering and lightning Mum would sit with us children on the back step and we would watch as the lightning snaked through the sky. A couple of years later they started to build new houses across the road and my Mum knew the councillor Mr Dart, I think he asked her which one she would like and she told him the one on the corner. That is how we came to live at 32 Windsor Rd.
In those days no-one had central heating, so in the winter it was very cold and we used to sit round the fire which my Dad used to light with scrunched up newspapers and firelighters. The fire heated the hot water for our baths. Mum had green... Read more
Farming in Harwood
We lived at Bury Meadows Farm, Roading Brook Road, Harwood near Bolton Lancs, by the time I'd written that down everybody else had been waiting ages at Bradshaw School. My sister Janet and I had many happy years at Bradshaw School with our cousins, John and Margaret Dewhurst who lived at Springfield on Roading Brook Road. Mr and Mrs Barker ran the school as headteachers. My first teacher was Miss Ivel. I loved school and we used to go to Brownies there. We were both in the Sprites, brave and helpful like the Knights. My friend was Rachel Dover. Because we were farming children we had freedom to roam and we did - all over what is now Harwood Golf Course and beyond. We used to dare to creep up on Alfie Blake and look thru' his farmhouse window. Arnold was our dairyman at Old Holts where my darling Granny - Marian Parker - lived, it was just up the field from our house. Arnold was a really good singer and used... Read more
13 Hardy Mill
My dad was away fighting in the war, so mum and I moved to live with my granny and grandad at 13 Hardy Mill Rd. I remember from about 1945 I had a special friend called Desiree and we used to play across the road where there was a river, many times we got home with our feet wet and got a smack for it. My granny was very strict , she had to be, she had brought up 10 children on just a policeman's wage, grandad was the local bobby and granny used to take in washing from the local butcher to supplement his wage. When she said to do something you did it, no arguing.
Dad must have been home on leave at some time as I had a baby brother born in 1943, he died when he was 10 mths old of convulsions. Dad never got to see him.
Harwood was a fairly quiet neighbourhood, not many people had cars in those days, but the little... Read more
MY TURTON AND EDGWORTH ANCESTORS - 1730
MY PATERNAL ANCESTORS CAME FROM TURTON AND QUARLTON, AS WELL AS SURROUNDING AREAS.
JAMES GARTSIDE OF TURTON MARRIED JANE ISHERWOOD OF QUARLTON AT BOLTON PARISH CHURCH OF ST PETER IN 1730.
THEY HAD AT LEAST 2 CHILDREN:
ELIZABETH/BETTY WHO MARRIED ARTHUR KAY IN 1750 AT ST PETER'S.
JOHN WHO MARRIED 1. AN ALICE (4 CHILDREN) AND 2. BETTY BROOKS (ABOUT 6 CHILDREN.)
THE DESCENDANTS OF JAMES AND JANE WERE ALL FARMERS AND WEAVERS AROUND TURTON.
CAROLYN WILSON. 11TH MAY, 2007
Childhood in Affetside
Born at Baxterhead Farm in 1938, later lived at Butcherhead Farm. Attended village school, teacher Miss Davies, at playtime end she would blow a cuckoo whistle. Had to go to Sunday school but had to walk to Hawkshaw with my sister to church. Cars were a very rare sight, there was a bus every hour, it started from 200 yards up from the Pack Horse Inn next to the village shop, which was called Mynas, or you could walk down to the Bulls Head at the bottom of Watling Street and catch the Ribble bus to Tottington where I went with my mum to the Co-op. I used to walk to Tottinton on Saturday morning to go to the Palace cinema for the children's matinee, Roy Rogers, 'Flash Gordan' I remenber was the serial, always leaving you in suspense. The cinema has long gone and is now the health centre. Christmas 1944 a flying bomb landed across the road, destroying houses and killing 7 people, it was the talk of... Read more
Be The First to Add A Memory of Aspull Looks Like me Then!
I can't refuse to be the first at anything especialy if it comes to this, so here goes. From being born to about the age of twenty five all my memories are Aspull, I'd never be able to fit them all in here. Short synopsis though, went to Aspull C of E then Aspull Secondary Mod. School, various jobs after leaving; the most lucrative - though the hardest work, being at Harveys bakery in New Springs - fond memories there! Travelled the world since then but for me the best place in all the world is where I feel so lucky and privileged to have been born - God bless ASPULL !!!! Anyroad up, I'm looking forward to an entry from any other Aspullers who stumble on this site and hope I know you or you me or woteva - get it done then.....
Aspull Born And Bred.
I was born in Bolton Road, Aspull. I started at St Elizabeth's School when I was four and a half. Didn't have far to travel - just cross the road (no cars then) and walk 10 yards and I was there. First day was with my gas-mask slung across my chest in its little cardboard box. Mr Hesketh was the Headmaster who lived in the School House attached to the School. I was in Miss Heaton's reception class.
When I was five I moved across the classroom to join the Infants. From there I moved to Miss Gregory's classroom. A dab hand with the board-duster if you got an ink-blot on your book.
Then when I moved up I was taught by Miss Higham (who lived next door to us), and then by Mr Hesketh. I passed the Scholarship and went to Upholland Grammar School. Headmaster Mr Maggs, Senior Mistress Miss Goode.
From there I went to Teacher Training College, and spent the next 32 years teaching, with three very... Read more
