Gate - Page 3

WillowTheWhisp · 27-09-2004, 21:13

I'm going to have to climb up a cupboard tomorrow to hunt out some documents which may help shed a bit more light on this. I'm intrigued.

Acrylic-bob · 27-09-2004, 21:24

So am I. Get your crampons on girl!

WillowTheWhisp · 28-09-2004, 11:14

I've just been down the road (in the rain again!) and find the area around this gate very interesting.

As you can see, the wall further along seems to be of much earlier construction. Also, just inside the gate there is a curious semi-circular building. Any idea what that is and why it is that shape? I've also homed in on a funny little thing which sticks out of the wall there.

And then there is the curious case of the two back streets, divided by a wall (which you can't really see very well on this photograph) one of which is higher than the other.

I'm also curious about Rowland Street itself because the bright brick built houses seem so incongruous.

Right - off up the cupboard now to fish out some old documents.

Acrylic-bob · 28-09-2004, 17:19

Looking at the 1845 map it looks as though the wall between the backs of Richmond Hill Street and Higher Antley Street is the remains of a field boundary which is clearly shown on the map and also on the later 1891 map. This could account for the lack of kerbstones on the Higher Antley side of the wall.
At the end of the end of the block, at the junction of Richmond Street and Richmond Hill Street, is an area enclosed by a red brick wall. This was the site, in 1845, of a house called "Priest Heys". The land does not appear to have been built on since then, I wonder why?

WillowTheWhisp · 28-09-2004, 17:59

Perhaps no-one knows who currently owns that land?

From what I can make of the documents from my cupboard it appears that the houses currently known as 123, 125, 127 & 129 Willows Lane (same side as the photos above, where Ormerod St meets Willows Lane) were originally numbered 119, 121, 123 & 125. I only have record of those 4 houses so I'm not sure how many more this affected.

They were built in 1900 but somewhere between November 1901 and December 1902 the numbers were changed. I had thought they were only changed by one number but now I see that they actually moved up by two. So sometime in that 13 month or so period two more houses were added lower down Willows Lane and presumably all those further up had their numbers changed.

The land originally belonged to the Church of England with ground rent payable to the church. On December 12th 1902 Rev Percival Saben, vicar of St. Peter's purchased 129 (the corner house) but his address was St. Peter's Vicarage which must have been the house next to the church (built 1899) which doesn't feature on your 1891 map.

Unless any of the owners have subsequently purchased the leasehold the ground rent is currently payable to Diocese of Blackburn.

Acrylic-bob · 28-09-2004, 19:29

There is a patch of empty land at the junction of Perth Street and Willows Lane facing the Vicarage. there are Garages on it now. When I was a Schoolboy I remember passing there every day and noticing that there were stone steps leading up to houses that had been demolished. I seem to remember doors too.

WillowTheWhisp · 28-09-2004, 20:02

Interesting you should mention that. I don't remember having seen any houses on that land and today Busman asked me if anything had ever been built there and I said "No" because I thought it had only ever had the garages on.

Acrylic-bob · 28-09-2004, 20:32

The houses faced Willows Lane and there were Garages behind them. The ruins were there until 1969-70. I think they were cleared shortly after that date.

Ifty · 28-09-2004, 23:44

You wonder if that house with gate was vicars house once. Have you asked the church vicar today? Today he has a new house near Bullough Park. Why move away from next to the church so now he has to travel to work?

WillowTheWhisp · 29-09-2004, 06:32

I'm not sure he would know, but it's an interesting thought. Lol @ "he has to travel to work" At least the petrol crisis shouldn't affect his journey.

Atarah · 29-09-2004, 08:25

Well A-B, you have certainly got yourself a "good posting" here, eh? Most intriguing! Unfortunately I am not familiar with this area of town, so am learning a lot here!
I certainly intend to have a nosey around this weekend. The houses in Rowland Street, as WillowTheWisp mentions are certainly of a different brick. It appears there used to be a brick works in that area of town - THE HIGHER ANTLEY BRICK WORKS, started by the Pickup family in 1855. The site occupied by bungalows in Willows Lane. The quarry was filled and landscaped. The houses in ROWLAND STREET were built 1878-80 by this firm.
There used to be an old hall in that area "Priest Heys" also known as "Tewitt Hall", but dont know much about it.

WillowTheWhisp · 29-09-2004, 08:38

Mention of Tewitt Hall led me to this

http://www.accringtoncc.co.uk/history/early_days.html

The grounds must have been large enough to play cricket!

Acrylic-bob · 29-09-2004, 09:57

So it seems from the link that the land around Priest Heys/Tewitt Hall was redeveloped in 1859. However, it seems odd that they should want to play cricket on what is one of the steepest slopes in Accrington. I thought that cricket demanded a "level playing field".

WillowTheWhisp · 29-09-2004, 10:20

It does seem the oddest choice of location doesn't it? I wonder if there could be some misinterpretation somewhere and in actual fact Tewitt Hall was justwhere they had committee meetings or something and actually played elsewhere?

WillowTheWhisp · 29-09-2004, 10:55

Cancel that theory because there do seem to be records of actual games having been played there!!!