Horwich

 Horwich is a small town about 5 miles northwest of Bolton that sprung to prominence at the end of the nineteenth century, when the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway built their workshops here.

To quote Wiki.

In 1881 the population of 3,761 lived in 900 houses and had remained stable for fifty years. The arrival of the railway works and other industries, including W.T. Taylor's cotton mill, was to dramatically change this. A rapid increase in population followed, so that by 1891 it stood at 12,850.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was one of the biggest railway companies before WW1. They built the works in Horwich in 1886, and the first building was Rivington House, the only bit still standing, albeit in a truncated state.

During WW2 it was used to make about 500 tanks, but the site closed in 1983, after not quite a century. A marker stands at the entrance to the site, next to the war memorial.


A short branch off the railway from Manchester to Preston led to a station At Horwich, the works being then a branch off that. The bridge where Chorley New Road (the A673) crossed the railway is still there. this is the view south along where the rail ran, towards the main line. The works was to the left.

Looking the other way, towards where the station was, this image shows the bridge, and beyond it Winter Hill.


The hill to the left has a small tower on it. This is Rivington Pike Tower, which featured in an earlier post.

The town lies northwest of the works. This is the corner of Chorley New Road and Winter Hey Lane. The centre of the town is a triangle formed of these two roads and Chorley Old Road.


The Market Tavern, and again you can see the Pennines in the gap.


This was the tram depot. It says Bolton Corporation Car Shed on the main buildings, and Waiting Room at the side.


On the other side of the road is Our Lady's RC Church, and associated school.


This is Beeley's, previously the Toll Bar Inn, built mid-nineteenth century. The new name honours a previous landlady.


Just across the road, on the corner of Chorley New Road and Chorley Old Road, is the Crown. This was the starting point of this blog post.


Heading now east along Chorley Old Road (at this point Lee Lane), there is the Old Original Bay Horse, said to date to 1777. 


Further along on the other side, the Bowling Green. It was built in the late 1840s, and is named for the bowling green behind it.


Lee Lane Congregational Chapel looks in very good condition, though it was built in 1854 - and the chapel as an institution was founded in 1672.


The public hall, built 1878.


Independent Methodist Chapel, built 1867.

Another Independent Methodist Chapel, built 1906.


Opposite is the Victoria and Albert, originally the Albert Arms, built mid 1800s. Curiously someone else was taking pictures of it too.


This is probably the most significant area for shops.


In the middle of the shops is the Saddle, built 1850s.


This is the crossroads where Winter Hey Land meets Chorley Old Road. The building on the corner was Nat West bank.


On the opposite corner... This was 17th of November, and already Christmas decorations.


This is where the station mentioned earlier was. Full disclosure: I took the following photos over a year ago on another visit, hence the sky is suddenly all grey.


On the other side, the Bridge Hotel.


The road continues east into another section of Horwich that is a little more attractive.


The Rivington pub, originally the Black Bull, was built around 1775.


Finally, at the top of the hill, Holy Trinity, Horwich Parish Church.











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