TODAY we take a stroll down King William Street, Blackburn, to look at its history and the part it has played in the life of the town.

King William IV reigned for just seven years before he was succeeded by his niece Victoria, but when the town planners began to improve Blackburn in the 1830s they named their new street, running from Sudell Cross to the market cross at the top of Church Street, after him.

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Old shops and warehouses centuries old were demolished and the new-look street was described by writers of the time as “the noblest street in the borough, with lofty and elegant buildings”.

It shifted focus away from Church Street, which had grown to be the commercial heart of Blackburn and this was further emphasised when the new market hall was also sited there in 1848.

The scheme included what became Blackburn’s most famous landmark, the 72ft clock tower, designed in an Italian palazzo style, but which was demolished in 1964 to make way for more improvements.

At the top was a golden ball, which, until the 1930s, was raised at noon and dropped at one, to the sound of a cannon firing, to warn workers, who did not have watches, that lunch break was over.

In the early 1870s a fish market was also built, while outside was a large outdoor market, with about 300 stalls.

The next jewel in the King William Street crown was the town hall, built in the 1850s. Lord of the Manor, Joseph Feilden, laid the corner stone and it was opened in 1856 by the mayor, William Hoole.

Over the years it became the centre of town celebrations – Princess Louise visited in 1905 after unveiling the statue of her mother Queen Victoria on the Boulevard. King George V and Queen Mary were the visitors in 1913.

It also took centre stage for the centenary celebrations of its charter of incorporation in 1951. The town hall also had a police station and 18 cells in the basement, as well as a council chamber and large assembly room.

The cotton exchange, opened in 1865, was another noble building; and later, when it became a lecture hall, Charles Dickens is said to have given a reading of his work here.

Next door was an agency for the W H Gregson brewery, which became an office for Grant’s whisky – the only one outside London.

Of course, over the years, King William Street has long been associated with shopping, and maybe you remember some of the many retail outlets that have graced its route.

Do you remember the Booth department store, which also had its own café, Burtons, the Famous Army Stores, the Singer sewing shop and the electricity board showrooms?