Estates' names that give a link to the past

DURING the two Wars a number of housing schemes were begun to take the people out of the slum areas of Burnley in places like Hill Top near Church Street, Pickup Croft where the bus station now stands, and Finsley Gate.

These, and later projects, were welcomed with open arms, both by the residents of town and the council. Previously unheard of luxuries such as hot and cold running water, baths and electric lights were then becoming the norm to the ordinary working families.

While these improvements might have been appreciated, these new estates had a darker side.

Many former rural farms, and the fields they worked, were sacrificed for the new housing -- although in some cases the names of these ancient farms live on the name of the housing estate itself.

Take the Hargher Clough Housing Estate, which was begun in 1935 through to around 1938.

Included in the development was the demolition of the 200-year-old Coal Clough Farm.

The farm was originally of about 65 acres extent, and located roughly at the Coal Clough Lane end of Melrose Avenue. It used to belong to the Dugdale family, of Lowerhouse Mills.

It was last used for farming purposes by James Collinge around 1923, and before that his father, Giles, worked the land from around the late 1880s.

After James Collinge moved to Green Nock Farm at Hapton, the land worked by Coal Clough Farm gradually became allotments, hen pens and smallholdings, with just one meadow left, until all these too were wiped away by the housing developments.

The farmhouse was a quaint old building, with walls a full three feet thick, huge tree trunks roughly shaped, formed the roof trusses, and supported a heavy stone flag roof.

In October 1934, just before the new housing scheme was begun, the farm was the home of the Eastwood brothers and their families --- the last residents of Coal Clough Farm before it was demolished.

The Stoops Estate was started around 1927 through to 1938, and takes its name from the Stoops Farm, which was located on Harold Avenue at the Cog Lane end.

A stoop is an upright stone post, and one of the last tenants at Stoops Farm was John Heyworth in 1923.

The council approved the purchase of Stoops Farm in March, 1926, for the site of re-housing. Near the top of Smallshaw Lane, off Accrington Road, was Higher Smallshaw Farm, worked by R and W Ingham in the 1920s. This was shown empty and derelict in February 1976.

A little further over, about where the present day Goldfinch Green is, was the Barclay Hills Farm.

Plane Tree Farm was where the Plane Tree Estate is today, a Plane Tree Close recalls its existence. Also around here, near the Bull Fields, was Hill Top Farm, known also as 'Crossley's' all now built over.

The Plane Tree Estate was started in 1936, through to 1939 with additions in 1965 and 1972.

Woodbine Farm, which gave its name to the Woodbine Estate, was begun round 1947.

It was demolished shortly before, around 1946. It was an ancient farmhouse and probably dated from the 1720-1750s. Attached to the farm was Woodbine Cottage.

The last tenant was John Bickford, and the farm was down Dugdale Road near where it meets Cunningham Grove. A little

further down Padiham Road, and happily still standing, is Lower Close Farm, which is between Stephenson Drive and Lakeland Way.

The fields it worked, however, have been taken by housing to the rear of the farm.

Near here though is Top o' th' Close Farm, which we almost lost, but has now been renovated and saved from destruction in the last few years, and is now a desirable dwelling.

Lower Close Farm, fared somewhat better than Brick House Farm a little further down the road, opposite the entrance to Cornfield Grove. This was probably demolished when the road was widened, and the houses around Cardigan Avenue were built. Fred Howarth was working Brick House Farm though in the mid 1920s.

Whittlefield Farm, and Whittlefield House have now gone -- they were at the bottom of Whittlefield Street, before the Whittlefield district itself was wiped away for the motorway.

The land where both farm and house stood though is still empty just over the canal bridge down the present day Pendle Way. Many may recall that Whittlefield House became the Ponderosa Club around the late 1960s -- it was formerly the home of the Slater's, mill owners, of Clock Tower Mill, Sandygate.

Whittlefield Farm was worked as a pig farm during the 1940s, by Jimmy Bird consequently the nearby canal bridge (not the present one) was always known as 'Piggy Bird's Bridge'.

Happily, Clifton Farm, not too far away, survived the housing schemes and developments, and is now the Malt Shovel Pub.

'Bob' Feather was farmer here for many years. A favourite walk when I was a lad was down a country lane at the bottom of Whittlefield recreation ground, which led to the farm gate at Clifton Farm.

Here we had to turn left through a narrow thorn-lined path that led on to our goal the 'Half Moon Field' or a little further a field to the 'Stepping Stones' down Ightenhill Park Lane.

The boundary wall surrounding the former farm still survives, at least in part but sadly the hawthorn-lined narrow path I wandered as a child has gone.

Nearly always when passing Clifton Farm, we'd get a warning from Bob Feather 'to keep t' footpath or woe betide you' If there was a large gang of youngsters this warning was reinforced by a blast from a shotgun in the air.

I still enjoy the outdoors, but feel very nervy when passing through farmyards, even though there is a right of way -- half expecting a raging shotgun-wielding farmer to come out of the house.

Clifton House was on the far side of Clifton Farm. Another of our old farms that became a pub was the former Pike Hill Farm on Burnley Road at Pike Hill.

This was opened by Kenneth Thornton, who used to work for Massey Brewery in 1981.

Across from Ridge Road on Belvedere Road in the 1930s, a country lane led to Ridge Bottom Farm, near the present day Holcombe Drive, whose fields have now all gone under the new houses.

Higher Primrose Bank Farm was just before the junction with Briercliffe Road on Eastern Avenue, before this area was built

up. This farm was worked by Edward Tattersall in the 1920s.

Far Brunshaw Farm was at the very end of Morse Street, past Brunshaw Infant School. This was purchased by the Co-operative in 1906, and the land off Culshaw Street was built upon for use as a laundry and dairy. This farm has now gone.

Many of these old farmhouses had great deal of history attached to them, and we must be grateful, therefore, in a change of trend. No longer are these old farms and cottages demolished to make for the new, they are, in many cases

renovated and restored into desirable residences, each full of character, and just as important, their past history is preserved for future generations.

Long may this trend continue!