Welcome to Accrington's Town Trail, an enjoyable and easy walk through the town centre area passing many places of historic interest.

Like many towns in the north west, Accrington owed much of its growth and prosperity to the development of the textile industry - a fact reflected in the town's architecture.

Accrington's greatest development took place during the 19th century, growing rapidly from a small village of 3000 people in 1801 to 10,000 by the middle of the century.  By 1911 it had been transformed into an industrial town of some 45,000 inhabitants.

The Town Trail begins outside the Town Hall.  In 1858 - the year Queen Victoria was proclaimed Soverign of India - this magnificent building was erected as a memorial to Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel.  Peel, who's forebearers lived at Peel Fold, Oswaldtwistle, is best remembered as the founder of the modern day police force.

The Peel family were the most extensive landowners in the district, and a major employer in the area too.  Following the death of Sir Robert in 1850, a fund was opened and a total of £1056 was raised in his name.  The money was incorporated into a company called The Peel Institution, Market and Baths Company.  With the aid of a mortgage, the company raised around £11,000 which was enough to build the Town Hall; or as it was then known, The Peel Institute.  The ambitious plans for market and baths were later to be abandoned.

The building was originally leased to the Mechanics Institution for social and educational purposes, before coming the Town Hall when Accrington was granted its charter as a Borough in 1878.  The first Mayor was John Emanuel Lightfoot.  His portrait now hangs above the stairs in the library.

From the early 1860s a court room was also housed here, complete with a dock leading down to a holding cell.

Although the main Council offices are located in more modern buildings, the Town Hall is still used today for meetings of the Council and civic functions.  Concerts, tea dances and other social events take place in the ballroom and the ground floor houses the excellent Tourist Information Centre.

Crossing into St James Street and turning right into Willow Street you will see the former Mechanics Institution on the left.

The Institution moved here in 1878, after its 20 years stay in the Town Hall.  The Institution provided the town's first permanent education centre and remained in use until 1981 when declining membership and cost of upkeep led to its closure.

Today the building houses the Register Office on the ground floor, whilst the upper floor provides an extension to the reference department of the adjacent public library.

Continuing along Willow Street, the splendid row of buildings on the right was originally built as houses and was converted into offices at the turn of the twentieth century.

Reaching the end of Willow Street, turn left into Eagle Street.  The construction of the LIberal Club in 1885 provided billiard and assembly rooms indoors and a bowling green to the rear.  Accrington, previously part of North East Lancashire constituency, was mainly Liberal from 1880 to 1910.   From 1937 to 1973 this was the home of Accrington Arts Club.

As if to emphasise the commercial importance of this part of the tour, the former Manchester and Liverpool Bank, next door to the Liberal Club, still bears the original stained glass 'Bank' engraved windows and the coats of arms of Manchester and Liverpool carved in stone.

Turning left into Cannon Street you can see the former Conservative club on the right.

The building was built in 1891, and was one of the largest in the country with a ballroom which could comfortably hold 1000 people.  The adjoining Victorian houses are now in use as offices for the legal and financial professions.

To your left is Cannon Street Baptist Church, opened in March 1874 at a cost of £12,000.  All the money for the construction came from collections and fund raising events.

A left into St James Street will put you in front of the Gothic House.

Latterly the Council's Tourist Information Centre and before that education offices, this originally was the home of one of Accrington's characters.  Charles 'Torney' Hall was a 19th century solicitor of considerable repute, and judging from the elegance of his abode, clearly a successful practitioner of law!

Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919),who emigrated to America in 1848, made millions through his iron works.  Much of this wealth was spent on providing free libraries and educational and charitable institutions.

Accrington's Carnegie Library on your left is one such example.

Built at a cost of £10,000 in 1907, its magnificent entrance features busts of Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, Scott and Dante.

On the opposite side of St James Street, set in its landscaped churchyard, is the town's original parish church, St James'.

Founded in 1546, it was originally a chapel of ease for Altham Parish Church.  Rebuilt in 1763 and further extended in 1828, it becasme a parish church in 1870.

In 1897 the tower and belfry were restored and the bells rehung.  A sundial near the porch bears the initials of Rev. Edward Rushton and his wife, Phoebe, who donated it in 1718.

Memorials to the Peel family and Thomas Hargreaves are to be found in the church, as are the colours of the famous Accrington Pals.

Over the years this splendid building has witnessed many aspects of the town's life both noteworthy and norotious.  In 1834 an outbreak of body snatching was reported at the church - and the culprits on more than one occasion got disturbed and flung the bodies over the nearest wall and make a speedy exit!

The path round the church takes you down a few steps to Church Street Gardens.  If the weather's fine, a good spot to sit for a while and gather your thoughts.  You're probably sitting in what was the public bar of the Bay Horse Hotel, one of Accrington's oldest inns.  the rear of the building carried the date 1751, but it is possible that a hotel was on that site from 1642.  It ceased to be a pub in 1920 and the building collapsed in 1959.

Turning left along Church Street our next port of call is the Victorian Arcade on the right hand side.

Built in 1896 by Edmund Riley, this was one of the first shopping arcades of its kind in the country and is now a Grade II listed building.  Originally intended as a theatre, the presence of the fast flowing River Hyndburn under its foundations made this an unsafe proposition and an arcade to provide 'shopping in the dry' was agreed upon.

Walk through the arcade into Warner Street and you will find one of the oldest areas of Accrington.

The street was built in 1821 by the Hargreaves of Oak Hill, so they could easily make their way to St James Church, and ws Accrington's first paved road.

Across the street to the right you will see the Warners Arms.

Dating from 1830, the town's stocks once stood next to the Warners Arms.  Turn left up Warner Street, now part of the town centre conservation area.

This street used to be lined with homes for the Hargreaves family's workers from the Broad Oak printworks.  Broad Oak achieved worldwide fame for calico printing and is now known for the discovery of polyester in the early days
of World War Two.

Turn right at the top of Warner Street into Abbey Street.

The town's main thoroughfare dating back to 1790, when it was built as part of the Clitheroe to Manchester turnpike road.  Cattle markets and fares were also held here until the beginning of the century.

Now home to some delightful specialist shops, originally there were 12 inns and beerhouses along its length.  Several of these are still going strong today, including the Swan, Duke of Wellington, Arden Inn and Black Horse.

Continuing up Abbey Street, Black Abbey Street is on the right.

Black Abbey Street is part of Abbey Grange, where monks from Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds, had a farm in the 13th century.

When the first stage coach service ran through here in 1815 from Manchester to Clitheroe, the Red Lion Hotel - now 104 Abbey Street - was a popular coaching inn.

This hotel was the scene of social gatherings before the Peel Institution - such as a dinner celebrating the Coronation of King George IV.  It was also the site of meetings of the Anti-Corn League.

Turn around here and go back along Abbey Street.

Walking back down Abbey Street make a note of the Black Horse Hotel.  In 1878, a new town football team was formed known locally as Th'Owd Reds.  They, along with their neighbours Burnley, were invited to be one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888.  The team was to be the forerunner to the famous Accrington Stanley.

After passing the Blackburn Road junction, the shop at the corner of Queen Street was the office of Charles 'Torney' Hall, of Gothic House.

The architecture of these two buildings is very similar.

Take your next left into infant street.  The infant school of St James church once stood here.  turn left at the bottom of infant street and walk along the bus station.  This is Peel Street, built by the Peel family as a route from their home at Accrington House to St James Church.

You then come to Ogden's Jewellers.

Originally the Cash Clothing Company and, until 1962, Lloyds Bank.

To the right you will see one of the oldest market halls in Lancashire.

Built in 1869 at an estimated cost of £6500, and still retaining its cast
iron roof and galleries.

Before you conclude your trip, have a walk through the hall.  Take particular note of the carved farm animals, poultry and game on the front and sides of the building, together with the market clock.  The clock was first set in November 1871.

Now you're back at the Town Hall where you started the walk.  Hopefully you'll have enjoyed this virtual tour - if you feel like doing the real thing (which I'm sure will be even more fun!) print out the PDF file and take it with you.

Download: Acorn Trail (PDF)