Photographs from 1967 - Bernard Kellett

In 1967, a book was published called Over the Five Barred Gate. This book was written by George Birtill, a local reporter and historian, and it comprised a collection of photographs of the area where I grew up. I regularly cycled out to see the places depicted and now over 56 years later, I have tried to capture the changes which have occurred by photographing the same scene whilst standing in roughly the same places.

What surprised me the most was that the changes were much less dramatic than I imagined. Very often, if the building or scene still remains, it is largely unchanged. Occasionally, usually due to the building of the M61 in 1969, the scene is completely obliterated. In these cases, the photographs are less useful since the changes are so substantial.

Shaw Brow, Whittle-le-Woods, looking to Waterhouse Green

Radburn Brow, on the border between Brindle and Clayton

Alms houses on Shaw Brow, Whittle-le-Woods

Birchin Lane, Whittle-le-Woods. The building on the left was the Paletot Inn

Moss Lane, Whittle-le-Woods. I lived at the house on the left for my first 23 years

The Lancaster canal (left) and the Leeds-Liverpool canal (right) meet at Whittle Springs

The tower in Springs Lane (now called Dark Lane)

St Chad’s church, South Hill, Whittle-le-Woods

Town Lane, Whittle-le-Woods. I have doubts about whether this is the correct location. Some houses may have been demolished.

The Navigation Inn, Town Lane, Whittle-le-Woods (The bridge was over the Lancaster canal, now filled in)

Denham Hill in the distance beyond the Anchor Inn (Now the Top Lock)

Farmhouse in Lower Copthurst, Whittle-le-Woods

The Lock Keeper’s house, Top Lock, Wheelton

Heapey House (right) the gateway to the moors

Philipson’s Farm, Tithe Barn Lane, Heapey

Mouldy House on Higher House Lane, Heapey

The Railway pub (now a kennels) at the top of Tithe Barn Lane, Heapey

Four lanes meet. Junction of Chapel Lane and Tithe Barn Lane, Heapey.

White Coppice cottages whose gardens reach to the brook, the boundary between Heapey & Anglezarke

Higher Garstang Farm, Chapel Lane, Heapey.

St Joseph’s church, Chapel Fold, Brindle

Denham Hall, once a manor house of Brindle

Post Office at Clayton Green (Old photograph, not from the Five Barred Gate book)

4 replies on “Photographs from 1967”

Hello Bernard, just checking out the website, interesting idea, may do something similar with the Hawkwood Gardens fb page.

Comment option should be on the menu, took me a while find it.

Hi Tony, I’m still finding my way around the concept. Yours is my first comment!
I have plenty more photographs from the ‘Five Barred Gate’ book to add, but it takes a lot longer than I think. Definitely a winter task.

These are wonderful photos. I grew up on Town Lane, moved to Canada in 1963. My mum had the book, Over The Five-Barred Gate and I am so happy to have found this site! Thank you!

Thanks, Barbara, that’s very kind. I’m not sure how much of the site you’ve looked at, but my maternal grandmother was a Cuerden, and my wife grew up on Town lane (no. 122)! See chapter 1 here. https://bernardkellett.co.uk/by-such-things-we-are-formed/

4 replies on “Photographs from 1967”

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