Milestones, Boundary Markers, Historical Artifacts, Street Furniture, lost roads and buildings.

There are many traces of our ancestors scattered around our landscape. Mile Markers and Boundary stones are there too. The Milestone Society believes that there are approximately 9000 left in the United Kingdom. Some are cherished but others are hidden in hedgerows, some have been unwittingly destroyed by crashes, road equipment or even stolen. Roads have been straightened to make them safer. There are old gateposts still left in place, old buildings, and place names that declare an evocative past. The aim is to capture some of this information at least photographically before it disappears.

Although the Fylde Coast does not have ancient history, the Romans apparently struggled to Kirkham. There have been huge changes in the last two centuries from literally a a few fishermans' and agricultural dwellings, to a full blown tourist and light engineering industry.

More historical information can be found here about the Fylde coast.

It also seems that time has marched on and left what appears to be some very respectable buildings... which just should be used, but seem to have no worth.

Links from this Blog

Nearly-Midnight The genealogy website relating to the family. A tangled web of people all related to one another, explore!
Memorials Website dedicated to War Memorials - The majority in the North of England. Visits to churches, but also memorials in out of the way places.
Robert Clark The Father of Henry Martyn-Clark - A missionary out in the North-West Frontier of India. One of the first Europeans to set foot in Afganistan
Affetside Census
A small village north of Bury, Lancashire, I can trace many of my immediate ancesters from there. On the Roman Road, Watling Street
Andrew Martyn-Clark My Father and his part in my World. Also my mother and his parents too.
Henry Martyn-Clark My Great Grandfather, his roots and his achievements. Discusses malaria but also his confrontations with Islam.

Friday 4 November 2011

Bethesda Congregational Church

This is another closed church, destined to never to open again regrettably.
Based in the Revoe area of Blackpoo, much of the property here is fine old red brick housing, but way too expensive to maintain and has now been split into flats or multiple accommodation. I boarded on Grasmere Road as a student. It is very close to the College at Palatine road. There will be pictures from this area added later - it has a fascinating history. I spent some time in the school there and also attended the Kedokwai Judo club above the library. There is a link to the Congegational Federation here. However the pix.

The Church is situated at the corner of Lune Grove and Grasmere Road.  It was built I believe in 1900 and lies on the site of another church. References to the original church can be found here.

This is how the Blackpool Evening Gazette reported it:

A church which helped to bond a community for 90 years has been put up for sale.

Bethesda Church on the junction of Lune Grove and Grasmere Road in Revoe, is owned by Congregational Federation Limited and closed its doors in October(2010) because too much work needed to be done.
Members are now having to attend churchservices at the Day Centre on Ibbison Court while pastor Augusta Gibrill looks for a new church.
Connie Parker, 85, from Lune Grove, says the closing of the church was a traumatic experience.

She said:" It was very upsetting because I have been going past the church for 62 years and you get used to it.

"We couldn't afford to to keep it open because there was no money coming in and and we had to close, but we will rise again somewhere."
" It's a pity that it has to be closed but there are a lot of things that need to be replacing."

Bethesda's pastor saved the church from closure four years ago when she agreed to take on the responsibility of running the church.
Mrs Gibrill is now in charge of finding a new home for the Bethesda congregation.

She told the Gazette: "It was going to cost a lot of money to repair and it breaks our hearts.

" If I was to win the lottery I would buy the church and repair it."
The cost of repairs has been estimated at £152,00 and despite the members trying to raise money and save their church they had to move out. Mrs Gilbrill added:" It's a very sad and they (the congregation) is still grieving.

"It was a very busy community resource and that is why I care. It made me ill when I knew it was going to close down.

"Thepeople were very bitter  and they are still very bitter about it because they felt someone should have kept the church open."

Carol Watson, 67, and her husband Victor, 75, from Grasmere Road have both been members of the church for 2 years. Mrs Watson said:"It meant a lot to me because it was a very loving church and everyone felt at one with each other. Any strangers coming in would not want to leave and when the service finished at 12, we wouldn't leave until half one.
"People help me all they canand other people are always asking what they can do for me."

Mr Watson added:" We feel very upset about this. It was such a lovely fellowship, and there are always people together. We are still together as a church and that is the most important thing."
Congregation Federation Limited declined to comment.
alex.ross


Corner of Lune Grove and Grasmere Road

Lune Grove Entrance

Grasmere Road view

The Top floor
"Primitive Methodist Mission Hall"


The back of the Church showing security gates

The Bricks all have initials cut into them
E.B. E.H. W.S. J.H.

Blackpool Football Club is just in the distance
Looking down Lune Grove towarts the park

More initials D.M.B. T.Y.

The sandstone is worn, I think there was writing on this too,
but the initials still stand out on the bricks.
A.S.E. A.S.C. E.B. K.H. J.H. F.G.jun F.G.Sen E.S.S.
G.S.O. A.M.O. G.B.
There is traces of writing on the sandstone

Mr. & Mrs. F Taylor Junr

Mr & Mrs J.E. Dawson


Mr & Mrs W Sault

Mr & Mrs L. Pearson

The Young Ladies Class
Oct 24th 1934


Rev C.W.Booth & Mrs Booth
Mr & Mrs J Cartmell
Mr & Mrs W.H.Coupe

Mr & Mrs W Malin
Mrs J. S.Fell

Mr & Mrs W Pomfret

Miss M Jackson
The Young Mens Class Oct 24th 1934


It may be possible to get inside this church. It has had guided tours at times.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Lytham Road Health Centre

Yet another NHS facility under the cosh. They always look abandoned and uncared for. This however is showing signs of real wear. It can only be a matter of time before someone gets in and destroys it.

This building was on the site of a building that housed an annex of Blackpool and the Fylde College. I used to go there to do production skills, woodwork, crafting and similar practical crafts. I don;t remeber when those buildings were flattened but it was replaced by this fine health centre. As a family we were registered to a practice on Waterloo Road and when we got the option to move to this building it seemed like a good idea. Later our doctors open a surgery nearer to us and we moved with them. Our doctors are now some of the most senior practicing doctors on the Fylde coast. They have worn considerably better than this building.

The latest bit of scandal concerning the building is shoppers and workers using the carpark as erm... a carpark! seems it not allowed... Nothing like driving the prosperity of the area down.

Shocking weather when I took these pix. Rain on the front filter

From Lytham Road

The side/back

The back - already rubbish

The back also

Plenty of carparking space

The side looking towards Lytham Road

The same side

From the front of the building. Lytham road runs fro left to right.
Right heads to Manchester Square and the Prom. Left leads to Squires gate lane at the Airport.

The front Entrance

From the Front Entrance looking towards Lytham Road

The front again. The bluish building on the right was the old
Lytham Road swimming baths

The same view. Where the newer flats were was the site of a Fire Station

Looking from Lytham Road.
It is a one storey building.

Somehow looks forbidding


Update when something happens! Might be years.......

Sunday 30 October 2011

Wesham Hospital - the new one... or has it now become the old one!

Wesham Hospital was once the oblect of some mirth locally - heavens knows why! However this building is in excellent shape, fully kitted out from what I can see through the windows. Even the grass has been mown - yet to my knowledge has lain empty for at least 18 months.

See what you think; Is this a travesty or what!

Wesham is situated on the inward side of the Fylde Coast - midway between Preston and Blackpool. The nearest town is Kirkham.

There is little description to the pix - pretty self explanatory really

View from the entrance

Main entrance for ambulances etc.








The rear of the building - there is a little garden to sit here