*i


The Clitherpe Advertiser Times, December 4. 1964


It will never be the same of


again in the village Low Moor


T HAVE walked through the streets of a dying village. I have seeii the clammy hand of death gripping its wet sweating walls, tormenting its poor uneven roofs, its mouldering woodwork. I have seen the virtual end of, a way of life; the. end almost of a race of people; people


accustomed to touching the forelock as the millowner passes, an insular, defensive people, enveloped In a way of life, a philosophy almost, that has not changed a great deal in a century and a half.


I have seen why it must he, this death of a


village, for there are poor cold little cottages; damp and cold and small and old and worn out and irreparable. There are also bright little homes, with


thick cosy walls and people who have spent


good straight roofs a lifetime among


and the


straight utilitarian streets of Low Moor. People sometimes come here to look at the washing lines


across the street and the little huddled cottages and the great grey rambling mill that gave birth to it all.


Perhaps they think, these people, these pseudo observers,


that it's all a great shame, and that the village and the village houses and the village people should be preserved as some kind of monument to King Cotton, a memento of England’s Bread and Lancashire's Thread and clogs and shawls and five shillings a week wages and toil and sweat and hundreds upon hundreds of life full circles lived out in this unlovely spot.


Or perhaps they think it should all be ripped down and a


bright new red-brick hygienic standardised conglomeration should be put in its place.


to revert to the pastures of two hundred years ago. It is difficult to plan a sensible future for the village, now


that it has outlived its original purpose of providing cheap accommodation for factory workers.


Now there is no logical reason why anyone should live


there, for there is no work in the village. It is Clithcroe's last outpost, clustered densely around a road to nowhere.


DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS The people may be divided roughly into three groups.


There are the old people, who worked in the mill until its failure and who cannot visualise spending their remaining days any­ where else on the face of the earth.


There are a few of the children of these old people, grown


accustomed to living in the village, although their work is a mile away in the town. They like the place because it is familiar and friendly and constant.


feelings for the place; who live here because rents are low - some as low as 5s. 3d. a week—and they are able to save money for a house of their own.


And there arc the young people, who have no sentimental There are some minor groups; “foreigners'1 who live here


for no apparent reason other than the availability of houses; Corporation tenants who live here simply because the Council allocated them a house in the estate on the periphery of the village; and a few shopkeepers who live here because it pays them to do so.


Inseparable from the history of the village is the history of


the Garnett family; the formerly great, wealthy dictatorial dynasty which laid out these streets long before Titus Salt created his model village in Yorkshire.


When the Garnetts prospered the village had a unique


character; it was a place of conforming Nonconformists, work­ ing in the mill six days a week and spending the seventh in the prescribed fashion; three times a day in one or other of the churches, with tight blue suits and gleaming black boots and tea at four o'clock and early to bed to be ready for the mill hooter and the start of another working day.


FRUIT TREES, COBBLED STREETS A fruit tree grew outside every other front door and the


itrccts were cobbled. There was a church and two chapels and a post office and a few shops and Clitheroe was a once-a-week place, or for some almost a once-a-year place.


There were bacon-eaters and a great Low Moor Pig. so


they say. Although most of the villagers were content with their lot,


having known no other, few thought they were in Utopia. There were low wages, and long hours; cheerless cottages with no baths and the wotsit fifty yards away along a muddy path.


Perhaps for some there was boredom, for many rebelled


against the straight-laced conformity and sought their fortunes in distant lands.


The failure of the mill at a time of national depression


brought to Clitheroe one of the most amazing features of its eventful history; the sale of a whole village, lock, stock and barrel. The houses were sold in various lots to different landlords.


The villagers were thrown out of work at a time when there were two men for every job. It was a hungry time, a time full of uncertainly. Elsewhere there were Hunger Marches to London. In Low Moor they carried on marching to church.


Or perhaps they think it should all be pulled down and left


RESIDENTS’ VIEWS


"yiLLAGERS have mixed views on the clearance


proposals. Many have lived in Low Moor all their lives and don't want to sec any changes. Others, however, arc tired


of living in sub-standard con­ ditions, with outside toilets that freeze up every winter, muddy paths outside the front door and leaking roofs. It is time, these people feel, that the houses were ripped down and


d e c e n t alternative


accommodation provided. Gladys Walton, who has


Square. Airs. Ivy Holden, told me she had lived there since the war. “Tvc got used to living


lived in St. Ann's Square for two years, asked me: "How many houses arc there where you have to walk across a road to the toilet ? The house is terribly damp. I'm look­ ing forward to moving into a Council house if they ofTer me one.” Another resident of the


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here.” she said. "It's not the handiest of places to live, what with having only a few shops and having to travel to Clithcroe all the time.” Most of the houses in the


Square have one bedroom and one downstairs room. There is no back door. A different view came from


Miss Helen Garnett, a mem­ ber of the old ruling family, who lives in the beautifully- appointed Caraway Cottage. “Some of these houses are


200 years old,” she said. “They are strong and sturdy and their walls are thick. In fact they will still be standing when some of the houses built to last 60 years have crumbled. “Many of the houses in


Low Moor have modern flush toilets and bathrooms.”


£1,000 SPENT


who had recently spent almost £1,000 making improvements to his house and would have to leave if the Council's pro­ posals went through. Miss Garnett said a great


Miss Garnett told of a man


many of the houses were privately owned and were very nice inside. She wrote to the Council when she heard her own house had been included on the list and the whole row was taken off. "Low Moor has character,”


she declared. “Antiquarians come here specially—people who have never seen washing across the street!” “Low Moor is one big


happy family and I like the people. It used to be better in the old days, though. Then each house used to have a fruit tree at the door.” Village postmistress for 20


years,’ Mrs. Kitty Hall said : “On a selfish basis I don’t want to go. Neither do the old


people. Some of them, near­ ing 80, will be uprooted from a place where they are con­ tent and know the people. I like the village and want to slay. This is a good strong house and 1 don't see why it should have to come down. I am used to Low Moor and the people, and the thought of moving had never entered my head.” The real sadness of the


scheme was brought to light by an interview with Air. and Airs. Thurston Haslcm, who live at 2. Eastford Place. Mr. Haslam is 76 and his


wife 74. They have spent all their married lives in the village, raised a family and now they feel it is too late in life for them to be uprooted. “I’ve got my own bit of


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garden down the village, with a lawn and a swing for the Arldren,” said Mr. Haslam. Nm down there all day some- tides, pottering about. It gi\:s me an interest in life anl the fresh air does me good. If they move me to the oiler end of Clitheroe I'll have to give up all that. All my pals are down here and they'll split us all up if they move us about." “The children like to come


back home to see us,” said Mrs. Haslam. "This has always been home to them


‘and it won't be the same if we have to live in a little bungalow. This is a good solid house with three bedrooms. For the life of me I don’t see why they should knock it down."


THE COUNCILS’ PROPOSALS


ry H E Town Council have proposal that more than 60 houses in Low Moor should be demolished because they arc unfit


for human habitation due to their had arrangement or arc dangerous or injurious to the health of the inhabitants of the area.


Streets in which houses may hare to be demolished are New Row, St. Patti’s Street, Cross Street. Eastford Place, High Street and St. A tin's Square.


If the Council's application is successful a host of outbuildings, garages', an air raid shelter and the old Low Moor primary school will also be swept awav.


Originally a larger number of houses were included in the list, but many have since been removed following objections.


Following clearance, the Council propose to redevelop the urea. The resolution was passed on June 16th of this year and the date for a local inquiry has been provisionally fixed for January \2th.


Keen contest in Brownie games


A . 'BROWNIE OLYMPICS’ was held in Trinity


Schoolroom, Clitheroe, last week when te n t e ams from Clilheroe, Waddington, Whalley and Sabden took part in the annual competi­ tion for the Division Shield. Games involving skill in balancing and ball throwing were interspersed with fishing for semaphore fish and tirsl aid.


Clitheroe. (St. Paul’s) Brownie Pack, and last year's winners, the Second Whatley pack, were runners up. The Second Clith­


Winning team was the Seventh


eroe (Parish Church) pack were a close third. The shield was presented to


head, the Divisional Commis­ sioner. who also gave each of ttie winners a gold medal—in chocolate! Silver and bronze medals were ulso presented. The judges were Mrs. T. White-


the winning pack by Mrs. Westr fa the Sqaave.


side, the County Trainer from Burnley, Mrs. F. Blades the


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