back to home page

Chorley Historical and Archaeological Society
News and Views

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Jan 2021 Feb 2021 Mar 2021 Apr 2021 May 2021 Jun 2021
Jul 2021 Aug 2021 Sep 2021 Oct 2021 Nov 2021 Dec 2021
 
 
oct21
Tue 12 Oct 2021
David Lloyd – Restoration of Bolton’s Last Tram.


Presented by David Lloyd, a member of ‘Bolton 66 Tramcar Trust’, this was a pictorial story of over 120 years of tramcar history in general and of Bolton in particular.
David charted the early horse drawn carriages, set in rails, through to the development, and the improvement, of electric powered units through to their eventual demise in the mid 20th century.

David Lloyd
The sad remains of one such Bolton tram, number 66, were salvaged from a farmer’s field in Belmont by David Shepherd, in the early 1960’s. That was the start of a restoration project by David and a group of enthusiasts, spanning over 20 years. It is a great credit to their technical and practical skills, their vision and resourcefulness that this resulted bringing Bolton ‘66’ back to its former glory.

Bolton's tram in Blackpool.

The tram before restoration.

Moving the tram by low loader.
Following restoration, it was transported to Blackpool in 1981 for a month’s loan. Forty years later ‘66’ continues to carry passengers along the promenade.
David mentioned the trust’s ongoing important work on Manchester’s Heaton Park heritage tramway, which concluded a very interesting talk supported by a wealth of photographs.
==
Bolton Corporation's first electric service ran on the 9th December 1899, and the last horse tram ran on the 1st January 1900.
At its height, the Bolton Corporation system totalled 32.36 miles
Bolton’s last tram stopped running on 29th March 1947.

Comparing the height of the tram and conventional busses.

Bolton Corporation Tram.

Bolton Corporation Tram.

Bolton Tram Conductor.

Great War Conductress.

Bolton's tram network.
P. Robinson.
Sat 02 Oct 2021

On Thu 30th Sep 2021 I visited the Headless Cross Stone at Anderton, Adlington off the A673 Bolton Rd near the Millstone Inn. It is of a great age and an 11th century cross shaft on a modern base, surmounted by a post-medieval guidepost stone.

The Anderton Headless Cross.
The shaft was reputedly found during construction of a local reservoir and re-erected on or near what is believed to be its original site. It is said to have been erected by the first Lord Leverhulme who had it at his Rivington Bungalow. It depicts the bottom part of a figure and the top part was found in the garden of Hollowforth, Woodplumpton, Preston. The occupier, Richard Threlfall (1804-1870) was a collector of such stones. It has now been in the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, since 1980. The Museum is to be closed for refurbishment and I managed to photograph the upper stone last Sat 25th Sep 2021. There is an excellent drawing and account of the cross in ‘Vikings in North West England’ by the late Ben Edwards who died in Feb 2011. I couldn’t resist repositioning photos of the stones and Ben’s illustration. I’ve included a portion of the 1849 showing the location on the wonderfully named Pitcher Poke Lane.

Anderton/Hollowforth Cross (front view).
Top left in the Harris Museum, bottom left on site.

Anderton/Hollowforth Cross (rear view).
Top left in the Harris Museum, bottom left on site.

1848 map showing “Pitcher Poke Lane”
B Harris.
 
 
back to my home page