Darwen Heritage Weekend 2015
Darwen Heritage Sites Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th September 2015.
Brambles East School, formerly Woodlands - home of the Yates family
Address, Woodlands, Holly Tree Close, BB32WG
Saturday 12th September opening times: 10am till 1pm. Refreshments in
dining Hall – tour of building. Contact: Paul Bolton 01254 706600
Central United Reformed Church (Duckworth Street) Duckworth
Street BB31AT
Saturday 12th September opening times 10am till 12noon Refreshments and
tour of church – archives – war memorial and family history research.
Contact John East 01254 771957
Spring Vale Methodist, Watery Lane BB32ET
Saturday 12th September 10am till 3pm. Refreshments. History of church
dating from 1874 with various archives and memorabilia.
Contact: David Foster 07730405645
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, Sudell Road, BB32HD
At Darwen Aldridge Community Academy visitors will be able to view displays
of different areas of Darwen, for example, Redearth Road Methodist War
Memorial and history of the church. These displays will contain photographs
and information on that particular area and any key events that happened,
especially those that affected the local people. On offer will also be a history
walk around Darwen with Local History Society Leader Sandra Law and for
children there will be quizzes, drawing and colouring competitions. Open
Saturday 12th September 1pm-4pm. Refreshments available, no need to book.
Contact: Sandra Law email Sandra@ntlworld.com or Natalie Shorrock 01254
819500
Lower Chapel URC (Congregational) Chapels, BB30EE
Friday 11th till Sunday 13th – Refreshments 10am-4pm all days
Weaving loom – 1804 square piano – 1890 Harmonium – 1750 Service –
Heritage talk – children’s activities – Lower Chapel Congregational War
memorial - graveyard tour – traditional Morris Dancers
Contact: Simon Huggill 01254 704029
Darwen Library (Friends of Darwen Library) Knott Street,
BB33BU
Friday 11th to Saturday 12th – bring and share old photographs of Darwen –
Family/Community history in reference library support – TV screen archives of
old Darwen plus information of Friends of Darwen Library.
Friday 11th September: 1.45pm “Beginning your family history research” a talk
by Tony Foster
Friday 11th September at 11.15am -12noon - History of India Mill – Exterior
tour led by Harold Heys – base of India Mill Chimney (limited parking)
Saturday 12th Tour of Darwen Library at 11am and its History led Mary Painter
from BwD Library Service.
Saturday 12th 1.45pm “Researching your WW1 ancestors” a talk by Tony
Foster
Contact: Kath Farnworth 01254482758
Ashleigh Primary School, former Spring Bank Secondary
Modern, Ross Street, BB32JT
Thursday 10th September 9.30am-11.30am and 1.30pm-3.30pm. Refreshments
in dining hall plus tour and history of the school.
Contact: Ian Matthews. 01254 703171
Darwen Vale High School, former Darwen Grammar School,
Blackburn Road, BB30AL
Saturday 12th 9am-1pm Archives on show plus tour of school if required.
Contact: Cathy Kenyon Tel 01254223000
Tockholes United Reformed Church (Congregational) Chapel
Lane, BB3OLY
Saturday 12th 2pm-4.30pm Tour of Chapel and grave yards – war memorialsarchives and light refreshments.
Contact: Marian Isherwood Tel 01254 772733
Tockholes, St. Stephens, Rock Lane, BB3OLY
Saturday and Sunday 12th and 13th 11am-3pm – Family grave search via
computer records. Books for sale:- Tockholes A Walker’s Guide; Following On
(An update of Tockholes U.R.C. history); Lest We Forget (Short biographies of
the men who gave their lives in WWI and who are commemorated on
headstones in St. Stephen’s graveyard).
Refreshments: cakes and sandwiches.
Contact: Judith Jacklin 01254 771367
Bold Venture Park (Bold Venture Park supporters Group) Bold
Venture Park Scout Hut, formerly Ashton Kiosk tea rooms,
Manor Road, BB32SN
Saturday & Sunday 12th/13th 12noon till 5pm
Vintage Darwen Bus will leave Darwen Boundary at 1pm and pick up
passengers on way via A666 – Darwen Circus and Manor Road via various
heritage sites in Darwen. Free but donations welcome. Bus will return leaving
at 3pm.
Open Ashton Kiosk for afternoon Victorian tea. Display heritage photographs
of the park. Nature trail and photographs competition.
Contact: Harry Duxbury 01254 701899 e mail hduxbury@aol.com
Darwen Market and Darwen Town Hall, Croft Street,
BB31BG
Tour and history of Town Hall, Market, Cellars and Council Chambers – Civic
quiz – Refreshments of cake and coffee/tea. Friday 11th 10-11am and 1-2pm
Contact: Judith Harrison 01254 222128
Darwen Rotary Club (Lego Darwen Tower) Darwen Market
BB31BG
Friday 11th September at 11am the inauguration of the building of a replica
Darwen Tower in LEGO will commence in the presence of a representative of
the Lancashire Lord Lieutenant, the Deputy Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen
and the local MP Jake Berry. The individual bricks will be sold to raise money
for local and Rotary charities. It is to commemorate the reign of Queen
Elizabeth II exceeding that of Queen Victoria and the heritage of the Tower.”
Contact: John Jacklin 01254 771367
St. Peter’s Church, Church Street, Darwen. BB33HE
Saturday 12th 10am-3pm Tour of Church Tower and church, war memorials,
records and archives. Light refreshments available.
Contact: Diane Mitchell 01254 703929
St. Paul’s Churchyard Hoddlesden, Johnston New Road,
Hoddlesden BB33NH
Display of old photographs, Tours of War Graves and other memorial features.
Historical information and local history leaflets available.
Saturday 12th 10.30am-3pm and Sunday 1.30pm-3pm.
Contact: Annette Topping 01254706130
Sacred Heart, Catholic Church, 370 Blackburn Road, Darwen
BB30AA and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 149 Bolton Road,
Darwen, BB32PG
Open: Sacred Heart – Thursday 10th 10.30am-noon & St. Joseph’s Friday 11th
10.30am-noon
War memorials, and tour of church – light refreshments
Contact: Conrad Mckee, 01254 702525
Friends of Darwen Cemetery - (Western Cemetery) Bolton
Road, Darwen, BB2 2SL.
Sunday 13th September - Tour of Commonwealth War Graves with “Gallipoli”
theme by Tony Foster, Starts at 2pm from the Whitehall Community Building
in Whitehall Road, BB32LH. The Vintage Darwen Bus will pick passengers up
from Darwen Boundary from 1pm. via A666 and tour various important
heritage sites in Darwen, calling at Darwen Circus and Darwen Cemetery. It
will return passengers to Darwen Boundary leaving at 4pm. Cost of bus – free
– donations very welcome. History of Darwen Cemetery, various Walking
guides to Darwen Cemetery. Display of Friends of Darwen Cemetery Heritage
Lottery Bid.
Contact: Peter Van Dijk, FODC Secretary, e mail
secretary@darwencemetery.co.uk 07885595189
Blackburn & Darwen Brass Band, Darwen Town Hall, BB31BG
Sunday 13th from 12noon – 7pm
Blackburn & Darwen Bands with the support of Darwen Town Council are
holding a brass band March & Hymn Tune concert outside Darwen Town Hall.
The event will be free to all members of the public and it is anticipated that
there will be around 20 participating bands of all abilities in total. The event is
to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the band’s existence in Darwen.
Contact: Alan Thomas 01254 692559 or 077545339549
St Cuthbert’s CE Church, Blackburn Road, Darwen, BB31QJ
Friday 11th September 2-4pm and Saturday 12th September 10am-4pm.
Guided tours of clock tower, performances of the church choir and organist,
exhibition of old photographs and info of the churches history, info on the the
newly restored East Window plus refreshments.
Contact: Claire Marsden Tel 01254 704704 and mobile 07731 333203