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Crosby Blitz Beach - Remains from the city of Liverpool before World War II

Crosby Blitz Beach How did I get here?   In January 2023, I discovered the remains of an old building on the banks of the River Ribble in Penwortham.  I was intrigued.  It wasn't until December 2023 that I discovered what it was.  A member of the Preston Past and Present Facebook group posted some pictures with the description, "Preston Town Hall 1862-1947 R.I.P. built by George Gilbert Scott."  I found it fascinating, so I went back for another look in early 2024.  You can read about it here: The Remains of Preston's Third Town Hall - https://www.mylancs.uk/2024/02/the-remains-of-prestons-third-town-hall.html More recently, I was watching YouTube videos, and went on a journey through some recommendations (thanks to the YouTube algorithms).  On this particular evening, I started with a video about building developments around Liverpool City Centre.  It was created by a gentleman called Aidan, who goes by the handle of  AidanEyewitn...
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The Hidden Viaduct of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

The Hidden Viaduct of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway The Old Railway Line On a personal level, I am familiar with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, or at least the disused sections around Preston and South Ribble.  I used to cross a section near Bamber Bridge on may way to school in the mid nineteen-seventies, and I am sure that there were still a few goods trains pulling loads of oil tankers crossing Brownedge Road (Brownedge Lane) that occasionally stopped us if I'd gone to school on the 113 bus.  Passenger services had long since stopped and when the goods trains had also ceased, the rail company ('British Rail') quite quickly removed the infrastructure.  This was definitely the rails and sleepers, but perhaps not the ballast straight away.  From that point forward, it became the playground of a few of the local children, myself included. Brownedge Level Crossing, Bamber Bridge around 1905 At that point, we often would have adventures in the remains of T...
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Abandoned Houses in Ulnes Walton near Leyland in Lancashire - Low House

Abandoned Houses in Ulnes Walton near Leyland in Lancashire - Low House Strictly speaking, I suppose the word in the title should be 'Buildings' as opposed to 'Houses', however, the main place of interest is 'Low House'.  From a historical point of view, that location seems to have been in existence for an number of centuries.  At this stage, it seems unlikely that the abandoned buildings represent the original property.  Web searches are not revealing any great detail at this point. The journey starts when I began watching urban and historical exploration videos on YouTube.  In the past, I had always been interested in exploring, and finding out more information about the places I had visited.  Watching the videos opened up a number of opportunities to find out about new places.  On this occasion, it was more about the tools and methods of finding 'stuff', as opposed to somebody suggesting a location on a video. I had learned about some old maps hosted ...
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The Preston Guild in the September 1862 Illustrated London News

The following article is a long contemporary report of the Preston Guild Merchant of 1862, one of the most significant civic festivals in Victorian Lancashire. It frames the Guild as a historic institution dating back several centuries, originally formed to protect the rights and privileges of Preston’s freemen and burgesses. Held roughly every twenty years, the “Guild Merchant” was both a ceremonial renewal of civic rights and a major public celebration, combining civic governance, tradition, and large-scale festivity. The piece sets the 1862 Guild against a backdrop of economic hardship and social distress, noting contemporary debate about whether such expensive celebrations were appropriate. Despite this, the Corporation proceeds, partly justifying the event on the basis that it would bring economic benefit through visitors and trade, and potentially contribute to charitable relief funds. The article also reflects on the historical origins of guilds more broadly, tracing them back t...
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