Union Street was part of the club house neighbourhood built between 1813 and 1823 by the members of the Bacup Building Society known
locally as the "Club House Society". The owners of these premises formed themselves into a small Town Council who had jurisdiction. Access
to the streets was restricted by the use of cast iron bollards. Before the Market Hall was built Union Street was the area in which the town
market was held and any fairs that came to town were held in this area. At one time at least until the Market Tolls act came into being in 1867
the owners let positions on the street to various stallholders, and others for Saturday Markets and other Fairs fixing and collecting the tolls with
considerable success and financial gain.Whilst these streets were open for pedestrian use they were closed against through traffic for vehicles,
hence the bollards that can be seen in the first photograph and also the one of King Street below. The fact that these roads in the centre of town
were closed off and privately owned was a bone of contention to some on the Town Council of the time
King Street was home to the Bacup Times and Rossendale News offices the Bacup Times being first produced in 1865. The Rossendale Union
Gas Company had their offices are in Lee Street. The company was formed in 1854 by an act of Parliament dated June 1854. Bacup was
originally supplied by Gas by a company of its own. Established in 1835, with a capital of £3000.00 but works and plant were merged at the date
above. In 1896 plans were passed by the town council for the erection of a new Gas office in Lee Street. During the excavations of the old
foundations several large tanks were discovered and were thought to have been used at Tar tanks. The building right next to Lee Chambers ie
the Gas offices better known today as the once Horace's nightclub was Irwell Mill. Built in 1825-1824 by Hargreaves and Hardman the mill ass
seen many changes, Irwell mill was one of the earliest to be built in Bacup for the manufacturing of cotton goods. The mill was bought in 1839 by
Robert Munn and his brother John who already owned Stacksteads mill.
At number 2 Union Street stands the Waterloo Hotel the hotel spans the river Irwell and rumour has it that the name Waterloo has nothing to do
with the battle of the same name but the fact that the toilets perhaps tipped into the river. A small street known as Kershaw Street came next
whilst across the road at number 7 Union Street was the Co-operative stores boot & shoe department which opened in 1881.. In 1865 the prices
of clogs were: Mens Clogs 2/10 per pair, Womans 2/3 per pair Boys 1/10 per pair. Clogging Costs Mens 1/- Boys 10d Women's 11d. A pair of
Mens shoes 4/6 per pair Ladies 3/6 per pair. In 1899 Ladies Button shoes 2/11 per pair Ladies Kid Button and Lace 3/11 to 6/11 per pair. Ladies
High leg lace boots 5/11 per pair. Mens lace boots, light & strong from 4/11 to 9/11.
Temple Court was an area of overcrowded dwelling, and lodging houses also known at one time as " Down The Yard " during the public health
report of 1849 it was stated "In the place called Down The Yard, there is such a scarcity of privies' that the people send their children out into the
open air, and the soil is accumulated in heaps." In 1934 the area came under the town council clearance order by 1939 a compulsory purchase
order had been carried out on properties in the Temple Court area comprising 8, 11 Bright Street, 6, 10 Union Square, 1, 4 Harris St. With
compulsory purchase orders being issued and granted in 1939 and the properties included were 8,20 Kershaw Street and 6,18 Irwell Street, 8
Austin Street and 29 King Street. The areas cleared in Irwell Street would eventually have the new School Clinic built here opening officially in
November 1960 even though it had been in use since February of the same year.
The Munn brothers ran Irwell mill for just over twenty years until it was sold to the Bacup Co otherwise known as the Rossendale Industrial
Society. Directly opposite the gates to Irwell Mill was Irwell Street. Irwell Street and it's surroundings were very much the areas inhabited by the
very poorer or less fortunate folk of Bacup usually in lodging houses of which Irwell street had plenty. A description of one of the lodging houses
is as follows: a 4 roomed house 3 Beds, containing 4 females and 3 males, 4 beds containing 3 females and 4 males. 4 Beds 6 females and 8
males. In this room were 5 persons in 1 bed, in another a man, woman and child. The man says they go out with a basket, but the stock of
matches and tape never exceeds 2s 6d to 3s and sometimes less. 2 Beds , 8 persons , in one a man, wife, and 3 children, and in the other a
woman and 2 sons , one 16 and the other 14 years old. Some of these beds consists of a quantity of straw spread on the floor, and covered with
a rug, and for the use of this wretched accommodation the family of 5 pay 8d. per night, being at the rate of 2d each for adults and 1d for
children. The totals are 4 rooms, 13 beds, and 36 persons. The nearest privvie for folk living in Back Irwell Street pictured right was 170 yards
away at Bank House which was situated near to were Trinity Baptist church is today.
At number 2 Union Street stands the Waterloo Hotel the hotel spans the river Irwell and rumour has it that the name Waterloo has nothing to do
with the battle of the same name but the fact that the toilets perhaps tipped into the river. A small street known as Kershaw Street came next
whilst across the road at number 7 Union Street was the Co-operative stores boot & shoe department which opened in 1881.. In 1865 the prices
of clogs were: Mens Clogs 2/10 per pair, Womans 2/3 per pair Boys 1/10 per pair. Clogging Costs Mens 1/- Boys 10d Women's 11d. A pair of
Mens shoes 4/6 per pair Ladies 3/6 per pair. In 1899 Ladies Button shoes 2/11 per pair Ladies Kid Button and Lace 3/11 to 6/11 per pair. Ladies
High leg lace boots 5/11 per pair. Mens lace boots, light & strong from 4/11 to 9/11.
Temple Court was an area of overcrowded dwelling, and lodging houses also known at one time as " Down The Yard " during the public health
report of 1849 it was stated "In the place called Down The Yard, there is such a scarcity of privies' that the people send their children out into the
open air, and the soil is accumulated in heaps." In 1934 the area came under the town council clearance order by 1939 a compulsory purchase
order had been carried out on properties in the Temple Court area comprising 8, 11 Bright Street, 6, 10 Union Square, 1, 4 Harris St. With
compulsory purchase orders being issued and granted in 1939 and the properties included were 8,20 Kershaw Street and 6,18 Irwell Street, 8
Austin Street and 29 King Street. The areas cleared in Irwell Street would eventually have the new School Clinic built here opening officially in
November 1960 even though it had been in use since February of the same year.
The Munn brothers ran Irwell mill for just over twenty years until it was sold to the Bacup Co otherwise known as the Rossendale Industrial
Society. Directly opposite the gates to Irwell Mill was Irwell Street. Irwell Street and it's surroundings were very much the areas inhabited by the
very poorer or less fortunate folk of Bacup usually in lodging houses of which Irwell street had plenty. A description of one of the lodging houses
is as follows: a 4 roomed house 3 Beds, containing 4 females and 3 males, 4 beds containing 3 females and 4 males. 4 Beds 6 females and 8
males. In this room were 5 persons in 1 bed, in another a man, woman and child. The man says they go out with a basket, but the stock of
matches and tape never exceeds 2s 6d to 3s and sometimes less. 2 Beds , 8 persons , in one a man, wife, and 3 children, and in the other a
woman and 2 sons , one 16 and the other 14 years old. Some of these beds consists of a quantity of straw spread on the floor, and covered with
a rug, and for the use of this wretched accommodation the family of 5 pay 8d. per night, being at the rate of 2d each for adults and 1d for
children. The totals are 4 rooms, 13 beds, and 36 persons. The nearest privvie for folk living in Back Irwell Street pictured right was 170 yards
away at Bank House which was situated near to were Trinity Baptist church is today.
