I was born at the crossing on the ICI side of the railway lines at Burn Naze, it was the track the ICI workers used to get to and from work. I was born at my grandmothers house which was bought by the ICI works along with a couple more on that side of the line. Later they built Burn Naze station where the crossing was which has now been demolished. Along Butts Road was the Gas Works with 2 gasometers where at weekends along with other kids with our homemade trucks we bought coke at 5p a bag for our neighbours who used it to mix with coal which was a lot dearer.
At the end of Butts Road joining Heys Street was Butts Farm, farmed by Jim Cartmell whose brother Richard farmed Hill House Farm which is now of course Hill House Works. On Heys Street was St Peter’s Mission , a lovely wooden building with a bell tower, a bell and a tin corrugated roof, where we went to Sunday School. On Sunday when at worship the catholics whose church is 100 yards up the road, used to throw bricks and stones on the roof creating a right racket.
On Fleetwood Road opposite Holmes Road was and still is Holmes Farm, farmed by Holland, on the corner of Holmes Road was an old cottage type used by Mr Wardle for years as a cobblers shop, next door was also an old cottage all demolished and with flats built on now. On the bend of Fleetwood Road where Church Road is was the CO-OP, a drapers, grocers and butchers, now flats, next door (now an Indian Restaurant) was the labour exchange. At the windmill was the blacksmiths, where as a lad who took milk out from Bourne Hall Farm used to take the Shire horses to be shod. The Farm was farmed by Bill and Cecil Cowell who bred Shire horses, now demolished. Opposite the CO-OP was a small house used by the spiritualists for séances, now the playing fields. At the corner of Crabtree Road and Fleetwood Road was a thatched cottage owned by J. Hull, a veg and fruitier, which was burned down in 1937 and a new bungalow was built in its place, the orchard now houses 4 bungalows adjacent to Crabtree Road.
Along the River Wyre at Skippool was what we called the Bone Mill, a big warehouse structure on stilts, brick built, we used to walk underneath where there was a trap door which we went through to play about in the building, it was full of rope nets for it was used regularly by the boats when Skippool was a port. It was demolished after the war. At the top of Holmes Road joining Marsh Road was a lane to the right which went to Town End Farm, farmed by Mr Bradshaw, now a housing estate. On the Fields between the Farm and Fleetwood Road was an old Roman Road about 18 ‘ deep which ended at West Drive. At Springfield Terrace on Fleetwood Road is a track going to the river, it went over the railway lines by a steel bridge, now demolished. Over the bridge between the railway and the river was the Salt Works, derelict but we used to play amongst the old buildings and swim in the brine pond.
Past Springfield Terrace was another Farm, now a caravan site, farmed by the Crookall family. Along the river bank was the ICI dock which was used by the ICI coasters to bring limestone from Wales to make calcium ore. It’s unbelievable that nature has took its course and the only trace of that throwing dock is a few balks of sleepers and some steps.
Anonymous