Ginnels, Alleys, Snickets. (Call them what you will.)

[David Whipp]

A preoccupation with ginnels has overcome me this last few years (and whether I should be calling them ginnels - or alleys - or snickets - or just paths).

It began when a Walmsgate resident asked if the ginnel (alley, snicket or path; GASP? or just stick to ginnel?) that runs from Parrock Street to The Butts could be resurfaced.

A simple job, thought I. The path was in a poor way, it's an adopted highway; just ask the county council to repair it.

Job done? Oh no.

"It's a highway, but it's not a highway path," I was told. "You'll have to get Countryside Access (at Pendle) to repair it," they said.

"Tom, please can you repair this path?" I asked Tom Partridge of the Countryside Access team.

"Sorry, we've not got enough budget to do all the stile repairs and rural footpath work, never mind ginnels in towns, " said Tom.

So began a campaign to get some TLC for these urban ginnels (which had a repair backlog of several hundreds of thousands of pounds in Pendle alone). Eventually this led to a £10,000 a year budget from the county council's Lancashire Local funding for such work in Pendle. Matched with money from Pendle Council's area committee and Barnoldswick Town Council, this allowed the start of what was to have been a ten year Urban Ginnel Programme to put them in good repair across Pendle.

In Barlick, Forty Steps was the first ginnel tackled under the programme, with setts relaid and regrouted. In the following years, several more followed in Barnoldswick. In time, Parrock Street to The Butts was resurfaced.

However, after I lost my seat on the county council, the LCC funding for Urban Ginnels dried up, though the town and borough council were still willing to contribute to schemes.

Partly in an attempt to keep the issue alive, I began a modern tradition of having a 'Ginnel Gather' where, once a year, people are encouraged to walk Barnoldswick's ginnels (alleys, snickets or paths...) following a route taking in as many as possible.

To produce the pamphlet for the Ginnel Gather, I took lots of pictures.

This topic is for posts of those pictures. I'll not label them, so you can guess where they are (some will be obvious, others perhaps obscure). Give me a mo to upload the first one, and I'll get started...

[David Whipp]

[Tizer]

A Ginnel Gather, what a brilliant idea, David, and I look forward to the pictures. Living as I do in a far distant place I miss the many ginnels (snickets etc) of the north. Our village does have one such path but it's known as The Twist - and it's straight!

[PanBiker]

Esp Lane to Colne Road behind Club Row or Townhead whichever name takes your fancy.

[David Whipp]

Ian's got the right location on this one.

The surface underneath the bitmac and concrete just off Esp Lane intrigues me; it looks like it's proper cobbles (rather than quarried setts). Could this be the remnants of very old surfacing?

[Stanley]

Almost certainly water worn cobbles out of the beck, very common in old yards. Can I add one?

[David Whipp]

Snap!



If I'm taking pictures that are going to be used to promote Barlick in some way, I try and get them on a lovely sunny day... t'sun olus shines in Barlick, tha knows.

[Bruff]

That looks like the one down to King Street to me......

Always known as 'ginnels' in our house. we had 'the ginnel' at the top of North Street/bottom of James Street that went up to Castle View. Ran up that ginnel many a time to Mrs Brown's for a pint of milk as we'd run out. Bit of open space through the ginnel was where the bonfire would be held each year for the neighbourhood.

I recall another ginnel would take you from this land to Manchester Road. I think this might now be gated. There was also a ginnel half way up James Street on your left up towards the Demain's place, and access to the back of the terrace there (name of terrace escapes me)

Richard Broughton

[David Whipp]

Thanks Richard.

Spot on with the location; between Philip Street and King Street.

Last year, when BBC Bang Goes The Theory crew came to film in Barlick (mainly on the Town Square), they asked if there was an 'alley' nearby to film part of the sequence. I led them to this handy 'alley' but it wasn't what they wanted at all; their idea of an alley appeared to be a street...

I'm sure Richard's other remembered ginnels will feature in future photos. Although the path through to Manchester Road is indeed gated, the route is recorded on the definitive map as a public right of way thanks to the late Dorothy Carthy who collected evidence of use and put a claim in for it to be added to the map.

There's no route now from half way up James Street to the back street of Essie Terrace (and Crawfoot Row) though.

[Bruff]

My dad always said the ginnel down to Manchester Road there was a right-of-way and told me to use it whenever I fancied, gate or not. I guess the ginnel by Essie Terrace (thanks for the reminder of the name) went when the land with the old 'barn' on it there was developed? That ginnel always went up quote: 'the side o' Maud's' after the lady who lived in the end house on Essie in my time.

My great-grandfather built James Street. The top house is slightly different to the others inside I was led to understand, as his 'mark' .

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

The ginnels and short cuts are essential to our local history and should be fought for (Like Dorothy Carthy did) They are often remnants of a more important road, like the one up the back of the Squatter’s Hovel in Walmsgate which was once the main route up through Barlick from the ford via the side of Bethesda and Philip Street. I like the funny little one from Manchester Road into the back road up to the Park.

[David Whipp]

I'll avoid the temptation to picture a ginnel that someone had just mentioned. This well used one must be the shortest in Barlick?

[Stanley]

Back of Rainhall Road centre on to Rainhall Road.

[Stanley]

[David Whipp]

Stanley's right, mine's the one at the top of Ellis Street.

Stanley's picture looks like it predates the installation of lights in the ginnel (which were sorted out a few years ago).

[PanBiker]

Stanley's is on Hill Street.

[Bruff]

Where's Hill Street?

I intially thought King Street, that one that takes you to the back of a few but there is access both sides at the end of the ginnel it seems so it's not that one. Thinking about it, the one on King Street might not be a ginnel as it is simply an access route to the back of a few cottages with no through route. Is a ginnel a through route? Are there 'rule's on these things?

Richard Broughton

[PanBiker]

Hill Street is between Railway Street and Bank Street. Stanley lives on East Hill Street which is the row behind.

Not sure about any rules for ginnels and snickets or what constitutes.

[Cathy]

Picture 4 look and feels very familiar, just checking with Marilyn. Will let you know.

[David Whipp]

Is a ginnel a through route? Are there 'rule's on these things?

My own 'rule' for the Ginnel Gather is that the routes should be accepted public paths (rather than private ways with limited rights of access for particular householders).

The one pictured by Stanley runs through the back to backs on Hill Street to the communal yards for the properties, which are on East Hill Street (Hill Street runs between Wellhouse Street and Bank Street). The path will have been originally used by people on Hill Street to get to their toilets and outside storage.

In this case, I suspect that 20 years+ unfettered usage has established it as a public right of way, even if the original builders didn't intend it to be.

[Cathy]

When looking at Pic 4 it reminded me of coming out of Rainhall Rd (school) and going into Ellis Street to visit grandparents at lunch time or after school. Marilyn thinks that there is (was ?) an iron bollard near it. Is it the same spot??

[David Whipp]

That's right Cathy.

As pictured, the wall to the left of the ginnel surrounds what was the school yard; the high fencing helped stop balls going out of the yard.

The school closed in 2001 due to falling pupil numbers in the area. The first question the county council asked was could they knock it down and sell it for development... after a lot of years putting a scheme together and finding funding we opened it as the Rainhall Centre. Part of the building now houses small businesses, with the old hall used for performances and as a general meeting room etc. It's where I help run the cinema two weekends a month.

[Cathy]

Oh thank you David, you're reply is much appreciated.
I remember it from my 1st yr of schooling. I would have been 7yrs old (1963) with my elder brother and sister and visiting my grandparents home on Ellis St after coming out of school. Marilyn also confirms it after her visits to Barlick over the last few years and checking out all the places that I told her I remembered. Wonderful stuff

[David Whipp]

I hope people aren't ODing on ginnels...

Cathy, do you remember if Doris Riding was a teacher at the school then?

[Cathy]

Only name I remember was a Mrs Cowgill (my elder sisters teacher)
But I do remember having to wait for the milk to defrost on the radiators/heaters, haha.