FLASHBACK: Taking a walk along Blackburn's oldest street...

It is thought that even in its earliest days, when the town was a little hamlet, there would have been dwellings on the banks of the River Blakewater, facing the ancient parish church, which is even mentioned in the Domesday Book.

As such, it has played a major role in the town’s history. Because of its significance in the life and times of Blackburn, it was in Church Street, at its junction with Darwen Street, that the market cross once stood.

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John Paslew, abbot of Whalley, who was executed in 1537, had a town house here – tenements were later built on the site and, much later, Thwaites Arcade with its variety of shopping outlets.

Built in 1883, the arcade used to link Church Street with Lord Street and had some well-known stores along its length.

It was named after Daniel Thwaites, the brewer, who also represented Blackburn as an MP, but was demolished in 1971 to make way for the new shopping centre.

Some of the most prominent men of their time also lived in Church Street, including the Sudell family, who had a house opposite the church gate in the early 18th century, and Henry Feilden, who built a house here, which became the family’s residence in the town.

The rise of the wealth of Blackburn was reflected in the rise of Church Street and rather than a residential street, it grew into a major shopping street, boasting several large hotels.

One was the Bay Horse Hotel, one of the town’s oldest coaching inns, and this was where, from the 1790s, coaches left from for journeys to Manchester.

Its courtyard, where the horses were attended to, adjoined Blackburn mail office.

In 1826 it was commandeered by the Luddite mob in the power loom riots and, it’s said, was drunk dry.

At the junction of Church Street and Salford was the narrow, hump-backed bridge over the river, which was always a bottleneck, but in 1846, when the railway came to Blackburn, the river was covered over.

This was good news for the area and the people who walked and lived there, for in bad weather the river became a torrent, and throughout history people had drowned when the waters burst their banks. The area was improved again in 1881 and a large, open space was created by demolishing both the Bay Horse and the nearby Lord Nelson, which were then re-built some 50 feet from where they had once stood.

The last Bay Horse was demolished in 1963.

Another pub was The Golden Lion, a Dutton’s pub, and wagons used to run a delivery service to Burnley twice a week in the 1820s.

On the corner of Church Street and Darwen Street was The Old Bull Hotel, which backed on to the parish churchyard.

It was one of the town’s most famous hostelries and in the early 19th century mail coaches departed from it daily for destinations all over the country.

In the 1890s the proprietor, Mrs Mitchell, promoted it as both a commercial and family hotel – and guests would be met at the railway station in the hotel’s own carriage.

It was demolished after the Second World War.

On the opposite side of Darwen Street, looking down Church Street, stood the Old Bank, which was built during the cotton riots of 1878.

At the other end, at its corner with Railway Road, was the White Bull and there was a fountain at the junction.

There have been a variety of stores along Church Street over the years, with the art deco Woolworth’s store one of the most distinctive.