THE soon-to-be King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra paid a visit to the grand Witton House in Blackburn in 1888.

The former home of the Feilden family stood proudly for more than 150 years before it was pulled down in 1950s.

They were a major landowning and political player in Blackburn and were part of the town's history since the 16th century.

The house replaced an earlier, much older ancestral home with stood beside the Blakewater in Witton Park.

In this picture we can see its owner, Lord of the Manor, Lieutenant-General Feilden, play host in 1888 to the Prince and Princess of Wales, who arrived earlier at Cherry Tree railway station on their visit to Blackburn to lay the foundation stone of the town's technical school.

The royal couple took away with them a pair of clogs on an ebony stand - a gift from the children at Witton School.