Wigan Album

Baldylocks. I seem to remember that this particular area was known locally as Clinker Valley. Is that correct?. If so, was that an official name of this area, and marked on any map, under that name?

Never really heard of it being known as clinker valley.
Isn`t clinker what fell from steam loco firebars as they passed?.

Don`t know about clinker,but i do remember there being a fair amount of sand being dropped on this bit of track,as it slowly leaked from the sand trains that used to be shunted here.

I always understood that was where Clinker Valley was.

As long as I've known it as always been clinker valley. Also I played for spring view at cricket and don't remember taking land to extend playing field.

Owd Viewer.
Last night I was actually parked on this actual very part of the trackbed behind spring view CC (which is now within their ground)
They now use this as their access road & car park to serve their club house.

Think that they extended their area in the late 90s/early 2000s?.

I always remember being told by an "old stager" at work "you're going to clinker valley today" the job was on the row of terraced houses set back from the main road to the left of where this photo was taken. They would once have been in between the 2 former over bridges and embankments on Warrington road, so it makes sense. Bet pegging washing out wasn't much fun with all that clinker flying about!

The row is called Dale Street, Stan - and that, and the adjoining few houses on Warrington Road, was what I was told was known as Clinker Valley.

My fellow compatriots. Three questions.
1. For many years I saw trains travel along the line that went over the bridge between Moss Lane, and Neville Street. They all seemed to be goods trains. Where was their destination?

2. The line that went through the centre of Clinker Valley, adjacent to the cricket ground, this also, only seemed to carry goods traffic. Where did those trains go to?

3. I surmise that the line going over the bridge, not far from Spring View Police Station, is/was the main passenger line to Warrington, Birmingham, and, London?

Moss Lane/ Clinker Valley is the end of Spring View .Under bridge on Warrington Rd is were Platt bridge starts to Byrn Rd / Bickershaw Lane then changes to Abram down to Dovef Lock.

Albert,
1,the line between Moss Lane & Neville Street was once part of the ex LNWR route to Manchester via Tyldsley,but in the final years a short section of it only ran to Bickershaw pit.

2`The line behind the cricket ground (clinker valley) was part of the LNWR Whelley Loop Line (& was used as bypass for freight trains thus avoiding Wigan North Western).

The Whelley Loop Line ran from Bamfurlong Junction To Standish Junction (& closed on the 15th January 1973)after the last up diversions were routed that way.

3`the old bridge (now removed)near to the petrol station & the old police station used to carry the connecting line from Amberswood West Junction to Firtree House Junction,& provided a direct link from the whelley loop line to the St Helens line via Ince Moss Junction.

Is that the bridge/locations that you mean Albert?

Baldylocks, Is that the (original) cricket groud just visible on the right in your pictue ?

Thank you Baldylocks for your info. Once the trains have passed under Taylor's Lane bridge, do they ever cross over Warrington Road, at any point, or does the line deviate to the right. It is years since I travelled by rail. I will discover the answer myself, later this month, when I travel from Preston, to London.

A lad in my class as cardinal Newman always gave his address as clinker valley his name was james mack. He'll be about 61 now, anyone know him or his family?

Yes, I lived next door to the Mack's in Dale Street. There were 6 children in the family, Lynn, Ann, James, John, Keith and Gerrard. Their parents were very nice people and good neighbours to us. We bought our house from Mr Unsworth who lived in one of the houses on the front on Warrington Road. I think he owned a few of those houses at one time. The area was always known as Clinker Valley to me.

Yes Marcus,it is spring view cricket ground.

Baldylocks the Whelley loop was the Lancashire Union Railway.

Yes Alan,you are quite right,the Whelley Loop was indeed originally the Lancashire Union Line,that was later absorbed into the LNWR,The LMSR,& last but not least BR (LMR).

Marilyn before you moved to clincker valley did you live across from king Billy pub in Platt bridge I remember your dad was a milk man.

An interesting comparison may be made by looking at
page 1 of Places/Spring View.

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=5715&gallery=Spring+View&offset=0

Owd viewer
Yes, that's me. My dad was very well known in Platt Bridge as he was the milkman for very many years. Our house opposite the King "Billy" was a tripe shop when I was a child. Don't think many people remember that.

Marilyn when we first came down to platt bridge from spring view in the mid sixtys I seem to remember the front of your house was a betting office.

Owd Viewer, you are right about the betting shop. After the tripe shop closed, the shop was empty for a long time before it was let to Stan Hamer and we lived behind. He eventually bought the whole property when we moved to Clinker Valley in 1969.

Between 1964_68 we mated with Eddie and tony Wynn I think you was friendly with their younger sister we was a little older then you and was friends with your Alison.

Owd viewer, I am the eldest of three sisters and was friends with Tony and Eddie's older sister, Patricia. My youngest sister, Lesley, was nearer in age to Eileen and Alyson is my middle sister but we all knocked about together in Platt Street.

Marilyn l remember the name Lesley but I thought it was Eddies younger sister you got one over me there.One of the houses in your row had a clock do you know which one.

You got me there, Owd Viewer, I don't know of a house with a clock.
Do you remember Jo and David Bevan, Dennis and Derek Linley and Peter and Brian Hayes? They were part of the Platt Street gang.

Marilyn I will have to get my mind back in the 60s on these names so give me time to work on this one.

Marilyn those names don't come to mind the names I can remember are Ann and tommy Taylor Kenyans bamber walls topping not to say they was our Platt bridge gang your Alyson was do you remember any of these names.

Marilyn those names don't come to mind the names I can remember are Ann and tommy Taylor Kenyans bamber walls topping not to say they was our Platt bridge gang your Alyson was do you remember any of these names.

Owd viewer. No I don't know any of these people but that's perhaps because my "playing out" days were in the 50's not 60's. Sounds like I'm a bit older than you. Will ask Alyson if she recalls the names.

Marilyn the names was not in our Platte bridge park gang most of the gang came from spring view.

Dale Street (which consists of only 3 houses),and the 8 terraced houses on Warrington Road, just before Springview Cricket Pitch, is Clinker Valley. Once surrounded by railway lines on both sides and being in a bit of a dip, got the knick name Clinker Valley. Dale Street is actually the first street in Springview and not the last according to St. Mary's Parish records. So Springview starts at the Platt Bridge end, and finish's at the Lower Ince End. So there :)