Arrival of the Iron Road
The Railway reaches Blackburn
Blackburn's development as an industrial centre brought about many improvements in its communications with other regional, national and even international markets. The boom in cotton manufacture saw a huge increase in raw materials and finished goods being moved in and out of the town. Transport improvements were a product of this commercial growth, going on to help sustain it.
In the mid 18th century, the turnpike roads had been adequate for transporting the relatively small amounts of material produced by local handloom weavers. By the turn of the 19th century, Blackburn's first cotton factories could despatch bulk loads on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal (completed in 1810), and were receiving raw cotton along with coal for their steam engines by the same means. Indeed, the canal influenced the location of many new mills along its banks.
However, the opening of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830 ushered in a new period of growth for industrial Britain. Towns all across the country were caught up in the 'Railway Mania' of the 1840s - it was only a matter of time before Blackburn was swept along with it. As early as 1840, a meeting was held by local landowners and industrialists on the possibility of building a railway to Preston, but it was dismissed as being 'impracticable'. The idea was revived in 1844, this time leading to the formation of the Blackburn and Preston Railway Company. The line was planned to link with the North Union Railway at Farington Junction, and included the immense 116 feet high, three-arched viaduct at Hoghton Bottoms.
As an active member of Blackburn's business community, Charles Tiplady was keen to be involved in the promotion and development of the railway from the very beginning, recognising the great benefits that improved communications with the outside world would bring to the town. He also had an eye on his own personal prosperity, purchasing shares in local railway companies. Tiplady's first experience of railway travel was in May 1844 when he travelled to London from Chester:
'SOME PARTICULARS OF A JOURNEY TO LONDON' - 24th May to 3rd June 1844
The Proprietor of the London & Birmingham Railway having agreed to allow a Holiday Trip at a low rate, I availed myself of the opportunity of once more visiting London in company with Thos. Whittaker and John Ball, Glazier. The fare up and down was £2.'
'Refreshments were provided at the Queen's Hotel, Birmingham and at a place named Wolverton. The first was a dear place, the other modest, but dear or cheap the travellers, amounting to some hundreds, 'ere too glad to obtain any refreshment after the fatigue of an 150 mile journey to dispute the price of the viands.'
'No sooner had the Great Steam Engine ceased his Herculean Labour of taking 800 to 1000 beings a distance of 200 miles and safely deposited them in the Station House, than were to be seen some scores of Cabs, Chaises and 'Buses, waiting to convey the motley group of strangers to the extremest parts of the four corners of the Metropolis.'
No doubt impressed by the Herculean Labour of the Great Steam Engine, Tiplady was eager to see the new Blackburn to Preston line opened. From the cutting of the first sod in August 1844, the line took less than two years to complete, being officially opened on June 1st 1846 at the cost of £160,000. According to the Blackburn Standard, the first departure was witnessed by 'thousands who crowded round the station, lined the road for a considerable distance, filled the windows and doors of adjoining houses, topped the walls and nearest bridges from which a view of the train could be obtained', going on to describe the opening as 'one of the most important events for Blackburn that has ever happened'. Tiplady agreed, and being lucky enough to travel on the first train he wrote that
'On this day a new era in the History of Blackburn commenced by the formal opening of the Blackburn & Preston Railway line. The concourse of people witnessing the same was great and it was truly gratifying to witness the splendid appearance of the line, carriages etc. I went down to Farington-and was highly gratified with the trip.'
It was with evident delight that he noted 'My first parcel by the above Railway came to me on Tuesday 2nd June 1846'. Proof indeed that the speed of communications had been irreversibly improved.
The new railway station was seen as a great asset to the town, being built in the Italian style by local contractors Stones & Hacking. Its site on wasteland at Stoneybutts led to the development of the Boulevard. The Blackburn & Preston Company was soon absorbed by the larger East Lancashire Railway, whose headquarters were at Bury. However, it was not long before a rival company arrived to steal the ELR's thunder - and their railway station, the grandly titled Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe & West Yorkshire Railway (known as the 'Bolton Company') planned to connect Blackburn to Manchester via Darwen and Bolton. An extension of the line would continue north-east to Clitheroe and Hellifield.
Tiplady was a prominent (and vocal) shareholder of the Bolton Company and quickly became entangled in a mud-slinging contest with the East Lancashire Railway in the pages of the local press. The ELR, jealously guarding its status as Blackburn's 'first' railway, was reluctant to allow the Bolton Company use of its lines and station, except on the payment of an exorbitant toll. They claimed that their station was too small for two companies. Inevitably, the Bolton Company proposed building their own independent station on Bolton Road, prompting the East Lancashire to change their tune and offer to share their accommodation - they wanted to have their cake and eat it. In the pages of the Preston Guardian Tiplady railed against the ELR's awkwardness:
'the strong determination of the [Bolton Company] shareholders is that rather than submit to be crushed by the heel of the East Lancashire Railway, they would have an independent station. If the present station house is too small for one company, by what process of reasoning can these simple people persuade themselves or the public that it is sufficient for two lines, one of which will be a direct line from Manchester, the commercial metropolis of the north?'
So, within three years of a railway being first mooted in the town, Blackburn found itself with two competing stations. Ironically both companies were absorbed by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in 1859, the first chairman of which was Blackburn's inaugural mayor, William Henry Hornby Esq.
Part of the novelty of these early railways was the opportunity they gave local people to make grand journeys to hitherto remote holiday destinations. The railway companies capitalised on this by introducing seasonal 'cheap trips'. The following extract from Tiplady's diary describes a journey he made to York and is particularly notable for the number of carriages that were added to the train as it progressed on its way, a practice that was later banned on the grounds of safety:
'Journey to York, Leeds & Harrogate, May 13th, 14th & 15th 1851
Having a strong desire to visit York I took advantage of a cheap trip (11s.6d. 2nd Class there and back) from Blackburn on Tuesday 13th. There was a great Race to take place that day between the 'Flying Dutchman' and 'Voltiguer' for 1000 Guineas - I cared little for the race but thought it would add something to my experience by going on the journey.
We started from Blackburn at half past 8 with about 12 carriages (E.L.Line) and had a pleasant trip to Colne. The morning was delightfully fine with occasional cloudiness. At Colne about 13 other carriages joined the train and thus we proceeded up to Skipton. Mr.W. Hirst, pawnbroker, was in the same carriage with myself and we agreed to stop at the same place [in York]. We went on from Skipton at 10am taking up passengers all the way until we reached Shipley, Keighley and Bingley, and about 30 or 35 more carriages well-laden were added to the train making about 60 in the whole. We had here a stoppage of about ¾ of an hour and it was thought at one time we could not well proceed without more strength however, with 2 powerful Locomotives in front and one in the rear, we went on at an easy pace to Leeds, where we stopped about 10 minutes and the line being very level from Leeds to York, one Engine was detached from us. From hence we passed onward through a most delightful country to York, where we arrived at 1.30pm.'
Of course, passengers were not the only source of revenue for the railways. The movement of goods, from individual parcels to bulk loads, gave a real stimulus to industry in the town. Extensive sidings adjacent to King Street served the cotton mills around Wensley Fold and Whalley Banks with coal for their mill engines. The huge goods warehouses on Bolton Road and next to the East Lancashire station handled a bewildering variety of commodities, enhancing the town's status as a market and providing an outlet for export materials. The arrival of the 'iron road' ensured that Blackburn did not falter in its journey to becoming one of Lancashire's most prosperous industrial towns.
Nick Harling & Blackburn Museum
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