tarboat's photos with the keyword: atherton

Plaque on the end wall of the former baths at Gibfield Colliery. Coal owners Fletcher Burrows & Co Ltd erected the first purpose built colliery bath house in Britain at Gibfield Colliery in 1913 after a trial of an adapted building at their Howe Bridge Colliery. The colliery closed in 1963 but the building survives as a car repair and maintenance garage.

Mosaic in the entrance to the former Williams Deacon's Bank in Atherton that was built in 1889.

In the industrial areas of East Lancashire where brick predominates, there is a certain style to much of the terraced housing dating from the later nineteenth century. Small walled front gardens are often embellished by terracotta topped gateposts such as this fine collection on Wigan Road in Atherton. The quality of this particular group suggests products from the Rochdale area.

2-6 Market Place in Atherton was originally built to house Williams Deacon's Bank. Completed in 1889 and opened in 1901 the building was designed by Bradshaw & Gass of Bolton in the Flemish Renaissance style with plenty of terracotta decoration. It has recently been extensively refurbished and is an important building in the town.

Coal owners Fletcher Burrows & Co Ltd erected the first purpose built colliery bath house in Britain at Gibfield Colliery in 1913 after a trial of an adapted building at their Howe Bridge Colliery. The colliery closed in 1963 but the building survives as a car repair and maintenance garage. The company had sent a delegation to visit pithead baths in Belgium and France, and their new facilities were based closely on continental practice. There was a large central dressing hall with showers in side aisles. Clothes could be attached to cords and hauled up to the ceiling and secured in place by padlocks. The photograph (a rather dodgy stitch) shows the interior of the building and close examination of the framework in the roof reveals that the pulleys over which the cords ran are still in situ.

Number 2-6 Market Place in Atherton was originally built to house Williams Deacon's Bank. Completed in 1889 and opened in 1901 the building was designed by Bradshaw & Gass of Bolton in the Flemish Renaissance style with plenty of terracotta decoration. The date refers to the founding of the bank.

Howe Bridge Cotton Spinning Co was registered in 1868 and built four mills in Atherton. By 1891 it was the fourth largest cotton spinning firm in Lancashire and by 1922 had raised capacity to 700,000 spindles. The last mill, seen here in the background, was built in 1919. It closed as a textile factory in early 1999.