Terraced housing in Railway Street

Image: © P L Chadwick Taken: 9 Aug 1987

This is or perhaps more accurately, was, real "Coronation Street" territory. I can remember when I used to visit my grandmother here in the 1960's, there were still mills working, and characters who could have stepped right out of the soap opera's set. The blackened walls are or were typical of these northern mill towns, where the soot and other emissions from the mill chimneys turned stone walls black. These houses had very long narrow rear gardens. At the end of each was a little shed, which was an outside privy. Fortunately by the time I visited, there was a toilet inside the house! My grandmother lived in one of these houses. I have to say I can't be sure if I have located this picture in the right part of the street, as there has been a lot of demolition here, and I haven't visited for well over 20 years. But looking at aerial maps I think this bit is still standing, so I feel 90% sure I've got it right.

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