Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

using a hatchet. The old paving was being lifted out from between the lines and the margin was being rammed under the girder rails with chippings and dry cement. Another load of untreated blocks had also been delivered and another sample of these was deposited by me in the Office. I believe these blocks had been sourced from Bracewell of Clayton-le-Moors. After the work is tarred it is covered in sand. The sand used for bedding is not covered so as a consequence gets very wet, in which state it is still used. The joints on this section are very bad, not straight, nor in line with the existing paving. These joints were ½ of an inch wide and in one instance 1 inch wide, and this included end joints as well as bedding joints. Working to the same standards and in the afternoon the Pavior informed me he was finishing. I asked him how could that be as there was a good deal more work to do, and what had been done was far from satisfactory. He stated, “ This is not my fault. Mr Jeffs would not give me the time to make a good job, and I suppose I shall have to take the blame for it !” In September, the workmen are on the margins between India Street and China Street, the setts were better than normal in depth and shape, but I counted only seven new setts laid in 15 yards of paving. A second Pavior was working on Blackburn Road between India Street and Hyndburn Street, and repairing the worst of the sunken areas. The work was continuing between Swiss Street and Hyndburn Street, again they were taking up the worst sections in the centre and on the margins. The wooden blocks in the middle of the lines in front of the Market Hall had been taken out. The blocks were cleaned and relaid, also some of the blocks in front of the Town Hall had been lifted but not relaid. No Pavior was working and everything was cleared away as though the job had been finished. There were some new blocks on the site 9 x 5 x 3 inches thick, which appear to have been cut out of planks, as their grain was running the wrong way and not endways up. They were dipped in oil before use. Some of the August 24 th batch was identical to these. They appeared to have been cut out of Birchwood. Some of the granite paving has been taken up and repaved on Blackburn Road between the Thwaites Arms to Messrs J. Carter & Sons shop premises. These setts are 4 to 5 inches in thickness, mostly square with the majority fit enough to use again. Some new setts were on site, and I deposited one of these at the Office. Block paving is being lifted mainly between the rails, with many of the 5 inch blocks being used for repairs. Some of the area lifted yesterday had been repaved, mostly with old blocks. I measured some that were at 1 inch apart and not in line with the existing pavements. These were bedded onto sand. At least the setts on this length are of a more regular thickness and are fit for reuse. Workmen were lifting all of the middle block paving out of a length outside the Town Hall, and using some new blocks for repaving. Due to a lack of wooden blocks the paving in front of the Town Hall has stopped. Later in the day some arrived but were very poor in quality. The wood was of a tender young growth, and the heart of the tree was plain to see. These blocks had split in all directions from the centre as a result of rain and the passage of traffic the resulting job was a very bad one. The granite setts have been taken up between the lines from Eagle Street to the Railway Arch on Blackburn Road, and then relaid as before. The Pavior was lifting out the centre paving and then relaying with new blocks, which are of a very poor quality indeed. These are being dipped into a tub of Creosote Oil and then being laid whilst still wet. Opposite Eagle Street the granite setts are being worked on. The wood paving between the lines opposite the end of Union Street has been taken up and relaid with new blocks delivered the day before yesterday. The Pavior has gone leaving a portion of this margin not completed. The granite paving opposite to Eagle Street has been lifted mainly from between and close up to the lines. This has now been repaved but with a hollow surface which will catch and hold water. Repairs were continuing along Blackburn Road between Union Street and Eagle Street with granite setts, being laid mainly between the rails. This work is of the ‘usual’ poor standard. The wood block paving in the margins in front of the Market Hall was in a very bad condition, and been left for a length of about 30 yards having come away from the rails by some 1 inch and in places 2 inches. The whole of this paving is

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