Demolition of Flax Mill chimney, 1972
We wonder if any Looking Back readers remember when there was a 180-foot mill chimney in the heart of the town centre?
This photo from May 1972 shows the demolition of the chimney belonging to the former Flax Mill off Bark Street.
Crowds gathered to watch, possibly wondering if it would fall on the nearby Market hall, but thankfully everything passed without incident.
The chimney could have become a town centre landmark if proposals drawn if in the Sixties had come to fruition.
Town planner Graeme Shankland had argued back in 1965 that the chimney should be retained to remind future generations of Bolton’s heritage.
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