BOLTON’S two tallest chimneys were once the one at Barrow Bridge and the Blinkhorn’s chimney said to be, at one time, the tallest in England.

Barrow Bridge, which was part of the Ainsworth bleach works, stood 306 feet high and was built in 1863.

In 1924 it was reduced to 288 feet, in 1945 to 252 feet and in 1995 to 246 feet.

This chimney is still standing.

It was built to get boiler smoke and soot well away from the freshly bleached cloth of the bleach works, explains Terry Higginson writing in Halliwell Little Piecer Magazine for Halliwell Local History Society.

Once the chimney was built the success was marked with trips to the top by local dignitaries of the time.

Blinkhorn’s in Bradley Fold built the chimney in 1842 as a way to dispose of gaseous waste without poisoning the people of Bolton.

A 190ft chimney had proved unsatisfactory to the council, explains Terry, so it was decided a much taller one was needed.

An incredible 900,000 bricks and 120 tons of stone were used in its construction which was completed in 16 weeks.

“Celebrations on completion of construction included the hoisting of a brass band to the top by means of the hoist in the centre of the chimney which also listed 3,400 members of the public, four at a time, to view the town.”

A display of fireworks was also staged at the top of the chimney.

“Artist Selim Rothwell set up his easel to paint the view towards the town.

“In 1897 the chimney was illuminated by electric arc lights as part of the town’s diamond jubilee celebrations.”

Within just a few years of completing this record breaking chimney the company became insolvent possibly because of the extortionate cost to the company of the chimney and Dobson and Barlow moved into the premises.

The chimney was 367.5 feet high when in its prime and in 1909 was reduced to 326.5 and in 1940 to 150 feet and in 1967 it was demolished.

Chimneys were a familiar sight in Bolton for hundreds of years as they powered the various factories that lined the streets.

While their incredible architecture could be much admired by many the plumes of smoke omitted from them were not and at times the town was bathed in what looked very much like fog.

Boltonians were proud of their industrial heritage — particularly the prolific cotton industry — but by the 1960s and 1970s this was in serious decline and many factories were going out of business.

This brought hardship to many families who had relied on the industry for employment for generations.

Famous charismatic Bolton steeplejack Fred Dibnah made a business out of bringing down all the old industrial chimneys that were no longer needed.

Barrow Bridge chimney remains standing proudly close to Moss Bank Park and remains safe in the knowledge it was the tallest chimney in Lancashire.