Whistle Down the Wind

The New Line Reservoir, Bacup. Information from Richard Parker, thanks Richard.

Now, photo Richard Parker. Well found.

Richard Parker tells us that this railway bridge stands on the Bacup to Rochdale line in Lancashire and Mike Bartlett adds that, spanning the cutting near Britannia, it was built to carry the Lee Moor Colliery Tramway over the railway.

The location now by Richard Parker.

Confirmed by Mike Bartlett, this is Newline tunnel, just south of Bacup, Lancashire on the line that closed in 1947, fourteen years before filming.

Comparison image by Richard Parker, Rick to his friends. Mike adds that the site is no longer garage and that the tunnel is currently used as a rock salt store by the county council highways department.

Nick Gilbey tells us "These four pics are at Britannia, south of Bacup in Lancashire, looking from Stubbylee Moss Moor towards Bacup. Mostly everything has now gone. Adrian confirms the location and tells us, with proof (!) that this 'Bacup Shed' signal-bos looking towards Rochdale. - Newline tunnel is to the rear of the camera. (RL)

Derek Allen provides us with an a up to date shot following the sad demise of the railway. The house terrace remains. (RL)

Downham Village, Main Street, near Burnley in Lancashire.

Now. Pic by Robin Asthwaite. Thanks Robin

The bridge in Downham.

Now, Robin took the first photo, followed by Richard and then Nick Gilbey. Thanks to all three, but the prize goes to Robin. I keep telling you all that because of a mound of photos that we still have to load, to check with me first. But do you? Course not.

The home of Keith and Mary Hall. Mary was in the film, and also in the TV series Born and Bred, with Michael Sheldrake, also made in Downham, and the skinny one of the Likely Lads, James Bowlem.

Now. Same house, same village, new window, some ivy and the same three photographers.

Worsaw End Farm, Pendle Hill. Info from Tony Reeves' Book on UK film locations

Robin found it first. Another tenner. Well spotted.

"This capture must be stock footage, as an identical clip was used in the opening sequence of 'So Well Remembered' from 1949. Nick Gilbey suggests that the location could be Burnley but it has been reported that 'So Well Remembered' was filmed in Macclesfield, Cheshire." Rick Parker.

This image from Nick Gilbey confirming Rick Parker's information that the footage was taken from ‘So Well Remembered’. Nick advises that "This is a shot of Macclesfield town centre looking down from the Town Hall with the station on the extreme left. The angle is slightly different as trees now obscure the view from the original position."

Looking towards the railway station along King Street in Clitheroe, Lancashire advises Nick Gilbey, which is confirmed by Tony Duckworth who adds that the view is from directly outside the Police Station.

King Street now by Nick Gilbey.

Then a series perhaps from Worsaw End Farm

Now. Yes Worsaw End Farm, Robin again, Thanks

Now. Worsaw End Farm, Spotted and snapped by Robin

Downham, Main Street.

Now. Downham, Main Street, the school, far left. Robin and Nick took the pics. But Robin beat him to it. Miss Barton was the mistress and her birthday fell on the same day as the late Queen Mother's.

Mary Hall was the little girl looking into the police car with a black and white scarf.Most of the kids received 10/-, 50p, a day, but Mary netted a whole pound!

Now, same as pic 13.

Now. Yes, Worsaw End Farm. Robin again.

And the same corner of the wall!!! Fantastic, thanks Robin.

The barn and farm buildings at Worsaw End Farm near Downham in Lancashire identified by Andrew Collinson.

Les Graham explains that this is all that survives of the two barns with the timber building now gone adding that what remains is where most of the internal filming shots took place.

This is the track running between the farm barn buildings and farmhouse at Worsaw End Farm.

Nick Gilbey took this splendid view of Worsaw End Farm.

Nick says that this is a path leading west from the farm and Andrew Collinson adds that this is the path running west above the farmstead which curves around the bottom of Worsaw Hill.

Paul Kirkwood visited the area and took this comparison view.

The bridge again, over Downham Beck.

Now shot from Nick Gilbey. Much the same as pic 6 though, so no award.

Nick Gilbey suspects that this is Burnley and Michael Heyslop adds that "The kid is heading for Abel Street, next to Barden Secondary Modern School and chapel, where the Vicar and a policeman watch him walk through puddles".

Nick Gilbey provides this image of Cameron Street in Burnley confirming Michael Heyslop's identification and adds that both the church and school hall have since been demolished to be replaced by a supermarket.

Nick Jay thinks that this is Salthill Quarry in Clitheroe, however, Martin Wrigley advises that this is Bellman Park Quarry, roughly where the Pimlico link road now cuts through, with B. Dugdale's working one half of the site and Hanson Cement quarrying the other. Another contributor, Mark Hunter, with first hand knowledge, advises that it is Bankfield quarry Clitheroe, part of the vast complex of quarries belonging to Hanson cement and Tarmac. It's clear that the workings of Bankfield and Bellman Park are close to each other as Andrew Collinson confirms Bellman Park as the location adding that the promontory to the top left of centre is still there with the Pimlico link road now running left to right through the centre of the view.

Mark provides this photo stating that the definitive 'hump in the rocks', that confirms the location, is that above the zig zag road in his photo and above Hayley Mills head in the capture. (RL)

Bellmanpark Quarry or Salthill Quarry near Clitheroe in Lancashire. Nick spoke with Keith Clement, the boy in the shot, who still lives and works in Clitheroe and he confirmed that the quarry shots were filmed at the Saltburn Quarry between Clithroe and Chatburn. The Quarry is now an industrial site and there is no visible evidence of the features seen in the film. Not so, advises Andrew Collinson who explains that this view is a pan left from the previous capture. Research continues.

Churchyard.

Now. Nick Gilbey found this one. The Cemetery, Waddington Road, Clitheroe. Thanks, well done.

John Slinger tells us that this is outside The 'Stables Café' on Todmorden Road at Townley Park in Burnley which is confirmed by Michael Heyslop.

Peter Brown found that a more substantial structure has replaced the canopy outside the 'Stables Café' but the wall and beech tree can still be seen at the rear. (RL)

Michael Heyslop advises that this is the window of The 'Stables Café' where, during a break from filming he met Haley Mills. "I told her that she was beautiful and she kissed my cheek . . . it stayed unwashed for a few years!".

Peter found that the extension at the front of the the 'Stables' prevents a view of the window which now forms an arch inside the building. (RL)

The playground that used to be in Barden Lane, Burnley says Nick Jay which is confirmed by Elaine Redmayne.

Peter provides the comparative shot of the railway bridge on Heald Road just off Barden Lane. (RL)

Nick Gilbey points out that the buildings, spire and remaining chimney seem to confirm the location and Elaine Redmayne tells us that this is what was called Barden playing fields adding that she was there when this part if the film was shot. "My Grandad had taken my sister and myself to play on the swings and we had to stand to one side whilst the filming took place. I remember Hayley Mills had a “big car” in which she sat fir most of the time which impressed us all greatly."

Now. Nick says that this is the same area as the previous captures. PW suggests that this seems to have been taken from the track seen in the top right quarter of the screen capture pointing out that, at this distance, a slight change in angle, as seen here, can result in the horizon appearing the same. See the map displayed as the following capture's comparison.

The previous capture repeated in order to clarify the location and view. Jan Waltham tells us of a scene not used in the production "There was an out take from the Barden Park section where for some reason they needed it to be raining and surprisingly for Burnley it wasn't on the day of filming so they had Burnley fire brigade spraying water into the air. I was around four years old at the time and watched what was happening from Barden nursery. When I went home that night my Dad who was one of the fireman on the job told me what the brigade had actually been doing."

Adrian provides this Google Earth overview with the comment that it shows the playground, football goal-posts and St Andrew's church steeple. The church and the football pitch are still there. (RL)

Colliery, now gone.

The playground has been incorporated into the grounds of the Burnley Campus sports complex and is now inaccessible. and so this is as close to the original as Peter could get. Reedley Colliery was, he says, behind the distant trees. (RL)

Same wall as before.

A photo from Peter of Heald Road, as it is now, looking towards the playground and replacing the Google image previously sent by Adrian who advised that the pit is now a concrete firm. (RL)

Gone. Yes indeed, Adrian confirms this as Heald Road bridge looking at Reedley Colliery with the playground behind and bottom left. (RL)

Peter finished his excursion looking back over Heald Road railway bridge, the tower of the cement works, which replaced the pit head gear, is just about visible among the trees on the left. (RL)