Explore West Bank Timeline
- Opening of Docks 1862-1864
- Ethelfleda Railway Bridge Opens 1868
- Coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra 1902
- The Promenade and Gardens 1903
- Transporter Bridge Opens 1905
- Commer Buses 1909-1910
- Sandcastle Building 1910s
- Motor Cycling 1920s/30s
- West Bankers in a Charabanc 1920s
- St Helen's Canal, Widnes Dock 1920s
- Coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth 1937
- Troubled Times 1938
- VE Day Celebrations 1945
- Purnell's 1950s
- Making Way for the Road Bridge 1950s
- Parades and Processions 1950s
- Festival of Britain 1951
- Road Bridge Opens 1961
- Three Bridges 1961
- Rugby Glory! 1964
- Street Clearance, Redevelopment Begins 1970s
- The 2nd Widnes Company Win the Five-a-Side 1972
- Silver Jubilee 1977
- West Bank in later years 2005
During these few years, both Widnes and West Bank Docks were constructed. Cargoes travelling up and down the Mersey were loaded and unloaded onto the railways from these points and as trade and industry grew so did the docks themselves, providing many jobs for West Bankers over the years. The boat pictured in this image is 'The Pilot', it was placed in the water to guide other boats into the dock safely and is seen here in a photograph dating from the early 1900s.
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The Ethelfleda Railway Bridge was the first permanent structure to span the Mersey at this crossing point and was opened in 1868. Prior to the bridge being built, a ferry was used to transport people across the water, but the ferry crossings were very hazardous. The Railway Bridge was a significant development for the local rail system and helped the development of the docks by better connecting West Bank to areas south of the Mersey.
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This is the earliest celebrated royal occasion that is represented in the West Bank Heritage collection. Here Mersey Road is decorated in honour of the Coronation of King Edward VII and Princess Alexandra. The banner reads, 'Bless the Royal Pair.' The streets of West Bank have been elaborately decorated in this way on many other royal occasions over the years and later photographs can be found in the collection that picture these events.
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Victoria Gardens were added during an extension to the promenade in 1903 in commemoration of Queen Victoria. It was a frequently used space for meeting, chatting and enjoying the sunshine and people talk of running around the band stand as children. In this picture taken after the extension you can see in the foreground the hut where the groundsmen used to keep their tools.
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In operation from 1905, this incredible structure suspended a 'Transporter Car' above the water which was drawn from shore to shore, carrying people, bikes, cars and buses across the Mersey in minutes. The Transporter Bridge brought many people into the centre of West Bank, in its later years cars queued right up Mersey Road to use it. The structure became a national landmark and was frequently used on post cards, such as this one celebrating Christmas 1905.
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'Commer' buses were the first covered top buses in England. This image, dating from 1910, pictures one in Viaduct Street with the Bridge Hotel in the background. It had been recorded in 1909 that Widnes boasted four such buses.
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August Bank Holiday celebrations often had such competitions. The event pictured here is from the 1910s, but the tradition continued for years. Lucy Jones remembers them occurring still in the 1920s. "On the sands first thing in the morning we used to start sand castle building then when it got to the afternoon there was a yacht race".
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In the 1920s and 1930s motor cycling became very fashionable across the country. There was a Widnes Motor Cycle Club of which West Bankers were members. This image shows a child on a motorbike in Mersey Road and dates from the 1930s.
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The 'chara' as it was known could transport a great many people as can be seen on this photograph. Few West Bankers could afford to take the time off work and have a holiday for a whole week so day trips were often organised by the churches and companies on West Bank. This one took place in the 1920s.
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This image from the 1920s pictures the Lock Keeper's cottage which was part of Widnes Dock. The docks had been growing along with trade and industry in West Bank and the St Helen's Canal would have been very busy during this time. Mr Axeford was the Lock Keeper and is pictured here. The cottage he lived in was owned by the railway company.
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The residents of James Street gather to celebrate the Coronation. One West Banker remembers, "I woke up one morning and the whole street was decorated, that's how it seemed to me as a child anyway. It was magical. Every house had an arch decorated with red, white and blue and bunting was tied across the street from one bedroom window to another." Alan Mercer, West Banker, 1937
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This ship wreck on the shores of the Mersey is one of many vessels that have sunk over the years, with many people losing their lives. In 1938 there was a major tragedy on the river when a boat carrying nineteen passengers was capsized by a gust of wind; in particular this loss was felt by the Horabin family.
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This street party, held for VE Day in Oakland Street, was one of many held around the country to celebrate Victory in Europe on 8th May after six years of war. Local collections were made to fund the parties, friends, families and neighbours pooled their rationed food and resources to provide a banquet for the festivities. One West Banker recalls, "West Bank streets were full of tables, chairs, music and a sense of a new beginning on VE Day. A lot of the streets joined together for the celebrations as the streets with air raid shelters were blocked off and it was difficult to have a party. I lived in Church Street and went to the party in Cholmondeley Street." Ted Gleave, West Banker, 1945
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Purnell's was the first 'self service' shop in Widnes, pictured here in the 1950s. It was also a butchers. A local speciality was 'savoury ducks', people would queue up from 4pm with empty dishes waiting to buy one. Many people remember being sent as children and drinking some of the gravy straight from the bowl on the way home as it was so tasty!
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This image shows the demolition of houses in Irwell Street to make way for the construction of the Road Bridge. Families had to leave their homes, although some did remain in West Bank and found other houses in streets nearby. More house demolition occurred in later years when the bridge required widening.
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Post-war, the 1950s witnessed again the numerous processions and parades around the West Bank Streets. This image shows the 2nd Widnes Boys Brigade Company marching along Irwell Street, heralding the arrival of the St Mary's Rose Queen. Rose Queens and May Queens were crowned annually and decorative processions involving much of the community were part of the tradition.
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The Festival of Britain was organised to mark the centenary of The Great Exhibition of 1851. It was the aim of the government, after the devastation and austerity of the war years to raise the nation's spirits. Here we see the Nelson Street float, part of the West Bank procession which was almost two miles long. People from the same street, club or organisation all worked together to produce floats for the procession.
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In July 1961 the Runcorn-Widnes Road Bridge was officially opened. Construction had started in the late 1950s and had involved the demolition of some houses, particularly in Viaduct Street. The new bridge was built to meet the demands of ever increasing traffic on the roads, replacing the Transporter Bridge that no longer had the capacity to cope with the number of vehicles needing to use it. The Transporter was closed and dismantled once the Road Bridge opened and this marked a significant moment for West Bank. The new Road Bridge now diverted traffic around West Bank as opposed to the Transporter which has brought people right into the heart of the community in Mersey Road with its shops and hustle and bustle.
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There was a period in 1961, after the Road Bridge was constructed but before the Transporter had been dismantled, where the three bridges spanned the Mersey together. The view only remained like this for around six months before the Transporter was taken away.
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The crowd cheer as the Widnes Rugby Team return from Wembley victorious. Among the players were West Bankers, Wally Hurstfield from Hutchinson Street, and Team Captain Vincent Karalius.
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In this photograph Terrace Road has been cleared ready for the building of the new houses. James Street, Beaumont Street, Davies Street and Hurst Street as well as parts of several others were also to be demolished as part of the redevelopment.
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After testing matches with teams from many pubs and street teams from West Bank, the 2nd Widnes Boys Brigade Company are victorious!
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The tradition of street parties continued into the 1970's when celebrations were held for the Silver Jubilee. This photograph shows a party in Church Street. It was only two years later that Queen Elizabeth herself came to visit West Bank to open Spike Island in 1979 and crowds gathered again, waving Union Jacks to greet her.
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This image was taken in 2005, during the time when the West Bank Heritage Project was underway. The photograph is taken from the top of Catalyst Science Discovery Centre (which used to be part of Gossages Soap Works) on Mersey Road and looks out towards the Prom and Mersey. It pictures clearly much of the housing constructed in the 1970s redevelopment and illustrates just how much West Bank has changed.
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