AFTER the end of the First World War, there was a rapid expansion of new housing in Cherry Tree and Feniscliffe, especially the latter.

As Mike Sumner's research for Blackburn's Cotton Town history website records this continued up to 1939.

Although the industrial works of the 19th Century were now in decline and often closing, allowing their sites to be turned into homes, one new such development in Feniscliffe was the development of a saw mill close to the railway sidings to feed growing need for timber products for local house building and the excavation of a set of sand pits

Evidence of a growing need for leisure facilities is seen in the creation of Cherry Tree's cricket and crown green bowling clubs.

As more people in the new houses owned cars the tram line to Blackburn closed to be replaced by buses.

By the outbreak of the Second World War, the railway goods yard and railway station had been further developed.

Mr Sumner records: "Since 1956, there have been huge changes. probably the largest during to date with a huge increase in housing and a comparable decrease in large industrial works.

"At the points where the three large industrial sites once stood there are now modern housing estates, all built since 2000.

"On the outskirts of Feniscliffe an existing huge industrial operation, formerly Scapa Driers and more recently Voiths developed a new site on the River Darwen in 1962/3 at a cost of £300.000 as an extension for its felts division.

"Cherry Tree Cricket Club has extended in recent times and now has a large membership catering for local demand for leisure and Cherry Tree centre’s two pubs The Beehive and Station have been upgraded. At the old tram terminus the premises now all provide professional services rather than local shops."