BURNLEY bus station was demolished recently and a new one is in the process of being built on the same site.

In about 1820, this site was a field used by animals belonging to a farmer called James Pickup.

Shortly after Pickup's death in 1822, the first buildings were erected on part of the site, on what was named Pickup Street.

The first buildings on the site of what was named Croft Street were also built at about the same time.

Croft Street was a very short street for many years, extending only about 20 yards from Yorkshire Street at a point well before Boot Street.

An early building erected on Croft Street was a small cotton mill that was in operation from 1823 until about 1830.

The first owners were John Spencer and John Moore.

By 1860 the former field of James Pickup was completely occupied by streets of houses and other buildings -- Miller Street, Street, Pickup Street, Hatter Street, Peter Street, and half of Boot Street -- all with buildings situated where the bus station was eventually built.

The area was known as Pickup Croft. In 1846 the Pickup Croft School was opened.

The school was in operation until 1957.

It stood on a corner of Boot Street and Croft Street. This site was eventually occupied by bus stands.

Norton Street was named after the cotton manufacturer Norton Fletcher. He was the first owner of Handbridge Mill. The building is now the Premier Gas showrooms on Parliament Street.

The original name of Norton Street was Fulledge Street.

Boot Street had several pubs. The part of Boot Street between Aqueduct Street and Croft Street was demolished. The part of Boot Street between Croft Street and Parker Lane was renamed Boot Way in 1967.

A building on Boot Way that is now a sandwich shop was a pub in about 1865. The pub had no name. The Devonshire Hotel stood opposite Jireh Baptist Church. The Devonshire Hotel closed in 1958 and is now demolished. Jireh Baptist Church was built in 1853. The building closed as a church in about 1990. The building is now a pub.

The Wheatsheaf Inn stood on Croft Street on part of the site of the present supermarket building. The Wheatsheaf Inn closed in 1907. The building was then taken over by Giles Collinge, an ironmonger, and was not demolished until 1969. The firm started by Giles Collinge then moved to Plumbe Street.

The Three Horse Shoes Inn, the Oddfellows Tavern, the Shakespeare Tavern and the Golden Lion Hotel all stood on the part of Boot Street between Croft Street and Aqueduct Street.

The Parkers Arms stood in Croft Street. It closed in 1958. A bus stand later stood on the site of this pub. Hatter Street and parts of neighbouring streets were demolished in 1938. The rest of the area was demolished in 1958 and 1959.

The bus station was not built on the land until 1964 after a delay of about four years.

The bus station existed for only 37 years. Hopefully, the bus station now being built will be in existence for much longer.