LOCAL historians and amateur researchers have helped solve the riddle of who put the 'bridge' into Bridge Street.

But mystery still surrounded the origins of the old arch, which was uncovered by builders earlier this week during renovations at an empty shop in Bridge Street, Darwen.

Retired painter and decorator Joe Lennon, 69, of Wyre Crescent, Birch Hall, Darwen, first came across the bridge in the 1950s when it made up part of a cellar workshop he rented.

He said: "We were always told that it was the original Over Darwen Bridge, which was made redundant when the River Darwen was diverted to make way for the shops.

"The room in which it stood was only 10ft by 4ft and we paid half a crown a week to rent it."

Retired college lecturer Peter Stanford, who grew up in Darwen and now lives in Greenfield Road, Colne, started researching the bridge when he saw the appeal for information. He said: "It is clearly shown on the 1909 Ordnance Survey Map as Over Darwen Bridge. It used to be part of the old Pack Horse Road, which connected Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton. It is at least 200 years old but could date back a lot further than that.

"The reason it was diverted probably had something to do with the fact that the many arches and culverts didn't have sufficient capacity and were causing a lot of flooding."

It is believed the row of properties were built on top of the bridge and Mr Stanford believes that the site is an important part of the town's history and should be recorded professionally.

Joan McCann, of Alexandra View, Darwen, found reference to the bridge in a book given to her by former Lancashire Evening Telegraph reporter the late Norman Bentley.

'Darwen and Its People,' by J G Shaw, which was published in 1889, also talks of the old Pack Horse Road and a series of small foot bridges which were erected where the river was impassible.

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