Anger as ancient Colne stones are moved

Over the past few weeks several Colners, plus my good friend and former Royal Mail colleague Gary Webb, have irately told me of the repositioning of ancient stone stoops in the path between Colne Parish Church and Ivegate.
The old stonesThe old stones
The old stones

Here in our 1998 picture taken by classic cameraman Colin Bean, we can see clearly how these stoops had stood for 173 years in situ here on this corner of old Colne.

Originally three stoops, until in circa 1890, one by the churchyard wall was taken down as the main road was widened by nine feet and the churchyard wall was substantially altered. Today one of the stoops has been resited to stand behind the other, which at best looks somewhat strange and at worst absurd.

I can only sum up quoting the late E.W. Folley from 1952 on the forthcoming demolition of the Cloth Hall: “Let no man destroy what our forefathers have built.”

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