Locations? Locations! Location 125

[Wintergreen]

Some fantastic stuff coming in here lately.

[DA52]

Great threads, so interesting. Just makes you think where on earth could they find the land for a new stadium, if ever we left HS.

[FanzoneFan]

Thanks for that, it’s much appreciated. I read somewhere, I think maybe it was on a former thread that when the club launched a brochure to celebrate 50 years ??? They interviewed a 90 year old at the time who could remember the club being formed. I’m also presuming the meeting held at the Drill Hall to establish the club isn’t the Drill Hall in Holker Street but one near the old Railway Station. Where Morrison’s currently is.

In 1951 the club produced a Golden Jubilee brochure that featured the recollections of John "Jack" Parker Senior, who was in his 93rd year!
Jack used to play as a goalkeeper for the Barrow Volunteer AFC during the 1880s and later became a qualified referee and sports reporter for the Evening Mail.
Jack's son, Jack Junior, played for Barrow St Matthews, Burnley and Bradford Park Avenue before retiring due to injury and became our secretary/manager in 1914.
Jack famously made one sole appearance for Barrow AFC in February 1915, when, along with trainer Jack Banks, he was forced to make up a depleted Barrow side for a trip to Denton in freezing blizzards.
Few expected the match to go ahead but it did and both sides lost players during the game to hypothermia, with Barrow finishing with only five players remaining, one of whom was Jack Parker!!!
Barrow had defeated Denton 9-3 at Holker Street earlier in the season, but lost the hazardous return match at Denton 9-1!!!

The Drill Hall that held the 1901 meeting was located on the Strand and is now the site of Morrison's.

And that above fascinating story is why I love reading this forum. Snowdog71 many thanks.

[barrowaberdeen]

Not directly, but football related in the sense that it took place in the same year of 1901 and possibly (!) not far from the the old Drill Hall. There's a reason we have a submarine on our badge.

1901 as well as the greatest ever English football club being formed, the first submarine commissioned by the Royal Navy was also launched. To maintain secrecy from potential foreign spies, the submarine was assembled in a building marked "Yacht Shed" in large white letters. All internal parts fabricated in the main yard were labelled for "pontoon no 1". Question is, where was the secret shed? Cavendish Dock? This is beyond me and my Google skills, but so many of those who packed into the Drill Hall must have worked on it. The only map I could see around there appears to indicate some sheds off Cavendish Dock Road, but someone with more knowledge will no doubt correct me or know more.

[Wintergreen]

Hmmm.....if you have signed the Official Secrets Act, how long is it valid for?

[Blue Bayou]

In 1951 the club produced a Golden Jubilee brochure that featured the recollections of John "Jack" Parker Senior, who was in his 93rd year!
Jack used to play as a goalkeeper for the Barrow Volunteer AFC during the 1880s and later became a qualified referee and sports reporter for the Evening Mail.
Jack's son, Jack Junior, played for Barrow St Matthews, Burnley and Bradford Park Avenue before retiring due to injury and became our secretary/manager in 1914.
Jack famously made one sole appearance for Barrow AFC in February 1915, when, along with trainer Jack Banks, he was forced to make up a depleted Barrow side for a trip to Denton in freezing blizzards.
Few expected the match to go ahead but it did and both sides lost players during the game to hypothermia, with Barrow finishing with only five players remaining, one of whom was Jack Parker!!!
Barrow had defeated Denton 9-3 at Holker Street earlier in the season, but lost the hazardous return match at Denton 9-1!!!

The Drill Hall that held the 1901 meeting was located on the Strand and is now the site of Morrison's.

And that above fascinating story is why I love reading this forum. Snowdog71 many thanks.

"In 1951 the club produced a Golden Jubilee brochure".............I dont know how many are out there, quite a few I would imagine but I know someone that has one, and it's a very interesting read.

[barrowaberdeen]

Hmmm.....if you have signed the Official Secrets Act, how long is it valid for?

I have, but probably too long ago and in a foreign land! Well... Fife.

[McMark]

Think Cavendish dock area main use was for the Mayfly (Zeppelin type) airships testing and construction which happened a few years later Steve. There were some wooden Jetties and Nissen huts just the other side of Cavendish dock Blufffin bridge ADEB in Ramsden Dock but I believe they were associated with WW2.

[Jeeby]

I remember my grandad telling me when I was a nipper that Barrow once played on the site of the now Furness cricket club in the late 1800s, sure he said the site was then something to do with horse racing which fits in as he was a bookie.

[Jonty]

Not directly, but football related in the sense that it took place in the same year of 1901 and possibly (!) not far from the the old Drill Hall. There's a reason we have a submarine on our badge.

1901 as well as the greatest ever English football club being formed, the first submarine commissioned by the Royal Navy was also launched. To maintain secrecy from potential foreign spies, the submarine was assembled in a building marked "Yacht Shed" in large white letters. All internal parts fabricated in the main yard were labelled for "pontoon no 1". Question is, where was the secret shed? Cavendish Dock? This is beyond me and my Google skills, but so many of those who packed into the Drill Hall must have worked on it. The only map I could see around there appears to indicate some sheds off Cavendish Dock Road, but someone with more knowledge will no doubt correct me or know more.

Just been looking this up and it turns out Holland 1 is in a submarine museum…….in Gosport. It should be here - at the Dock Museum grrrr. The greatest submarine builder to the RN and we haven't event got a submarine to visit as a museum showpiece. Unbelievble. Thread is not for this I know.

[barrowaberdeen]

Yep, read that. Tbf it was fished out down there but I agree. You are right about the airship sheds Mark but on one of the maps calls one a yacht shed.

But it could be Barrow Island on the far side of Cav Park maybe. Cav Park btw where WG Grace played cricket.

Surely there's some yard history re The Holland? Or is the secret shed still secret?

[snowdog71]

I remember my grandad telling me when I was a nipper that Barrow once played on the site of the now Furness cricket club in the late 1800s, sure he said the site was then something to do with horse racing which fits in as he was a bookie.

The site was known as the Racecourse and was considered as a potential home for Barrow AFC in 1901 but the level of work and finance required to bring the venue up to a playable standard was deemed excessive and the Strawberry Ground was chosen instead.
Neither Barrow AFC 1889 or Barrow AFC 1901 ever played at the venue.

Barrow Rugby played at the venue during the 1870's, as did the town's very first senior association football team, Barrow Strangers, who became Barrow Rangers in 1880.

Junior association football sides Barrow St Paul's, Newbarns United and Furness AFC also used the ground during the 1880s & 1890s.

[BillyBlue]

Still need someone to find the location of the Ainslie Street ground, snowdog71 seems to be the best person to find it.
I’ve looked at old maps of Barrow and my best guess would be towards the Abbey Road end as there used to be railway lines running further up

[Wintergreen]

Didn't someone once say it was Griffin / West View Rd area?

[Jonty]

Here’s three maps of the potential Ainslie Street site. The first from 1890 shows the yet to be developed land off Ainslie St to the north of the LongReins Rezzer. I would hazard a guess and say the likely location would be at the field adjacent to the reservoir as the banking at the north edge of the reservoir would have provided a banking for spectators behind a goal in that area.
The 1910 map shows some further street development, namely Titchfield Street and Newby Terrace starting to spread into that area, if it was this site, Titchfield Street would have now been placed between Ainslie St and the ground. Holker Street now on the left of the 1910 map
The last image is the site today. The reservoir long drained and used by Barrow Celtic, but, interestingly the banked up north end is still there today. Ive highlighted it and tried to envisage a pitch in that location. Centre Circle placed in someone’s garden- Newport St.
Well that’s my detective work done, could be way off but it certainly looks like the most likely location for a pitch. At that time (first map) it was the only part of Ainslie St that wasn't developed and I don't think any pitch could have been placed on the town side of Ainslie St. There are no maps from the exact years at this location, so all a bit of guess work,…unless Barrow Evening Mail archives can pinpoint the exact location.
Im gonna say that the Long reins “Rezzer” End would have been the embankment where our first fans stood. “We all live at the top of the Rezzer end” being our first chant