Old Town Hall

circa 1920

This striking image of the Old Town Hall in Lower Darwen, captured around 1920, reflects the architectural grandeur and municipal ambition of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Constructed in the second half of the 19th century, buildings like this were symbols of civic pride—ornate, imposing, and meant to inspire confidence in the growing power of local government during Britain’s industrial boom.

Lower Darwen, part of the Lancashire cotton belt, was heavily shaped by the textile industry. By the 1920s, although postwar hardship had begun to challenge industrial towns, places like this remained busy centres of commerce and governance. Notice the clock tower in the background and the early motor cars and horse-drawn carts sharing the road—a glimpse into a town balanced between tradition and transformation.

This photograph freezes a moment when communities still gathered around markets, town halls, and shared institutions, and the architecture spoke of the importance of local identity.

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