The local newspapers began advertising excursions towards the late 1860’s these of the
course would have been out of reach at this time for many of our working-class Bacupian
and Stacksteads ancestors. Later with the expansion of railway travelling became
cheaper. Whitsuntide was a time of fairs and excursions many organised by the various
Sunday schools and organisations one of these being the Bacup Natural History Society,
who organised weekly rambles. With visits to places such has Gorpley Clough, Folly
Clough, Clitheroe and District, Hambledon and Skipton, and Wycoller. The Victoria
Working Men's club not only organised trips but they also gave their members 3/_ to
spend at the Bacup Store on food and drink during the trip. In 1876 the Bacup Liberal Club
organised a trip to London which included visits to the Zoo the Tower, St Pauls, and The
British Museum.
Sunday schools began organising trips during 1870 these trips tended to be to
places like Blackpool, Morecambe, Windemere. Other favourite places visited by
the many Sunday schools and others seem to be Hardcastle Craggs, Dobroyd
Castle, Ribchester, and Whalley Abbey.In financial terms in 1870 a day trip to
Blackpool with children under 12 travelling half price the cost was 2d and 9d if a
group booking booked privately 3s 6d. In 1885 it cost 10/- for a three day stay in
London.
Bacup was without a recreation ground for the everyday
working-class until 1890. Rosehill Garden was situated at
Bankside and here there was the opportunity if you could afford
the 1d or 3d entrance fee to take part in football, dancing, archery and swings. Unfortunately the
fee was out of the reach of many working-class Bacupains. The Maden Recreation ground was
presented to the public in 1893 by the late Sir John Henry Maden, again to fulfil the wishes of his
father Henry Maden. This recreation ground was aimed more at the athletic Bacupain in addition to
the football and cricket areas there were separate areas for boys and girls. The girl area consisted
of nine swings a see-saw and roundabout. The boys consisted of six swings and three trapeze bars,
three pairs of hand rings and one horizontal bar.
In 1914 Stubylee was purchased by the then Corporation out of money provided in a trust fund by Mr Miles Ashworth
of Acre Mill, a former councillor of the Borough. with the paddling Pool at Stubylee presented to the Borough in 1929
by Councillor Thomas Coates and Mrs Coates. The adjoining Moorlands Park, which originally contained the mansion
house known as Moorlands, was given to the Borough of Bacup by the trustees of the late Mr Edward Hoyle in 1914. The two parks are home
to the Maden Memorial, Tennis Courts, Playing Fields, Bowling Greens, The Dell and the Mitchell Fountain.