Water Lane is often confused with Watery Lane, which is actually the road runs on to Riversway. But what did the area look like in the past? This collection of photographs show one slice of the area in 1985 and you can really see how much has changed, but also, how much of the charm of this crossroads has been retained. There’s also a couple of shots of Wellington Street and Fylde Road, which both lead on to the busy Water Lane. READ MORE: Preston’s Winckley Square through the years. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Look back at the streets of Preston. MORE MEMORIES: Weird and wonderful things you can expect to experience in Preston
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1. Water Lane
In this image you can see the old Ribble Cycle Company shop on Water Lane. It was around this time that the business changed hands. The shop first opened in this location all the way back in 1897. Sitting alongside the bicycle store is the infamous Umberto's Fish and Chip shop - serving generations of Preston folk a chippy tea for many years Photo: Archive
2. Water Lane
This picture would have been taken standing outside Umberto's Fish and Chip shop, or thereabouts. It shows cars waiting at traffic lights to travel either to Strand Road or on to Watery Lane Photo: Archive
3. Water Lane
This row of shops on Water Lane sit next to the viaduct and they have seen a number of different uses over the years Photo: Archive
4. Wellington Street
In 1985 the firm working on upgrading Wellington Street in Ashton went bust. The areas was left as a pile of loose stones and rubble Photo: Roy Payne