THE blaze last week at the former House of Lords working men’s club on Abbey Road, Barrow, shows that despite speed and modern equipment, no old building is immune from the destructive power of fire.

This report is from the Barrow Times of Saturday, October 12 in 1872 and tells of serious damage to Ure Mill Patent Shutter Works at Ulverston, which employed 40 and was owned by John Stones, Stephen Graves and Henry Tyson.

It noted: “In the works were manufactured patent revolving shutters, of both iron and wood, but as most of the shutters manufactured were of wood, the buildings contained a good deal of dry timber.”

The fire was first spotted from the boiler house at 8pm and the alarm was raised.

It noted: “Before anything could be done to suppress it, the flames had spread over the greater part of the works and were rapidly rising into most alarming proportions.

“Within half-an-hour the flames burst through the roof in different places and rose clear and bright to a considerable height.

“The night was calm and accompanied with large volumes of smoke, the mass of flames illuminated the adjacent hills and irradiated part of the town.

“People alarmed at a blaze of more than ordinary magnitude, flocked to the scene in considerable numbers.”

The fire brigade arrived an hour after the fire was first spotted and managed to salvage some newly made shutters but found the situation almost hopeless.

This apparently slow response was in the era before telephones.

Crew members would have to be sent for and the horses brought from a field to pull the water pump to where it was needed.

The article noted: “About 9.15pm the roof of the largest compartment of the works fell in and the roofs of the other parts might be said to be wholly consumed.”

The firemen pumped water from a pond and used it to damp down the roof and walls of the room used by smiths and moulders to protect it from the flames.

It noted: “The other parts were burned to the ground, the stones and brick walls alone remaining.”

The fire was not fully extinguished for 20 hours and the cost of the damage was put at £3,300. The amount insured was just £900.

Last week’s House of Lords fire on Abbey Road, Barrow, prompted John Steel to get in touch.

He writes: “The brought back memories of my youth spent in that very same building in the 1950s and 1960s.

“One of the stories I was told was that the two marble columns at the entrance door came from a shop front in Dalton Road called Mellias. It was opposite Marks and Spencer.

“It would be a shame to see them crushed and lost for ever.”

Do you know if this story is correct, or have a picture to prove it? Get in touch with the Memories Page.