Along the right-hand side of Blackburn Railway Station runs Bridge. Street. Across from where it meets George Street is a tunnel, leading to the station’s rail yard. It is known as the Lion’s Cave and is said to be haunted by a ghostly lion.
Haunted by a ghostly lion
For many years, when the circus came to town, they used to arrive by train at Blackburn Railway Station. There would then be a procession from the station to whichever venue had been arranged for their event. This was a way of generating good publicity for them and it would attract large crowds of people who would line the route the circus took.
These colourful processions would give circus performers a chance to show off their acrobatic skills and comedy routine. This, hopefully, would encourage our townsfolk to come and watch their show at the Big Top. But the main attraction for most people was trying to catch a glimpse of their circus animals. Seeing elephants, zebras, bears and big cats was a rarity for most Blackburners, especially before TV was available to the masses. Apart from zoo visits, seeing wild jungle animals in the flesh only happened when a circus came to town.
Many years ago we had one of these occasions. A circus arrived at Blackburn Station, but management decided to give their animals and troupers a rest after their long train journey. They pitched their tents, secured their animals in their cages and then bedded down for the night on land nearby. They billeted themselves on ground behind Darwen Street, adjacent to George Street, where the River Blakewater flows to the original Darwen Street bridge.
Next morning came a sad discovery. One of their lions had died during the night. Despite this setback to their plans, this circus followed that old showbiz tradition of ‘The show must go on’. Their poor deceased lion was hurriedly buried under their temporary camp site and their procession went ahead – and so did the circus, albeit minus one of its star performers.
This would seem to be the end of the matter. But strange noises have been heard from Bridge Street railway tunnel over the years. These have been likened to a lion’s growl. And when the sun shines through this tunnel at a certain time, it forms shadows which seem to take the shape of a lion (look at the photo carefully). Could this tunnel be haunted by the one who died in Blackburn and is buried nearby? Or maybe these reports came from a time when Matthew Brown’s Lion Ales were still on sale? We may never know.
