VALLETTS Lane featured in a recent Then and Now feature in Looking Back and attracted interest from eagle-eyed readers.

Janice Sutton, whose maiden name was Breakell, informs us that the house on the left of the original photograph is now Roper's Farm but Roper's Barn.

"Roper's Farm is the chimney behind in the centre of the picture, which is the house shown in the recent picture," says Janice who lives in Harwood.

Roper's Barn was owned, and lived in, by Janice's grandparents Mary Ellen Breakell and Francis Breakell "for many years before I was born in 1948".

She says her grandfather passed away in the 1950s but her grandmother lived there until around the late 1960s when, after a fall, she went to live at Smithills Hall which was, at that time, a council run home for the elderly. She lived there until her death aged 92.

"Roper's Barn had a large garden with two greenhouses. My grandmother spent all her spare time growing flowers for cutting, tomatoes and vegetables — some of which were sold to passers by.

"To the best of my knowledge my grandfather worked as a lamp lighter until he retired," she says.

Margaret Koppens also contacted us about the barn. Margaret, from the Halliwell Local History Society, explains that the farmhouse can be seen just to the right of the picture.

"Some years ago the late Derek Billington looked into the history of the farm and barn and concluded that it was certainly 17th century and possibly much earlier.

"It was owned by the Smith family in the 17th century and they lived at Smith Fold which is where the Bennetts Buildings, in Church Road now stand," she says.

In the church warden's accounts for Bolton Parish Church, in the year 1660, there is a record showing that George Smith of Halliwell was paid the sum of 6s. 3d for making three ropes and as the family lived at nearby Smith Fold Derek's theory was that they must have had a ropewalk nearby and it is believed this was on the site of the present Roper's Barn — hence the name Roper's explains Margaret.

It is always lovely to gain extra information from our readers so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you know something we do not know.