THIS week we have taken a look through our picture archives to dig out some old images of one of Bolton’s most famous and ancient thoroughfares.

Churchgate is one of the town’s most historic regions and, in the Old Man and Scythe, boasts one of Britain’s oldest pubs – dating to at least 1251.

Elsewhere, Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe dates to 1898, but there has been a shop on the same spot going back to at least 1667.

Many of the properties in Churchgate were once houses, though the area is now dotted with many more businesses, pubs, restaurants and bars.

At one time the street was home to dozens of actors because of the high concentration of theatres in the area — The Capitol Cinema, the Theatre Royal and the Grand.

Many of these pictures show a Churchgate before pedestrianisation and before Bolton Council undertook a £1 million upgrade of the street in 2006, laying new stone and cobbles.

While there are fewer shops and houses, the area still retains its charm and is among one of the town’s most picturesque areas to take a trip down memory lane.

What are your memories of Churchgate? Add your thoughts below.