NEXT week Farnworth celebrates the 60th anniversary of receiving its charter . . . and plans are afoot to honour one of its founding fathers.

As revealed recently in the BEN, memorials and gravestones placed in tribute to Farnworth's most famous benefactors are being buried under piles of litter along a tree-lined stretch known as The Quiet Walk.

Vandals have also desecrated the gravestones which line the long-forgotten pathway, which lies just yards from the newly refurbished town centre.

Among them is the gravestone belonging to Thomas Barnes, who gave a variety of gifts to the town, including Farnworth Park.

But now, following the intervention of Bolton South East MP Dr Brian Iddon, The Quiet Walk is set for a council "clean up", and plans are afoot to put Thomas Barnes' memorial into a more prominent position in Farnworth Park.

The Quiet Walk runs down the back of Market Street, between Church Street and Chapel Street.

Its purpose was to provide a picturesque memorial to some of the town's best known benefactors.

However, the once pretty walkway is overgrown, vandalised and has graffiti daubed across many of the stones. Litter overflows several inches deep around the rubbish bins, most of the benches are smashed, and trees and weeds have been left neglected to grow, unchecked.

Farnworth resident, Mrs Christine Adams, highlighted the problem, pointing to the fact that one of the worst hit gravestones belonged to Thomas Barnes.

However, when the matter was raised through the BEN, a council spokesman said it didn't own the land and had no record who did.

The matter rested there until a representation was made by two other local residents to Dr Iddon.

He explained: "At my last surgery two women came to see me also disgusted at the state of the Walk.

"I wrote to the Chief Executive of Bolton Council, pointing out next week would mark Farnworth's 60th anniversary, and that the people remembered along the Quiet Walk, would be among those mentioned."

Dr Iddon has since received a response from deputy director of leisure services, Mr John Shepley, who wrote: "As you already appreciate, this land is not in council ownership, but given the forthcoming 60th anniversary of Farnworth Borough I will arrange for a clean up to the whole area."

And he added: "In the long term it would be sensible for the graveyard to be transformed to the local authority but to do this I need to trace ownership."

Dr Iddon said: "I am pleased with the response from the council."

The Walk is adjacent to land which used to be a churchyard. The land was de-consecrated, but to remember the church had stood in the grounds, the gravestones of some of the most respected families were lined up alongside it.

All remains were of course removed.

Dr Iddon added: "It was also suggested that the memorial for Thomas Barnes be removed to Farnworth Park. I am working on that suggestion, together with Cllr Noel Spencer.

"However, we need the agreement of the trustees who we are currently trying to track down.

"It would be nice to get the memorial removed to a more prominent position and I would appeal to any living trustees to get in touch."

Mrs Joyce McGinty, one of the women to approach Dr Iddon, said: "We are very pleased at this news. No one else we approached seemed willing to take responsibility for the land." Thomas Barnes invited the then Chancellor, William Gladstone to open Farnworth Park. And in a speech made by Mr Barnes in December 1860, he outlined his vision of providing the parkland facility to the townspeople.

In the speech he said: "I have felt some uneasiness as to the future state of the place and of the health of the people and I have asked myself whether it was right that we should have every inch of ground built over and not a single space left, where the tired and weary could resort.

"I have asked myself shall there not be some place for the little ones to play in safety?"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.