Very little evidence remains of the steam trams that operated in Darwen in the late 1890s and early 1900s. So far, I have only been able to locate the two waiting rooms, one for the ladies and one for the gentlemen, adjacent to each other on Belgrade Square near The Circus and the original turning triangle (steam trams could only run in one direction) to the south along Bolton Road.
Based on size and an external staircase shown on early maps beside the north building, my suspicion is that the southern waiting room (first picture below and adjacent to Belgrave Road) is the Ladies’ waiting room.
Borough of Darwen / Tramways / Department / Erected 1902 / The Local Board leased the square from James Greenway for 999 years from 2nd December 1867. It became the boarding point for the steam tramway which commenced in 1881; this was then the widest part of the road in the town centre to take double not single track. The Tramway Company was requested to build waiting rooms, and did in fact produce plans. When the Corporation took over they built waiting rooms and underground toilets, designed by the Borough Engineer, R.W. Smith-Saville, which opened in January 1903. The ladies’ waiting room had an internal entrance to the toilets, whilst the gentlemen had an external entrance. At the rear of the gentlemen’s waiting room was a parcels’ office for the tramway. The office closed in 1939, the toilets in 1988.The Local Board leased the square from James Greenway for 999 years from 2nd December 1867. It became the boarding point for the steam tramway which commenced in 1881; this was then the widest part of the road in the town centre to take double not single track. The Tramway Company was requested to build waiting rooms, and did in fact produce plans. When the Corporation took over they built waiting rooms and underground toilets, designed by the Borough Engineer, R.W. Smith-Saville, which opened in January 1903. The ladies’ waiting room had an internal entrance to the toilets, whilst the gentlemen had an external entrance. At the rear of the gentlemen’s waiting room was a parcels’ office for the tramway. The office closed in 1939, the toilets in 1988.This was in use from 5th December 1881 until 30th November 1900. It marked the southern end of the first steam-powered tramway authorised to run along a public highway. The line from Darwen Circus to St. Peter Street, Blackburn opened on 14th April 1881, and was later extended to this terminus. It was declared an ancient monument in 1977.
