Enlighten Accrington – AR Walking Trail

Location 5 - Victorian Arcade

The Victorian Arcade was first built in 1896 by Edmund Riley, this was one of the first shopping arcades of its kind in the country. Originally intended as a theatre, the presence of the fast-flowing River Hyndburn under its foundations made this an unsafe proposition and an arcade to provide ‘shopping in the dry’ was agreed upon.

The arcade was once known as Riley’s arcade after Edmund Riley. The arcade was a result of a Edmund Riley’s enterprise, originally a fish monger.

The arcade once was a home to the Crown Post office known as the Arcade Post office. It became a pillar of the community for fast and reliable communications.