An Illustrated History of Old Sutton in St.Helens
Part 27 (of 58) - Pudding Bag
in Sutton (St.Helens)
Researched
& Written by S.R.Wainwright ©MMXI
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1881 map of the 'Pudding
Bag' district of east Sutton by St.Helens Junction
As many as two hundred people lived within Pudding Bag and
their houses were built exclusively for railwaymen and
their families. Originally Woodcock Street was known as
Church Street, but its name was changed in 1902 to prevent
confusion with the St.Helens town centre road of the same
name.
The Golden Cross pub in
Woodcock Street, 'Pudding Bag', Sutton - contributed by
Sutton Historic Society
Pudding
Baggers had their own pub, the
Golden Cross,
which was originally known as the Golden Ball
(also possibly Church Inn).
The first landlord was
William Woodcock
and the street was later said to have been re-named after
him. It's also claimed that the derivation of the pub's
name was that it was the first port of call for worshippers
after leaving the morning mass at St.Anne's Church nearby.
Also close by was the Providence Foundry and many workers
would quench their thirsts with a pint at the pub, which in
the late nineteenth century would cost them a tanner
(2.5p).
On 28/6/1889 in the St.Helens Lantern a correspondent
referred to the Golden Cross as:
...the home of
sixpenny for the isolated denizens of Pudding
Bag 
Woodcock Street opposite
The Golden Cross pub in Pudding Bag - contributed by
Geoffrey Moore
In
its early years with much railway traffic, life in Pudding
Bag could be quite chaotic. Getting in and out meant
lengthy waits at a level crossing by the Golden Cross and
often residents would have to thread their way between
heavy wagons to get to their homes.
William Crooks (1795 -
1861)
was a gateman at the level crossing and on May 20th, 1861
was killed whilst attempting to move some wagons off the
line. An engine was shunting some other wagons into a
siding and a collision took place and Crooks was knocked
down and killed.
His inquest took place at the Golden Cross pub on the
following day which was reported in the St.Helens Weekly
News of 25th May 1861:
On view of the body and
after hearing the evidence several members of the jury
expressed an opinion that the crossing was extremely
dangerous and that at least an over
footbridge ought to be constructed for the safety
and convenience of the public, frequently the crossing
was blocked up with wagons 
The bridge that led from
Woodcock Street into Penlake Lane - contributed by Geoffrey
Moore
The
above photograph was taken from Pudding Bag and shows the
footbridge into Penlake Lane. In the background is Penlake
House which used to be the home of
John Perry
who writes:
I spent all my early life
from 1942 living in Penlake House with my
grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Doorbar, until just
before its demolition. I knew nearly all the people in
Woodcock Street and Railway Terrace such as the Longs,
Williams, Roberts, Marsh's, Billingtons and many more.
My grandfather was a foreman at the Sheeting Sheds and
my father and mother also worked there. My other
grandparents lived in Pavillion Cottage at the other
end of Penlake Lane. If you were not known, walking
through Pudding Bag felt like an ambush in the early
days! 
It's said that you could alway tell when the coalman had been. The rear cobbled entries in Pudding Bag were so narrow that it was impossible to get a horse and cart to the coal-holes in the back yards of houses. So the coal man had to carry his sacks from the front door to the back, leaving black dust all over the furniture, carpets and kitchen shelves. Some houses shared one small brick wash-house and there was a washing rota between neighbours.
There were many characters in Pudding Pag with one known as 'Piggy' Brown, because he kept pigs on the bit of land behind his house. The houses, owned by the railway company, were maintained by local builder (and undertaker) Albert Hawley, who could often be seen in his overalls undertaking repairs.
The houses were demolished in the 1960s and the Golden Cross pub closed on September 30th, 1963.
What life was like for some in Pudding Bag can best be described by this marvellous poem which was written in 1975 by a former 'Puddin' Bagger' who styled themself 'Foxy':
They were not folks to grumble, nor were they folks to brag,
They were railwaymen and women, borne to serve the iron-road,
They worked both long and cheerfully whilst bearing life's hard load,
They lived close by the railways which enclosed their village space,
Sounds of shunting and of whistles were a feature of the place,
The gradient of the railway on the Wigan - Widnes run,
Was hard for locomotives and for drivers was no fun.
At Sutton Oak, long coal trains were by a second engine pushed,
But still the haul was long and slow, it never could be rushed,
In the dark, when trains were toiling up the long, long weary hill,
The bonny lads of Pudding Bag would board it at their will,
Then from the loaded wagons, to the side of the metal road,
The lads would throw some of the coal, just a fraction of the load,
Other trains would pass beside, the lads would take enough,
To keep the village well supplied with tea and flour and such-like stuff.
All in all, in Pudding Bag, folks lived quite middling fair,
It was a place of peace and plenty, folks were happy there.
They were sort of modern Robin Hoods, though in motive not so pure,
They robbed the rich, one may well say, to stop themselves being poor.
But now that railway is not used; the houses are knocked down,
The folks who lived in Pudding Bag are spread throughout the town,
But the story of their exploits is a classic of our age,
It tells how people used their wits, to help out their meagre wage.
Sutton Beauty & Heritage strives for factual accuracy at all times. Please do also get in touch if you believe that there are any errors, with details of any corrections contained within the site's update history page, which also details the regular updates. Many individuals from all over the world have kindly contributed Sutton information and photographs. If you would like to participate in this project, I would be delighted to hear from you and this website always credits any assistance given. Do also consider contributing any recollections of old Sutton that you might have for the Sutton Memories pages, which are proving very popular. I respond quickly to emails and if you haven't received a response within 12 hours, do check your junk mail folder or send your message again. Thank you! SRW
