DARWEN Tower has lost its crown following strong winds, more than 60 years since the last time it was damaged in a gale.

The original turret was blown off in 1947 and it was in 1971 that Darwen mayor Bill Lees, established a fund to have the tower cleaned, repaired and crowned again with a fibreglass construction.

The idea for the tower was first mentioned in the early 1880s when the rights of ordinary folk to use moorland footpaths were being negotiated.

But it wasn’t until the late 1890s before it was proposed to build one to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond jubilee.

A competition was held for designs and the one proposed by David Ellison who worked in Darwen engineers office was selected, although some modifications were made.

The first sod was cut on June 2, 1897, when Victoria’s 60 years on the throne was celebrated in the town by official parades, tea parties, galas and bonfires.

A year later, a procession of more than 1,000 people went back on the moors to hear them declared accessible to local people after a fight in the courts.

The tower’s official opening took place in September, 1898, which was attended by more than 3,000, with townsfolk being joined by the police, 1st battalion of the East Lancashire regiment and the Blackburn Volunteers band.

Although it was estimated the edifice would cost £400, the final bill came to around £700.