Bashful Alley

Lancastrians used to swear by the name

Bashful Alley is a cut-through and a name that certainly intrigues –especially if you know what it used to be called. As an original haunt of sailors and prostitutes back in the boom-town Lancaster of the 18th century, it had a specific purpose that isn’t hard to guess. As males and females changed partners, it earned the rather unsavoury nickname of ‘Swap Fanny Alley’ (or words to that effect…).

Unsurprisingly, someone came up with the more refined name for the ginnel that connects the top of Market Street to the bottom end of King Street. The more sanitised explanation of the present-day tag is that in the 19th century, bashful young women could use the cut-through to avoid the unwanted attention of rowdy young men, who would congregate outside the pubs at the crossroads that linked Market Street with King Street and China Street, both on the main A 6 route through the town. So it is that Bashful Alley is talked of locally as the street with two different names, spanning two different centuries, and having two different stories.

Since those Georgian and Victorian days, Bashful Alley has changed dramatically, being now safe and secure, and with a decided switch to health and welfare. Today, the alley houses a centre devoted to pain and stress relief that deals with helping people regain control of their physical, intellectual and emotional well-being. The Alexander Technique centre is based on an approach developed by Australian Frederick Matthias Alexander, who worked to overcome personal problems brought on by the stress and strain of his life. He came to London in the early 20th century, and his coping techniques live on in the heart of Lancaster. However, if a cup of tea is your way of coping, The Old Bell Café is a classic ‘hidden gem,’ serving all-day breakfasts and lovely cakes.Just round the corner, the coach and horses bound for Manchester left the old Sir Simon’s Inn –a seven-hour journey back in the early 19th century.

Address King Street, Lancaster, LA1 1LF |

Getting there

From Lancaster Castle Gatehouse, it’s a four-minute walk down Lancaster Hill and into Market Street | Tip Another town centre alley is Ffrances Passage, a double ‘f’ signifying a capital ‘F’ before there was a common written form. Named after ‘John ffrance,’ the family sold the passageway to the corporation, and it has become a well-used public thoroughfare.