The story of the Red Rose of Lancashire begins in the 14th century with the royal House of Lancaster when this noble family, descended from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, adopted the red rose as a heraldic badge, a simple yet striking emblem used to identify supporters in an era of shifting alliances and feudal loyalties.
Category Archives: #History
The Structural History of Samlesbury Hall
The earliest phase of Samlesbury Hall dates to around 1325, when Gilbert de Southworth (Sir Gilbert de Southworth, Knight, Lord of Southworth, Croft, and Samlesbury, to give him his full title) constructed the Great Hall as his family seat, replacing a structure damaged during the Great Raid of 1322 by Scottish forces, a major raid carried out by Robert the Bruce during the First Scottish War of Independence.
Northwest Recipes: Lancashire Hotpot
Back in the 17th century, the term “hotpot” didn’t refer to food at all; instead it described a hot spiced ale drink, sometimes mixed with spirits. The word gradually shifted meaning, and by the 1830s to 1840s, “hot-pot” or similar terms started appearing for meat stews in places like Liverpool.
The Black Seam Lancashire’s Coal Mining History
Lancashire has a long history of coal mining, dating back to the early Roman era at least, with small-scale exploitation of shallow seams and natural outcrops being archaeologically evident throughout the county.
“Didn’t It Rain”
On one rainy evening in May 1964, an abandoned railway station in Manchester became alive with the soul-stirring sound of gospel and blues.
Forest City: a Critical Dissection of Proposals, and Suggestions of Viable Alternatives
Forest City 1 is a recently proposed city development planned for agricultural land on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border. A private initiative its purported aims are to address the housing crisis in the UK and stimulate economic growth.
Here I dissect these proposals, uncover the flaws within them that may cause irreparable harm to our environment and society, and suggest some viable alternatives and solutions.
Cotton Chronicles: Lancashire Clog Fighting, A Brutal Northern Tradition
This vicious activity was once a widespread pastime across industrial Lancashire and other northern mining communities, lasting roughly 200 years from the 18th century into the mid-20th century. It was especially popular among colliers and mill workers, who used it to settle grudges, prove toughness, or even as a semi-professional spectacle with promoters, pub venues, and travelling champions.
Whalley Abbey
The ruins of Whalley Abbey stand on the northern bank of the Calder in Lancashire’s Ribble valley and were once the second-richest in the county.
Northwest Nature and History 