Perched dramatically on its rocky headland, overlooking the wild expanse of Morecambe Bay, the ruins of St Patrick’s Chapel are one of the most evocative early medieval sites in the British Isles.
Category Archives: #History
The Pinnacle, Part Two
In the shadow of Clitheroe Castle, standing alone on its Limestone mount watching over the Ribble Valley, stands a rather unlikely monument: a tall, ornate gothic spire that once graced a very different skyline.
A Brief History of Lancashire Cheese Production
Lancashire cheese is one of Britain’s most traditional cow’s-milk cheeses and renowned for its distinctive creamy-to-crumbly texture and a mild, buttery flavour that develops complexity with age.
Here we look at the history of this cheese’s production from the earliest records to the modern day, concluding with a nice, simple recipe for a traditional cheese & onion pie.
The History of Read Park
Tucked away on the outskirts of the quiet village of Read, in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, sits Read Park, a 450 acre estate surrounding Read Hall, a Grade II listed manor house that has been a local seat of power for over half a millennia.
A Brief History of St Leonard’s Church in Padiham
St Leonard’s Church stands proudly in the heart of Padiham, Lancashire, and is a striking example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture that continues to serve its original purpose. While its current building dates from the late 1860s, the story of worship on this site stretches back further, more than 570 years, and traces the changing fortunes of the community from medieval village through industrial mill-town to the place we know and love today.
Northwest Recipes: Chekyns in Cretene (Chickens in Cretoneé)
The notion that traditional English food is inherently bland and unseasoned is a stubborn modern myth, one largely born from the austerity and rationing of the mid-20th century, when wartime shortages and postwar frugality stripped many tables of flavour and variety.
In truth, English cookery, especially in the medieval and early modern periods, was, as we can see here, rich with seasoning, colour, and aromatic complexity.
Easter
By Gerard Manley Hopkins Break the box and shed the nard;Stop not now to count the cost;Hither bring pearl, opal, sard;Reck not what the poor have lost;Upon Christ throw all away:Know ye, this is Easter Day. Build His church and deck His shrine,empty though it be on earth;Ye have kept your choicest wine—Let it flowContinue reading “Easter”
The Black Seam
On the 22nd of March, 1962, the tight-knit mining community of Hapton in Lancashire was shaken by catastrophe when an underground explosion ripped through Hapton Valley Colliery, the town’s main employer, claiming the lives of 19 men and injuring many others.
Northwest Nature and History 