Part Three, the development of the modern day Sheep farming industry In the final part of this 3-part series we look at how Sheep became valuable for their carcass as well as just for their wool, leading to today’s modern sheep industry. Re-evaluating the value of a sheep As the population of the British islesContinue reading “The Sheep and its role in shaping Britain’s Landscape and History, Part Three”
Category Archives: #History
Bleasdale Bronze Age Circle
Bleasdale circle is the prehistoric remains of a ‘henge’ or burial mound situated near the village of Bleasdale, near Garstang, rediscovered in 1898 and thought to date from 2000 to 1500 bc. There is nothing much to the site now apart from the earthworks and the stumps of 11 concrete posts which mark out whereContinue reading “Bleasdale Bronze Age Circle”
Oakenclough Paper Mill
Oakenclough paper mill sits below Oakenclough fell by the river Calder on the Western edge of the Forest of Bowland. Built in 1775 as a paper mill, powered by a water wheel in the river Calder, Oakenclough mill provided employment for many in an area that was entirely agricultural before the industrial revolution. The villagesContinue reading “Oakenclough Paper Mill”
A Brief Look at the Long and Storied History of Stonyhurst College
The history of the Jesuit school of Stonyhurst College, situated near Hurst Green in the Ribble valley, is complex and long, stretching back as far as 1593. The imposing, 300ft long main Campus of the college sits in a landscaped 300-acre estate which was first owned by the Weld family who offered it as aContinue reading “A Brief Look at the Long and Storied History of Stonyhurst College”
Downham Hall
Downham Hall is the home of the Assheton family who own Downham estate, it was designed by architect George Webster in 1835 and built on the foundations of and with stone from an earlier sixteenth century hall. It was rebuilt in a simple, classical style compared to other buildings that George Webster designed in orderContinue reading “Downham Hall”
Bridges over the River Hodder, Part One; The Bowland Main
The Aqueduct carrying the Bowland Main was designed by the civil engineer William Booth Bryan for the Blackburn corporation and opened in 1882. It carries water from the Brennand and Whitendale rivers to Fishmoor reservoir above Blackburn in Lancashire. A section of the aqueduct is visible near Dunsop Bridge where it crosses the river Hodder,Continue reading “Bridges over the River Hodder, Part One; The Bowland Main”
Greenhalgh Castle
Greenhalgh castle consists of the ruins of the base of one tower of a castle built in 1490 on the outskirts of the small town of Garstang. The ruins of the castle are on private land but can be seen from Millenium green park by the side of the river Wyre where there is anContinue reading “Greenhalgh Castle”
A Brief History of Browsholme Hall
Deep in the wooded countryside of Bowland sits the privately owned Elizabethan hall of Browsholme, inhabited by the Parker family and commonly stated in tourist brochures to be the oldest family home in the area, although several local family-owned farms also hold claims to this title. In this article i’ll briefly look at the historyContinue reading “A Brief History of Browsholme Hall”
Northwest Nature and History 