A Tale of the Pendle Witch Trials and a Demonic Dog. Including a Chapter on the Design and Installation of the Eponymous Sculpture in Clitheroe, Lancashire
Category Archives: #History
Damson Days
Damson Days, a look at the ancient hedgerow fruit, its origins, uses and cultural history, including a simple recipe for a preserve
Cotton Chronicles, Kissing Shuttles
Shuttles are elegantly formed wooden tools used for weaving textiles, like cotton, on looms, they are usually manufactured from Dogwood, Cornel or Persimmon, all hardwoods which rarely splinter. Within a shuttle is a hollow which contains a hinged ‘shuttle peg’, upon this is mounted a ‘pirn’, basically a long thin reel or bobbin, around whichContinue reading “Cotton Chronicles, Kissing Shuttles”
World War Two air crashes in the Forest of Bowland
Dotted around the Bowland fells are the sites of over 14 air crashes in which over 25 air-crew and passengers have lost their lives, most of these occurred in the Second World War, here are the locations of some of these and details about the causes of these sad accidents. January 1943 In January 1943Continue reading “World War Two air crashes in the Forest of Bowland”
The History of Dunnow Hall
Part of a Collection of Articles looking at the Communities of the Hodder Valley The story of Dunnow Hall begins in the late 11th century, when the Manor of Slaidburn became part of the Lordship of Bowland, a vast Royal Forest and Liberty spanning nearly 300 square miles across the historic borders of Lancashire andContinue reading “The History of Dunnow Hall”
Dunsop Bridge’s Beginnings
Part of a Series of Notes about Dunsop Bridge and other Hodder Valley Communities At the heart of Great Britain, in the centre of the Forest of Bowland, sits the pretty, well-kept village of Dunsop Bridge. Just 9 miles northwest of the Ribble valley town of Clitheroe, this tiny settlement is often celebrated as theContinue reading “Dunsop Bridge’s Beginnings”
Albert and the Lion
There’s a famous seaside place called Blackpool,That’s noted for fresh air and fun,And Mr and Mrs RamsbottomWent there with young Albert, their son. A grand little lad was young Albert,All dressed in his best; quite a swellWith a stick with an ‘orse’s ‘ead ‘andle,The finest that Woolworth’s could sell. They didn’t think much to theContinue reading “Albert and the Lion”
Cotton Chronicles; Pentridge Mill
By the mid-19th century, the Lancashire town of Burnley had developed into a thriving centre of industry, dominated by the booming cotton trade, its skyline pierced by the chimneys of mills that churned out cloth for the world. Around 1854, Pentridge Mill rose on land bordered by Todmorden Road, Holmes Street, and Oxford Road, builtContinue reading “Cotton Chronicles; Pentridge Mill”
Northwest Nature and History 