On the night of the Thirty First of January, sixteen years ago, I experienced some of the wildest weather I’ve ever been out in. I remember the night well because I had to walk over two miles home from work in it, and also because of how strange a night it was. At the timeContinue reading “The Loss of the Riverdance”
Tag Archives: #History
Littledale Free Church
Littledale Free Church sits in the valley of Littledale near the village of Caton and is now abandoned and used as farm storage. Reverend John Dodson It was built in 1849 for Reverend John Dodson, who came from a family of shipping magnates in Liverpool, and was built at the same time as nearby LittledaleContinue reading “Littledale Free Church”
The Sheep and its role in shaping Britain’s Landscape and History, Part Three
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”
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”
Northwest Nature and History 