Tag Archives: #History

Bridges over the river Hodder; Cromwell’s Bridge

The elegant and enigmatic arches of Cromwell’s Bridge cross the river Hodder at Great Mitton and are all that remain of a bridge originally commissioned by Sir Richard Shireburne and other locals in 1561 to enable the Anglican parishioners of Mitton Church, which the Shireburn family also built, to cross the river to go toContinue reading “Bridges over the river Hodder; Cromwell’s Bridge”

The Longridge Line

The Longridge Line If you visit the stone quarries just to the north of the Lancashire town of Longridge you may find the remnants of a short-lived railway that used to run from there to the village of Grimsargh and then on to Preston, a failed enterprise which had great ambitions. This article looks atContinue reading “The Longridge Line”

Escowbeck House

Escowbeck house is a rambling country manor near the village of Quernmore (pronounced “kor-mer”) on the Western edge of the Forest of Bowland, built in 1842 and surrounded by 20 acres of landscaped parkland. Escouthebroc Its unusual name is Norse in origin, coming from ‘eski’, meaning Ash tree, ‘hofud’ meaning hill, and ‘bekkr’ meaning beckContinue reading “Escowbeck House”

The History behind Stocks reservoir

The history behind Stocks reservoir In 19th century Britain many people found they had enough disposable income, and public transport links had improved enough, for tourism to take off in a really big way, this was largely due to the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution, with all of the coal powered manufacturing activity associated withContinue reading “The History behind Stocks reservoir”

The Temp, a short history of the Temperance Hotel in Quernmore

Quernmore is a small, picturesque, and very peaceful village situated on the western fringes of the Bowland fells about 3 miles east of Lancaster, its population as of the 2011 census was 567 although it is thought to have once been much more when it was a local hub for farming and quarrying. The villageContinue reading “The Temp, a short history of the Temperance Hotel in Quernmore”

Yew, the Death Tree

The Yew, Taxus baccata, is one of only three coniferous species (trees that bear cones and needles instead of leaves) which are native to the British isles, the others being the Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris, and the Juniper, Juniperus communis. The ‘Death tree’ It is most famously found in the country’s graveyards and the groundsContinue reading “Yew, the Death Tree”