Tag Archives: #Whalley

Mitton Hall

Mitton Hall stands just outside the village of Mitton near the confluence of the Ribble and Hodder, it is a grade 2 listed Tudor manor, famously painted by William Turner and built in the late 14th century by the Catterall family. The Catterall family are originally from Goosnargh and married into the de Mitton family,Continue reading “Mitton Hall”

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”

Unnatural Histories, The Peculier tale of Peg O’ Nell

Peg O’ Nell or ‘peg of the well’ is a name which nearly everyone in Clitheroe and the surrounding area knows, a character from local folklore whose history is somewhat vague and the nature of which is thought to be malevolent. St Margaret’s well Historians believe that Peg derives from Meg or Margaret, and asContinue reading “Unnatural Histories, The Peculier tale of Peg O’ Nell”

Part Two of The Bluebell, in which we look its lifecycle and the problem of the invasive Spanish Bluebell

Part Two of The Bluebell In Part 1 of this 2 part series about the Bluebell we looked at where and when you might see this beautiful spring flower bloom, in this part I’ll write more about the lifecycle of this plant and one of the main threats to its existence, the Spanish Bluebell. Fragrant,Continue reading “Part Two of The Bluebell, in which we look its lifecycle and the problem of the invasive Spanish Bluebell”

Hamerton Hall

Hamerton hall is a grade 2 listed, 16th century hall near to the village of Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland, it was once the ancestral home of the Hamertons who were a very wealthy medieval family who were said to have been able to ride all the way from Slaidburn to York without leavingContinue reading “Hamerton Hall”

The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where

The Bluebell The flowering of the native British Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, is one of the surest signs that summer is just around the corner. Along with the blooming of the Snowdrop and Daffodil it is one of the three events which mark the flow of spring from the cold of winter through to the heatContinue reading “The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where”

The Role of the Sheep in Shaping Britain’s History and Landscape, Part One

Part One; How sheep farming became a major industry in the British isles There are currently around 38 million sheep in British isles, made up of more than 60 different breeds, not to mention an enormous variety of crossbreeds, or ‘mules’. In this series of articles I’ll write about the history of some of theseContinue reading “The Role of the Sheep in Shaping Britain’s History and Landscape, Part One”