Long Preston
Encyclopedia
Long Preston is a village and civil parish
in the Craven
district of North Yorkshire
, England
, in the Yorkshire Dales
. It lies along the A65 road
, and is 12 miles from the larger town of Skipton
and four miles from the town of Settle
. The population of Long Preston in 2001 was 680.
. A stone age
axe head was also found in the area of Bookil Gill.
The first school built in the village was during the reign of Edward IV (1461–1483) and was part of the Hammerton Chapel. It is likely that it was closed in 1541 during the dissolution of the religious houses. In 1672 the Petty School was held, most likely either in the chapel or in a building near an old vicarage. The new school replaced the Petty School in 1819.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Long Preston was dominated by agriculture and the trades associated with it. In the 1750s a turnpike
road was constructed from Long Preston to Settle
. In the 1960s this road (now the A65) was raised, widened, and straighted. Several homes and farms were demolished to accomplish this.
In 1790, a cotton spinning mill was constructed, possibly on the site of an old corn mill. The mill was demolished in 1881 due to flooding.
Later on Fleets cotton mill was built, which was three storeys high and water powered.
The railway was first opened in 1849 and expanded in 1875 with the building of the Settle-Carlisle Line. It declined in the 1970s and '80s but is now seeing an increase in heavy freight and passenger traffic.
In 1801 the population of Long Preston was 573; this rose to 808 in 1831 but later dropped to 610 in 1961.
In the 20th century, most people were employed in the town at the garage, wool warehouse, auction mart, farms etc. or in the surrounding area, e.g. Skipton. A number of houses were rented at Long Preston making it affordable to live there. In the 1960s people started to purchase their own homes.
In the late '50s and early '60s, there was a thriving livestock
auction mart, shoe shop, tailors, butchers, bakers, post office
, cafés, wool warehouse and corn mill.
A bypass was proposed and was given the go-ahead in 1994 after a lot of money had been spent on planning. After the general election, with Labour
gaining power, the bypass was scrapped.
Long Preston is the home of audio book
producer Magna Story Sound.
Long Preston is served by Long Preston railway station
, which is on the Leeds to Morecambe Line.
Long Preston has its own small primary school, Long Preston Endowed School, with around 60 pupils attending over a range of 6 year groups. Children leave a year earlier than most primary schools towards Skipton, (who generally stay in primary school until the end of year 6), this is because most pupils go on to attend Settle Middle School, one of very few middle schools left in the country.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Craven
Craven
Craven is a local government district in North Yorkshire, England that came into being in 1974, centred on the market town of Skipton. In the changes to British local government of that year this district was formed as the merger of Skipton urban district, Settle Rural District and most of Skipton...
district of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
. It lies along the A65 road
A65 road
The A65 is a major road in England. It runs north west from Leeds in Yorkshire via Kirkstall, Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley, Ilkley and Skipton, passes west of Settle, then continues through Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale before terminating at Kendal in Cumbria....
, and is 12 miles from the larger town of Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
and four miles from the town of Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
. The population of Long Preston in 2001 was 680.
Early times
Human occupation of the area around Long Preston is known to go back to prehistoric times as remains have been found at Victoria Cave on the hills above SettleSettle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
. A stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
axe head was also found in the area of Bookil Gill.
Middle Ages
In 1086, Long Preston was known as Prestune, meaning "the priest's farmstead or town". Later on "Long" was added, referring to its linear development and distinguishing Long Preston from the many other Prestons.The first school built in the village was during the reign of Edward IV (1461–1483) and was part of the Hammerton Chapel. It is likely that it was closed in 1541 during the dissolution of the religious houses. In 1672 the Petty School was held, most likely either in the chapel or in a building near an old vicarage. The new school replaced the Petty School in 1819.
Industrial age
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
road was constructed from Long Preston to Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
. In the 1960s this road (now the A65) was raised, widened, and straighted. Several homes and farms were demolished to accomplish this.
In 1790, a cotton spinning mill was constructed, possibly on the site of an old corn mill. The mill was demolished in 1881 due to flooding.
Later on Fleets cotton mill was built, which was three storeys high and water powered.
The railway was first opened in 1849 and expanded in 1875 with the building of the Settle-Carlisle Line. It declined in the 1970s and '80s but is now seeing an increase in heavy freight and passenger traffic.
In 1801 the population of Long Preston was 573; this rose to 808 in 1831 but later dropped to 610 in 1961.
Modern day
Between 1923 and 1935, Long Preston was the railhead for the construction of Stocks Reservoir built by the Fylde Water Board (FWB). Steam traction engines hauled material between the FWB depot, to the west of the current station, by road to Tosside where connection was made with a 3 foot gauge industrial railway system that served the dam construction project (Bowtell, 1988).In the 20th century, most people were employed in the town at the garage, wool warehouse, auction mart, farms etc. or in the surrounding area, e.g. Skipton. A number of houses were rented at Long Preston making it affordable to live there. In the 1960s people started to purchase their own homes.
In the late '50s and early '60s, there was a thriving livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
auction mart, shoe shop, tailors, butchers, bakers, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, cafés, wool warehouse and corn mill.
A bypass was proposed and was given the go-ahead in 1994 after a lot of money had been spent on planning. After the general election, with Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
gaining power, the bypass was scrapped.
Long Preston is the home of audio book
Audio book
An audiobook or audio book is a recording of a text being read. It is not necessarily an exact audio version of a book or magazine.Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to a lesser extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the...
producer Magna Story Sound.
Long Preston is served by Long Preston railway station
Long Preston railway station
Long Preston railway station serves the village of Long Preston in North Yorkshire, England. The station is north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line and is managed by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services....
, which is on the Leeds to Morecambe Line.
Long Preston has its own small primary school, Long Preston Endowed School, with around 60 pupils attending over a range of 6 year groups. Children leave a year earlier than most primary schools towards Skipton, (who generally stay in primary school until the end of year 6), this is because most pupils go on to attend Settle Middle School, one of very few middle schools left in the country.