Parbold
Encyclopedia
Parbold is a large commuter village and civil parish in the county of Lancashire
, England
.
Borough Council.
West Lancashire is also divided into 19 parish councils, the first tier of local government. Parbold Parish Council is bordered by the Hilldale Parish in the north, Wrightington
in the east, Dalton
in the south and Newburgh
in the west.
Until the late 19th century, Parbold was part of the parish of Eccleston
and the Leyland Hundred
, or Leylandshire, an ancient subdivision of Lancashire that included Brindle
, Chorley
, Croston
, Penwortham
and Standish
. From 1894 to 1974 Parbold was part of the Wigan Rural District
, along with Dalton
, Haigh
, Shevington
, Worthington
and Wrightington
.
, at the bottom of Parbold Hill, about three miles west of junction 27 of the M6 motorway
on the A5209. The village can also be reached by rail on the line from Manchester
to Southport
. Close to the village centre the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
passes over the River Douglas. The nearest sizable towns are Skelmersdale
(about 3 miles away 'as the crow flies'), Burscough
(3½ miles), Ormskirk
(6 miles), and Chorley
(7 miles).
The village is dominated by Parbold Hill, on which lies the famous Parbold Bottle, now restored. This is a stone monument about 6½ feet high, so called because it vaguely resembles a giant bottle. Built in 1832 to commemorate the Reform Act
, the Bottle is visible from the canal. Also significant to Parbold's heritage is the stunning Wood Lane, just off the main road, and which arguably boasts some of the best views of the surrounding countryside.
. After the Norman Conquest, Parbold was part of the Barony of Manchester
. Little development occurred from this time to the mid 18th century. Parbold became a civil parish in 1894.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of coal mines worked nearby, rather meagre, seams; hard sandstone
was also quarried. Both coal and sandstone could be exported over the waterways; boatbuilding was a minor economic activity in Parbold around this time.
Parbold railway station
, built in the mid 19th century by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
, radically altered the village; it allowed middle class
workers to live in Parbold and commute to urban areas throughout the north-west
. The railway station also provided a natural centre for the village which it still is today.
Parbold's war memorial
is in the local Anglican church, Christ Church, near the top of Parbold Hill.
The nearest (as the "crow flies") professional football clubs are Wigan Athletic (8 miles), Preston North End (12 miles), Bolton Wanderers (14 miles), Everton and Liverpool (15 miles) and Blackburn Rovers (16 miles). The nearest professional rugby league clubs are Wigan
(8 miles), St Helens (10 miles), Leigh
(10 miles), Warrington
(16 miles), and Widnes
(16 miles).
Two semi-professional football clubs are significantly closer than the nearest professional club: Skelmersdale United
(Northern Premier League Division One North
) and Burscough
(Conference North
).
An annual fell race
is run over Parbold Hill. The 6¾ mile course includes tracks, roads and farmers’ fields. Runners can expect ".. mud and a large amount of climbing". In 2010 the race celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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...
.
Local government
The 83 hectares of the 'urban settlement' of Parbold has a population of 2,700. This settlement forms part of the larger Parbold ward (pop. 3,890), one of 25 wards that make up West LancashireWest Lancashire
West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....
Borough Council.
West Lancashire is also divided into 19 parish councils, the first tier of local government. Parbold Parish Council is bordered by the Hilldale Parish in the north, Wrightington
Wrightington
Wrightington is a civil parish in West Lancashire, England, with an area of 3,915½ acres. The surface is hilly, rising to over 400 ft. at Harrock on the border of Parbold, and then falling to the north, north-east and south-east. On the southern border, the boundary at Appley Bridge touches...
in the east, Dalton
Dalton, Lancashire
Dalton is a village and civil parish in West Lancashire, near Skelmersdale and south of the River Douglas. Dalton was listed in the Domesday Book, and soon after the Norman conquest became part of the Barony of Manchester. It remained part of the Manchester fee as late as 1733...
in the south and Newburgh
Newburgh, Lancashire
Newburgh is a rural village and civil parish in Lancashire, England.Newburgh is located about five miles from Ormskirk. Its history can be traced back to 1304 when a licence was granted to start a weekly market. The village has a conservation area at its centre and includes many historic ...
in the west.
Until the late 19th century, Parbold was part of the parish of Eccleston
Eccleston, Lancashire
-Mr.Asia's Murder:Christopher Marty Johnstone was a New Zealand drug trafficker. The former Takapuna Grammar pupil was dubbed "Mr Asia" by the Auckland Star newspaper in August 1978 in a series of articles by Pat Booth....
and the Leyland Hundred
Leyland (hundred)
The Leyland hundred, or Leylandshire, was a hundred of the English county of Lancashire. It covered the parishes of Brindle, Chorley, Croston, Eccleston, Hoole, Leyland, Penwortham, Rufford, Standish and Tarleton....
, or Leylandshire, an ancient subdivision of Lancashire that included Brindle
Brindle, Lancashire
Brindle is a small village and civil parish of the borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England. It is in the centre of a triangle between Preston, Blackburn, and Chorley. The area has little industry. Brindle is one of the most affluent areas in Lancashire , with average earnings over 33% higher than...
, Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Croston
Croston
-External links:**** chorley.gov.uk....
, Penwortham
Penwortham
-Landmarks:Penwortham Priory was built for the Rawsthorne family and redesigned by the Cumbrian architect George Webster. The priory was demolished due to the rapid expansion of the area and the need for new housing...
and Standish
Standish, Greater Manchester
Standish is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the A49 road between the towns of Chorley and Wigan, a short distance from Junction 27 of the M6 motorway....
. From 1894 to 1974 Parbold was part of the Wigan Rural District
Wigan Rural District
Wigan was a rural district in Lancashire, England from 1894 to 1974. It comprised an area to the north, but did not include the town Wigan.The district was created by the Local Government Act 1894 as the successor to the Wigan Rural Sanitary District....
, along with Dalton
Dalton, Lancashire
Dalton is a village and civil parish in West Lancashire, near Skelmersdale and south of the River Douglas. Dalton was listed in the Domesday Book, and soon after the Norman conquest became part of the Barony of Manchester. It remained part of the Manchester fee as late as 1733...
, Haigh
Haigh, Greater Manchester
Haigh is a village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is located next to the village of Aspull. The western boundary is the River Douglas which separates the township from Wigan. To the north a small brook...
, Shevington
Shevington
Shevington is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire, Shevington lies approximately from Wigan town centre and at the 2001 census had a population of 9,786.-Topynomy:Shevington, a...
, Worthington
Worthington, Greater Manchester
Worthington is a civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, about north of Wigan. The parish is very sparsely populated, at the 2001 census having a population of 135, and does not have an active parish council or parish meeting.It used to have a...
and Wrightington
Wrightington
Wrightington is a civil parish in West Lancashire, England, with an area of 3,915½ acres. The surface is hilly, rising to over 400 ft. at Harrock on the border of Parbold, and then falling to the north, north-east and south-east. On the southern border, the boundary at Appley Bridge touches...
.
Location
Parbold lies in the valley of the River DouglasRiver Douglas
The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland or Astland, is a river that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England...
, at the bottom of Parbold Hill, about three miles west of junction 27 of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
on the A5209. The village can also be reached by rail on the line from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
. Close to the village centre the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
passes over the River Douglas. The nearest sizable towns are Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
(about 3 miles away 'as the crow flies'), Burscough
Burscough
Burscough is a village and civil parish within West Lancashire in North West England, to the north of both Ormskirk and Skelmersdale.-Growth:...
(3½ miles), Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
(6 miles), and Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
(7 miles).
The village is dominated by Parbold Hill, on which lies the famous Parbold Bottle, now restored. This is a stone monument about 6½ feet high, so called because it vaguely resembles a giant bottle. Built in 1832 to commemorate the Reform Act
Reform Act
In the United Kingdom, Reform Act is a generic term used for legislation concerning electoral matters. It is most commonly used for laws passed to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the British House of Commons...
, the Bottle is visible from the canal. Also significant to Parbold's heritage is the stunning Wood Lane, just off the main road, and which arguably boasts some of the best views of the surrounding countryside.
History
The earliest known reference to Parbold is in the late 12th century, where grants of land were made to nearby Burscough PrioryBurscough Priory
Burscough Priory, at Burscough, Lancashire, England, was founded in c. 1190 by Robert Fitz-Henry, Lord of Lathom for Augustinian canons. It was dissolved c.1536 by Henry VIII although some remains still exist...
. After the Norman Conquest, Parbold was part of the Barony of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Little development occurred from this time to the mid 18th century. Parbold became a civil parish in 1894.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of coal mines worked nearby, rather meagre, seams; hard sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
was also quarried. Both coal and sandstone could be exported over the waterways; boatbuilding was a minor economic activity in Parbold around this time.
Parbold railway station
Parbold railway station
Parbold railway station serves the village of Parbold and the nearby village of Newburgh in West Lancashire, England.The station is north west of Wigan Wallgate on the Manchester to Southport Line.-History:...
, built in the mid 19th century by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
, radically altered the village; it allowed middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
workers to live in Parbold and commute to urban areas throughout the north-west
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. The railway station also provided a natural centre for the village which it still is today.
Parbold's war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
is in the local Anglican church, Christ Church, near the top of Parbold Hill.
Amenities
Parbold has two churches, two primary schools, a library built in 1989, a purpose-built village hall which doubles as a cinema and community centre, a telephone exchange, a doctor's surgery, a bank, a sub post office and a number of other shops including a chemist, a newsagent, an estate agent, two hairdressers and both Chinese and Indian takeaways plus a greengrocery. There are three pubs along the main road through the centre of the village – the Railway, the Windmill and the Stocks Tavern. The windmill in the village was built in 1794 but has not milled since about 1850 and is now a gallery for James Bartholomew.. The bank is a branch of "The Royal Bank of Scotland" (having been formerly "Williams & Glyn's") however it is one of the branches that is to be sold to "Santander" and so will be changing in the foreseeable future. The bank has an ATM and there is also an ATM at the nearby parade of shops.Local sport
Parbold had a successful local amateur football team, Parbold FC (known as "The Cherries") who play in the South Lancashire Counties League. In 2005/06 they were crowned Division 3 Champions, and promptly gained a further promotion in 2006/07 finishing runners-up of Division 2. The 2009/10 season saw Parbold crowned Division 1 Champions and they now play in the Premier League. Although the team still bears the village name, they moved to Ormskirk in 2008 and connections to the village are few.The nearest (as the "crow flies") professional football clubs are Wigan Athletic (8 miles), Preston North End (12 miles), Bolton Wanderers (14 miles), Everton and Liverpool (15 miles) and Blackburn Rovers (16 miles). The nearest professional rugby league clubs are Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
(8 miles), St Helens (10 miles), Leigh
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
(10 miles), Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
(16 miles), and Widnes
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
(16 miles).
Two semi-professional football clubs are significantly closer than the nearest professional club: Skelmersdale United
Skelmersdale United F.C.
Skelmersdale United F.C. are a football club from Skelmersdale, West Lancashire competing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. The club is a member of both the Liverpool F.A. and the Lancashire County Football Association.-The first 75 years:...
(Northern Premier League Division One North
Northern Premier League Division One North
Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system...
) and Burscough
Burscough F.C.
Burscough F.C. is an English football club based in Burscough, Lancashire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and groundshare with Skelmersdale United...
(Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
).
An annual fell race
Fell running
Fell running, also known as mountain running and hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty...
is run over Parbold Hill. The 6¾ mile course includes tracks, roads and farmers’ fields. Runners can expect ".. mud and a large amount of climbing". In 2010 the race celebrated its 40th anniversary.