Rufford, Lancashire
Encyclopedia
Population
| Population in Rufford from 1801–1961 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 |
| Population | 853 | 998 | 1,073 | 869 | 866 | 861 | 905 | 816 | 782 | 794 | 765 | 922 | 1,130 | 1,427 |
Rufford CP/Ch/AP |
||||||||||||||
Economy
The village is largely rural with little or no industry. The farmland is grade one agricultural land. In the early 20th century the village was described as "one of the prettiest in South Lancashire" and was a destination for day trips from neighbouring towns. Tourism began in Victorian times and today visitors are attracted by the National Trust property Rufford Old Hall, Mere Sands nature reserve and the marinas on the canal. There are tea shops and cafes in the village, a public house, the Hesketh Arms, and a hotel and restaurant, the Rufford Arms on the outskirts of the village.Transport
Rufford lies on the A59 roadA59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
linking it with 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...
, 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:...
, Preston and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The nearest motorway is the M6
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...
at Parbold
Parbold
Parbold is a large commuter village and civil parish in the county of Lancashire, England.-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 Parbold is a large commuter village and civil parish in...
. The Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway was formed in 1846. It was purchased by the East Lancashire Railway. Today the line still operates, with the section between Liverpool and Ormskirk forming part of Merseyrail's Northern Line and the section between Ormskirk and Preston forming Northern...
constructed its line through the village between 1847 and 1849, and Rufford railway station
Rufford railway station
Rufford railway station, opened on 2 April 1849, serves the village of Rufford in Lancashire, England. The station is south west of Preston on the Preston-Ormskirk branch service...
opened on 2 April 1849. The Rufford Branch of 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...
runs through the village to the east of Rufford Old Hall and there are two marinas, Fettlers Wharfand St Mary's which provide moorings. St Mary's Marina has a dry dock for repairs.
Landmarks
Rufford's two halls lie within a conservation area. Rufford Old HallRufford Old Hall
Rufford Old Hall, a National Trust property and Grade I listed building, was built in the 15th century for Sir Thomas Hesketh in Rufford, Lancashire, England...
belongs to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It was home to the Hesketh
Baron Hesketh
Baron Hesketh, of Hesketh in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 8th Baronet, who had previously briefly represented Enfield in the House of Commons as a Conservative. the titles are held by his...
family for over four hundred years until Rufford New Hall
Rufford New Hall
Rufford New Hall is a former country house which belonged to the Heskeths who were lords of the manor and replaced Rufford Old Hall as their residence in Rufford, Lancashire, England. It has been designated a Grade II Listed building since 1986.-History:...
in Rufford Park was built. New Hall was bought by Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
in 1920 and in 1926 it became a pulmonary hospital for the treatment of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Another landmark is the parish church built in 1869. The red brick Church of St Mary the Virgin, built in the Gothic style with a steeple, is a Grade II Listed building. The three-storey Hesketh Arms was probably built in the late 18th century of scored stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
on brick with low-pitched slate roof. The inn is painted white with stone quoins. The old inn is a Grade II listed building. The Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes on the east side.
Religion
A chapel was founded before 1346 when Sir Robert Hesketh was licensed to found a chantryChantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
. The chapel was rebuilt in 1735. It was a plain brick building with a bell cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
. A gallery and an organ were installed in 1829. The chapel was replaced in 1869 by the present church dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, built of red brick and stone in the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style.
There is a Wesleyan Methodist
Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)
The Wesleyan Methodist Church was the name used by the major Methodist movement in Great Britain following its split from the Church of England after the death of John Wesley and the appearance of parallel Methodist movements...
church on Brick Kiln Lane, which was founded before 1893.