Ulnes Walton
Encyclopedia
Ulnes Walton is a village and civil parish
of the Borough of Chorley
in Lancashire
, England
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
it has a population of 2,048.
The village is also the location of two prisons. Garth Prison
, holds Category B adult males, while Wymott Prison
holds Category C adult males.
In the 13th century the manor of Walton was in the possession of Ulf of Walton, and was part of the barony of Penwortham. Legend has it that the original UIf was a Danish pirate who sailed up the river Douglas, into the river Lostock and settled at Littlewood. Ulf’s manor house was on the site of Littlewood Hall, about two miles from Ulnes Walton school.
A short distance north of Lostock Bridge, on the eastern side of the road to Leyland, there was until recently a small three-cornered piece of ground enclosed by hedges. This was the pinfold where straying animals were kept in charge of a pinner or pinder, who released them to the owners on payment of one shilling to the overseers of the township. The pinfold is now levelled, the trees bounding it cut down and no trace of it remains.
The bases of two crosses, one behind Lostock Bridge and the Roecroft cross at the junction of Ulnes Walton Lane and Southport Road, are all that remain of praying crosses where coffins were rested on their way to Croston or Eccleston church. There was no church at Moss Side, the west end of Leyland, until 1855.
The story goes that when the Roecroft cross base was moved during road widening it was brought back overnight to its original place. Several times the stone crossed and re-crossed the road until some local lads dressed as ghosts moved it to its present site, and it was not moved again.
There is also Roecroft Farm and Roe Cottage along Ulnes Walton lane, possibly named after the fact there were deer
in the area. Over 50 years ago a house which had been roofed by corrugated iron was stripped to reveal the original thatch. Hidden in the thatch was a pair of deer's antlers. Deer poaching brought severe penalties, and this was evidence which could not be destroyed easily; hence the secure hiding place.
Within the boundaries of the township there have been a brickworks and a pottery. The pottery was specialised in the making of glazed earthenware for domestic and garden use.
The oldest established business, which continues to flourish, is that of J.H. Mayor and Sons' saw mills. The firm was established by James Mayor, great-great-grandfather of Henry Mayor, now head of the firm. James Mayor made handloom shuttles and bobbins. His son made bungs for brewers' barrels and clog blocks. The family business progressed and expanded under the next generation, headed by John Henry Mayor with his sons, the eldest of whom, Robert, was the father of the present owner. The firm supplied timber for joiners and wagon builders, as well as smaller items, such as mangle rollers.
Tradition says that Mr J. H. Mayor was able to save a piece of history, for amongst the timber received at the yard was a manger made from a tree trunk, which had been used for feeding horses when Lathom House was besieged by the Parliamentarians in 1645.
There was an old windmill behind the saw mill, described even in 1808 as 'the ruins of a windmill'. It had been used as a malt kiln and had a good well of water, but later fell into disuse, except for storage, and was demolished when the structure became unsafe.
Toll Bar House, no longer standing, on Southport Road, was much used when cockle-gatherers passed on their way from Banks to Chorley Market.
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...
of the Borough of Chorley
Chorley (borough)
Chorley is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It is named after its largest settlement, the town of Chorley.-Creation:...
in Lancashire
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...
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it has a population of 2,048.
The village is also the location of two prisons. Garth Prison
Garth (HM Prison)
HM Prison Garth is a Category B men's prison, located in the village of Ulnes Walton , in Lancashire, England. Garth is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is situated next to HMP Wymott.-History:...
, holds Category B adult males, while Wymott Prison
Wymott (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wymott Category C men's prison, located in the village of Ulnes Walton , in Lancashire, England. Wymott is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is situated next to HMP Garth.-History:...
holds Category C adult males.
History
There is much of interest in this small township, a part of Chorley Rural District, situated about eight miles southwest of Preston between Croston and Leyland, with the ecclesiastical parishes of Croston and St James, Leyland, within its boundaries.In the 13th century the manor of Walton was in the possession of Ulf of Walton, and was part of the barony of Penwortham. Legend has it that the original UIf was a Danish pirate who sailed up the river Douglas, into the river Lostock and settled at Littlewood. Ulf’s manor house was on the site of Littlewood Hall, about two miles from Ulnes Walton school.
A short distance north of Lostock Bridge, on the eastern side of the road to Leyland, there was until recently a small three-cornered piece of ground enclosed by hedges. This was the pinfold where straying animals were kept in charge of a pinner or pinder, who released them to the owners on payment of one shilling to the overseers of the township. The pinfold is now levelled, the trees bounding it cut down and no trace of it remains.
The bases of two crosses, one behind Lostock Bridge and the Roecroft cross at the junction of Ulnes Walton Lane and Southport Road, are all that remain of praying crosses where coffins were rested on their way to Croston or Eccleston church. There was no church at Moss Side, the west end of Leyland, until 1855.
The story goes that when the Roecroft cross base was moved during road widening it was brought back overnight to its original place. Several times the stone crossed and re-crossed the road until some local lads dressed as ghosts moved it to its present site, and it was not moved again.
There is also Roecroft Farm and Roe Cottage along Ulnes Walton lane, possibly named after the fact there were deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
in the area. Over 50 years ago a house which had been roofed by corrugated iron was stripped to reveal the original thatch. Hidden in the thatch was a pair of deer's antlers. Deer poaching brought severe penalties, and this was evidence which could not be destroyed easily; hence the secure hiding place.
Within the boundaries of the township there have been a brickworks and a pottery. The pottery was specialised in the making of glazed earthenware for domestic and garden use.
The oldest established business, which continues to flourish, is that of J.H. Mayor and Sons' saw mills. The firm was established by James Mayor, great-great-grandfather of Henry Mayor, now head of the firm. James Mayor made handloom shuttles and bobbins. His son made bungs for brewers' barrels and clog blocks. The family business progressed and expanded under the next generation, headed by John Henry Mayor with his sons, the eldest of whom, Robert, was the father of the present owner. The firm supplied timber for joiners and wagon builders, as well as smaller items, such as mangle rollers.
Tradition says that Mr J. H. Mayor was able to save a piece of history, for amongst the timber received at the yard was a manger made from a tree trunk, which had been used for feeding horses when Lathom House was besieged by the Parliamentarians in 1645.
There was an old windmill behind the saw mill, described even in 1808 as 'the ruins of a windmill'. It had been used as a malt kiln and had a good well of water, but later fell into disuse, except for storage, and was demolished when the structure became unsafe.
Toll Bar House, no longer standing, on Southport Road, was much used when cockle-gatherers passed on their way from Banks to Chorley Market.
Geography
External links
- Ulnes Walton chorley.gov.uk.