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Ribchester

Ribchester photos (9 available)

Old photo of Ribchester

Ribchester maps (2 available)

Old map of Ribchester

Ribchester books (13 available)

Ribchester memories

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You can also read memories of nearby places in Lancashire below.

Lancashire memories

Living there

Balderstone, Commons Lane c1955

As a young boy I used to stay at my aunt's house in Commons Lane. It may well be the house pictured? During summer school hols my brother Ken and I were often taken by our 'mam' on the Ribble bus to Mellor Brook, from where we had to walk to get to auntie's house, probably about 3 to 4 miles. The whole outing was someting of an adventure as often we were accompanied by mam's friend(s) and their offspring.
In good weather we could run ahead and play in a small wood until the grown ups caught up. If we were only going for the day the time sped by and the reverse journey could be tiring, and we were ...read more here
A memory of Balderstone contributed by First name Last name

the old house

Hurst Green, the Old Mill House c1950

This is a picture of the house I lived in as a 8year old boy, I used to catch trout and eels by hand in the stream/creek. It was called the old mill house, to the left was the old bobbin mill. The driveway was directly opposite to the Bayley Arms.

A memory of Hurst Green contributed by rick procter

The place where I was born

I was born in Whalley, in the second cottage opposite the Catholic Church in the Sands, in December 1924. Next door to us was Mr Sutton who was well known around Whalley for his ice cream. He used to stand outside the abbey gates with his ice cream and he always had raspberry vinegar to put on top of the cones. I went to Whalley C of E School.  Mr J Chew was the headmaster, Miss Edith as we knew her was my kindergarten teacher, other teachers I remember were Miss Forster, Miss Baxter [ who I was in Love with], Miss Roberts, Miss Dyson. I was in the church choir when I was 7, also the Boy Scouts when I ...read more here
A memory of Whalley contributed by Trevor Williams

Childhood memories in Blackburn

My first school was St Michaels and All Angels in Whalley New Road. We all had to have our gas masks over our shoulders and hang them up on our own little peg. I can remember we all had school dinners, I don't think we paid, we had no money. Also all the very young children had a sleep for a couple of hours in canvas beds so we had to creep around. My father Harold buck and his friend Edmund kept pigs, so they came after dinner to collect the food that was left over to feed the pigs, they called it pig swill. I used to hide when they came. There was a wall at the bottom of the ...read more here
A memory of Blackburn contributed by bill buck

Extracts From Ribchester & Lancashire books

Ribchester, Church 1894

The church is dedicated to St.Wilfrid, the Archbishop of York in the 660s. Wilfrid is a northern dedication, and usually denotes an ancient church. Ribchester was once a Roman fort (Bremetennacum), and it was situated by an important ford of the River Ribble. In front of the church is the graveyard; here it is not looking at its best, and very uneven. The fact that the churchyard is circular suggests that it follows the line of some earlier Roman structure. Nearby is Ribchester Museum, which is devoted to the Romans who lived here more than 1,500 years ago.
An extract from from"Heart of Lancashire Photographic Memories".

Ribchester, Church 1894

The church is dedicated to St Wilfrid, the Archbishop of York in the 660s. Wilfrid is a northern dedication, and usually denotes an ancient church. Ribchester was once a Roman fort (Bremetennacum), and it was situated by an important ford of the River Ribble. In front of the church is the graveyard; here it is not looking at its best, and very uneven. The fact that the churchyard is circular suggests that it follows the line of some earlier Roman structure. Nearby is Ribchester Museum, which is devoted to the Romans who lived here more than 1,500 years ago.
An extract from from"Heart of Lancashire Pocket Album".

Blackburn, the Town Hall c1955

This is how local historian W A Abram described the Town Hall: ‘The west front, 120 feet wide, with an elevation of 63 feet, presents the main entrance in the centre, by three massive arched doorways. The front is emboldened by Corinthian columns resting upon a rusticated basement upholding a broad tablature surmounted by a perforated parapet’ - an impressive piece of architecture.
An extract from from"Blackburn Town and City Memories".

Blackburn, Exchange 1899

The Exchange looks here much as it did when Charles Dickens ascended its steps to give his reading. The premises on the right advertising Whittle Springs Ales was W H Gregson’s brewers’ agents, later to become an office for Grant’s whisky, the only one they had outside Scotland - a tribute to Blackburn’s fondness for strong liquor. On the left was the Exchange Hotel.
An extract from from"Blackburn Town and City Memories".

Blackburn, the Town Hall c1955

Note the change of illumination outside the Town Hall. On the right is the Exchange Building in its incarnation as the Majestic Cinema. Davy Crockett is showing, and you could have had a seat in the stalls for one shil- ling (5p), or in the circle for one shilling and sixpence (7½p).
An extract from from"Blackburn Town and City Memories".