Slaidburn
The ancient sheep farming settlement of Slaidburn sits above the Hodder on the banks of Croasdale Brook. Markets were once held at the top of Church Street by the old village cross, the base of which is now built into the side of New Hodder Bridge. Stock and cattle fairs have been held in the village since 1294, and in the 17th century cattle fairs were held four times a year. The village once had a smithy, a wheelwright, a tannery and a corn mill. Past industries have included hat manufacture, shoe and dress making and, in the 19th century, hand-loom weaving was carried out in the little community of Mount Pleasant at the top of the village. The 'Halmote' or Chief Court of Bowland was once held at Slaidburn. The court room is still preserved and is located above the Hark to Bounty inn with access by way of the outside steps. Inside one can view the original oak furnishings of benches, dock and witness box, along with the timber-work of the ceiling. Permission to view can be obtained from the innkeeper. The name of the inn is a curious one and recalls an age when deer were hunted in these parts. The story goes that on one hunt day, a visiting squire, the Reverend Henry Wigglesworth, listening to the hounds giving voice outside recognised that of his own favourite hound; his exclamation of delight gave name to the inn. St Andrews Parish Church, Slaidburn, anciently known as the Wanden or Warden Chapel, is first mentioned in 1120 when Hugh de la Val granted the monks of Kirkstall Priory 'some interest in the Church at Slaydeburn'. The tower is early English in design, but has been subject to reconstruction many times. The massive angled buttresses were added when the west wall was rebuilt in the 14th century. Above the main west window are two highly decorated image niches; sadly the figures are long gone. The three-decker pulpit is an attractive creation from the early Georgian period (1740). In three tiers, it combines the parish clerk's seat, a lectern, and a pulpit. The clerk would lead the responses from the lowest stall. These lofty pulpits became necessary when high box pews became fashionable. Built into the fabric of the north interior wall of the nave is a rather friendly stone head. This is one of many Celtic stone heads that are found in the north, and points to a pagan origin for the site. The Hornby Road, sometimes referred to as the Salter Fell Track, was constructed for most of its length along the course of an old Roman route, that linked forts at Hadrians Wall and Ribchester. Later it was used as a packhorse route for traders whose Galloway ponies would have lugged panniers of salt from Morecambe Bay to the towns of East Lancashire. The tiny hamlet of Dalehead, with its fine 17th century houses at Stocks and Rushton Grange, has now disappeared beneath the great expanse of water known as Stocks Reservoir. The old church that stood at Dalehead was the only building to avoid a watery grave. It was taken down and rebuilt in 1938 further up the valley. The graves were removed and now lie in the present churchyard.

Chipping

The Domesday book records the village as "Chippenden", the name comes from the medieval word "Chepyn" which means market place. The rural location of the village, on the edge of the Trough Of Bowland, led to a thriving flax-making and weaving industry & in medieval times the village boasted five mills. The village to this day consists of stone-built houses, cobbled pavements, an old mill church.  The proud villagers have won a number of best kept village competitions throughout the years. Berry's Chair Works, founded in the 1840s, produced thousands of items of furniture each week. Well worth a visit is the village Church which is commemorated by an annual fair held on St Bartholomew's Day, August 24th.  An interesting local tale is connected with a young servant girl by the name of Lizzy Dean who worked at the Sun Inn. One day she heard the bells ringing from the church across the street & saw out of the window her fiancé marrying another. Lizzie was heartbroken and hanged herself, her suicide note saying that she wanted to be buried under the church path, so that every time her fiancé went to church he would have to walk over her grave. The vicar did not agree to this and she was buried in the South-East corner of the churchyard. Locals claim that her spirit still haunts the Sun Inn to this day because her final wishes were not carried out. Just to the North of the village are the areas of Clougha, Fairsnape, Wolf Fell & Saddle Fell which have now been opened up to the public by access agreements negotiated between the owners of this land & the County Council. The post office in the village is recorded as being the oldest continually used shop in England. The shop and adjoining house were completed in 1668 by John Brabin, a local philanthropist. Following his death in 1683, he left instructions to provide relief to the poor and education for the young people of Chipping. The results of this can still be seen on Windy Street with the old school house & the alms houses, his house next to the shop still bears the original date stone.

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