Visit to Longridge and Ribchester - 18th December 2012
Longridge
Longridge was a surprise. After passing through it many times and thinking it a collection of houses without amenities – it actually has quite a decent and attractive main shopping street tucked away, Berry Street. Parking in the Booths car park and making a purchase we wandered looking for a Quilting shop my wife had been told about.
Heading up hill we passed quite a few Blue Plaques, there must a be a strong civic group here, Longridge Historical Society. The first plaque was to mark where the Bond Motor Car Company started its design of the Bond Mini.
The second was to mark the old railway station. A lot of good, stone buildings, reminiscent of East Lancashire. The large former Co-op building. A very well kept and attractive church, St Paul’s, set high above the town with a great view over Beacon Fell and Parlick Hill, well worth visiting. Some links with Africa on display in the entrance.
Adkinkra Symbols.
Parlick Hill, good walking country in Lancashire.
A friendly polisher in the church told us we’d gone the wrong way and the Quilting shop, Quilter’s Quarters, was at the other end of the street, left at the roundabout and near a Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church, St Wilfrid’s, was well kept as well.
Some nice stonework features above the shops at the roundabout. Looks like the people of Longridge have civic pride, worth a visit.
Ribchester
So on to Ribchester, another place not visited before but passed through as the road bypasses the town. Stone cottages, terraced, the White Bull a character restaurant with alleged Roman Pillars and craft style Bull mounted above the door.
Ribchester has a good pay and display car park with a pleasant café with log fire next door, friendly staff selling decent food with good vegetarian options and cakes, although seemed like big use of microwave. Walking straight to the church, St Wilfrid’s. A lot of history, with additions over time and very old woodwork, unusual windows in the roof, excellent and worth a visit.
The Roman Museum is next to the church but the attendant had randomly gone for 2 hours so we didn’t get in. So quiet round here, thought we’d gone deaf. The river and the view up to Pendle Hill definitely worth a look, watched the sheepdogs bringing in the sheep. Some good walks.
Past the school and the cottages all had Christmas decorations in their windows. A coalman was delivering coal to one of the cottages. Looked good what a great area of the world.
We had a look at Stydd, the tiny church, St Saviour, and the almhouses. It’s just east of Ribchester, passing the Ribchester Arms which looked attractive and busy.
It was one of those gorgeous, clear December sunny days with a low sun, no wind and mildish, very few people as well on that day.
On the way back passing the Corporation Arms, an old haunt of long ago.
