Made in Preston and the surrounding area
www.madeinpreston.co.uk - website established 2002
Read about Preston and its surrounding area on this website. Things to do, things to see and things to note:
Great things have been made in the area and some still are: most of the RAF's current fighter aircraft, such as Eurofighter Typhoon. Also at Leyland Trucks they still produce thousands of trucks. The rear engined Atlantean bus, the Deltic prototype loco, Blackpool's uniqe streamliner trams came from the area.
More pages: Diary 2024Preston GuildHarris Museum PNE Links
Website bare bones:
Preston, Lancashire
Granted city status in 2002.
At the heart of Preston is the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library, a Grade I listed building containing wonderful collections and the Discover Preston Gallery (note the Harris is closed for major refurbishment until 2025).
Photo of the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library being refurbished Dec 2023.
This website has tons of information.. Choose from the Site Map
This is a retirement hobby website now over 20years old. Thanks for looking.
Please check elsewhere if you intend to use the information in this website. Things change and new information arises all the time and some pages were written a long time ago.
The two blogs below are part of this website and are occasional reports of days in Preston or North West of England. Last update in May 2024.
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Made in Preston - The Blog - occasional ramblings in and about Preston
The North Westerly Blog - infrequent ramblings about things in the North West and places.
The little gallery of Preston photos
The most recent Preston upgrade is the lower end of Friargate between Ringway and Adelphi, looking towards UCLan, Jan 2024: It's worth looking at the upper parts of buildings and up passageways along here.
Fishergate, Preston's main shopping street March 2023. At one end the railway station at the other end the Miller Arcade. In between access to St George's Shopping Centre.
Preston is my Paris, a theme from the Preston Guild in 2012
re-awoken in 2023 at Avenham
Who-ever thought of 'Preston is my Paris' often makes my day.
In July 2023 a brilliant new mural is creating a lot of local interest on a wall facing the entrance to St John's Minster, Preston. Titled 'Mother' it's painted on the wall of Hogarth's pub by Shawn Sharpe, a Preston artist.. It's certainly striking with quite an emotional tug showing the power of art propaganda. It's based on the crest of Preston which features the lamb of St Wilfred and the letters PP. Thanks to the artist and Amber Taverns who own Hogarths which looks a nice pub on its website.
A recent and very popular feature in Preston. Wallace and Gromit. A celebration of Nick Park, born in Preston. Good for selfies and a great piece of street art.
The Harris
The Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library is a Grade 1 listed building containing magnificent collections.
Unfortunately closed for a major refresh until 2025
Visit our reports on our Harris webpage
Jigsaw of the Harris in the Library Shop
It's a novel jigsaw with a 360degree view of the centre of the museum, with well designed non-obvious pieces. This appears to be an old image of the museum.
Crystal House reclad - photo January 2023
Crystal House is located on the site of a former classic building, the expensively built 1867 Gothic style Town Hall that burnt down in 1947. In 1962 after 15yrs of being a ruin, a high rise office block with shops appeared a modern solution but it was never popular, except for Pizzaland and Brady's Record Store, and became an eyesore. It was reclad in the late 2010s and looked surprisingly smart. Until the Grenfell tragedy meant its cladding had to be removed and this is how it now looks. Not as good as the previous cladding but if those empty shops ever get filled with anything interesting it could look quite smart.
Fishergate August 2018
Fishergate looking well with its trees and the restricted vehicle access. Preston's main shopping street with the Fishergate Centre and station at one end and the ornate Miller Arcade and the excellent Harris at the other. The charms of Georgian Winckley Street and Square to the south and St George's Centre to the north.
Friargate May 2019
Friargate was always Preston's secondary high street but its view up to the Harris gives it an enviable aspect.
In 2021 here is the new Student Centre at UCLan:
The University of Central Lancashire, UCLan, is in Preston, or is Preston in the university. It's taken over large areas with smart new buildings and student accommodation.
The new Engineering Block at UCLan, Preston, May 2019
Preston Bus Station from the west, non-bus side, December 2021
Once the biggest bus station in Europe, then almost demolished for a shopping mall. Very imposing, brutalist architecture. Grade II listed. Actually it's never looked better and has always been one of Preston's worth seeing features.
Avenham Park riverside walk September 2018
Avenham and Miller Parks next to the River Ribble are another great feature of Preston. The steep Ribble valley side gives Avenham Park an amphitheatre style and Miller Park is the ornamental one overlooked by the former Park Hotel, a fine building. These parks are within 5 minutes of the railway station and 10 minutes of the main street, Fishergate.
Avenham Park in Autumn, November 2022
Miller Park near Preston railway station November 2022
Winckley Square, Preston
Preston's sunken Georgian garden. Largely surrounded by Georgian buildings. Part of a pleasing walk between Avenham Park and Fishergate.
Preston skyline from the far end of the docks, 10th May 2022:
A riverside footpath extends beyond the dockland. The river is tidal a few miles beyond here and at high tide large ships would enter or leave the port throught the lock gates on the channel to the left. The lock gates can also be crossed by foot. The docks are a marina now. The centre of Preston can be seen straight along the river here..
The Ribble Steam Railway operating Furness Loco 20 which has been serviced at the RSR. Photo dated 26th March 2022:
The Ribble Steam Railway operates on the dockland. It's main station and depot is behind the trees on the left of the photo above. In summer it's open every Saturday for rides and to visit the museum.
Crystal House cladding being replaced following the Grenfell tragedy. Amazing that the building was looking better than it had ever done in its 50year history.
Preston North End's ground, Deepdale. Home of the Lilywhites since 1878.
One of the few football teams to achieve the double. This corner of the ground once held the National Football Museum. A mural was added recently as a tribute to Dick Kerr's ladies football team which was very successful in the 1920's before lady's football was banned. The name 'North End' is unique in League Clubs, the original 'Invincibles', Dick Kerrs Ladies and the links to Finney, Shankly and Docherty add to the mystique of the club.
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Places to visit or see in Preston. Ribble Steam Railway & Museum, Victorian Covered Market, Guild Wheel, Central Methodist Church |
Places Nearby: British Commercial Vehicle Museum, Barton Grange Garden Centre |
Monthly PNE status since 2005, click here
History Books about Preston
The number of history and heritage books about Preston has increased faster in recent years.
Read our page of Preston Heritage Books click here
www.madeinpreston.co.uk - website since 2002.
Disclaimer and Acknowledgements
We also have Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts. . We're not to be associated with anything else calling itself Made in Preston. 2002 vintage.
If only there was time to do all planned for this website. But we plod on multi-tasking with other websites and social media by the same author. Hope you like it. Thanks for looking.