Bowland-with-Leagram is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

in the

Ribble Valley Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status within the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. The total population of the non-metropolitan district at the 2011 Census was 57,132. Its council is based in Clitheroe. ...

district of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, England, covering part of the

Forest of Bowland The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells and formerly the Chase of Bowland, is an area of gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England, with a small part in North Yorkshire (however ro ...

. According to the census, the parish had a population of 181 in 1951, 128 in 2001 and 169 at the Census 2011. As the only part of the historical

that lay within the historical bounds of

, the area was known for many centuries by the name of Little Bowland and this name remains in common use today.

History

Leagram was a hunting park from at least the early twelfth century, being part of the ancient

Lordship of Bowland The Lordship of Bowland is a feudal barony associated with the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, England. The lordship fell into disuse between 1885 and 2008, during which time it was widely believed to have lapsed; it was revived in 2008. In 18 ...

which comprised a

Royal Forest A royal forest, occasionally known as a kingswood (), is an area of land with different definitions in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The term ''forest'' in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the ...

and a

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

of ten manors spanning eight townships and four parishes and covered an area of almost on the historic borders of

and

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. The manors within the Liberty were Leagram,

Slaidburn Slaidburn () is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. The parish covers just over 5,000 acres of the Forest of Bowland. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Slaidburn lies near the head of ...

(

Newton-in-Bowland Newton or Newton-in-Bowland is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley district, in the county of Lancashire, England, formerly known as ''Newton-on-Hodder''. The civil parish had a population of 237 in 2001, according to the United Kin ...

, West Bradford,

Grindleton Grindleton is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of the English county of Lancashire, formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Its 3,700 acres sit within the Forest of Bowland. The population of the civil ward taken at the ...

), Knowlmere, Waddington, Easington,

Bashall Eaves Bashall Eaves is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, about four miles (6 km) west of Clitheroe. The placename element ''eaves'' is Old English and refers to Bashall's location on the borders of ...

, Mitton, Withgill (Crook),Hammerton and Dunnow (Battersby). As Lady Queen of Bowland, Elizabeth I alienated the park and granted the manor of Leagram to her favourite, the

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. Early creations ...

, in 1563. It was purchased shortly afterwards by Sir Richard Shireburne of

Stonyhurst Stonyhurst is the name of a rural estate owned by the Society of Jesus near Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. It is centred on Stonyhurst College, occupying the great house, its preparatory school Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall and the parish ...

. Shireburne served as Master Forester of Bowland until 1594. The Shireburnes held the manor until 1754 before it passed to their cousins, the Welds. The Shireburne family tombs are at All Hallows' Church,

Great Mitton Great Mitton is a village and a civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. It is separated from the civil parish of Little Mitton by the River Ribble, both lie about three miles from the town of Clitheroe. The combined population o ...

. John Weld-Blundell is the present-day

Lord of the Manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...

of Chipping (Lawn). Some of the earliest evidence of human settlement in eastern Lancashire has come from this corner of Bowland. In 1946, archaeologists uncovered artefacts, including pottery, indicating

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

occupation at Fairy Holes, a cave situated on New Laund Farm, near

Whitewell Whitewell is a village within the civil parish of Bowland Forest Low and Ribble Valley borough of Lancashire, England. It is in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Historically, the village is part of the West Riding of Yo ...

Governance

The civil parish of Bowland-with-Leagram was created from the civil parishes of Little Bowland and Leagram in 1935 (both created from

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

in the ancient parish of Whalley in 1866).

Media gallery

Image:It could be useful 2 - geograph.org.uk - 509504.jpg, Isolated Phone Box Image:Leagram Mill Barn - geograph.org.uk - 749475.jpg, Leagram Mill Barn Image:Greystoneley Brook - geograph.org.uk - 509552.jpg, Greystoneley Brook Image:Former entrance and Lodge to Leagram Hall - geograph.org.uk - 752007.jpg, Lodge to Leagram Hall Image:New Laund Farm - geograph.org.uk - 883143.jpg, New Laund Farm Image:Old Foot Bridge near Lickhurst Farm. - geograph.org.uk - 481640.jpg, Foot Bridge near Lickhurst Farm

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowland-With-Leagram Civil parishes in Lancashire Geography of Ribble Valley Forest of Bowland

History

Governance

Media gallery

See also

References

External links