Charnock Richard is a small village and
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
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
of
Chorley
Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
,
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 ...
, in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The population of the civil parish taken at the
2011 census was 1,748.
History
The village was named in the early 13th century by the local landowner, who gave the township his first name of Richard, to distinguish it from neighbouring
Heath Charnock
Heath Charnock is a small village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 2,065, reducing to 2,026 at the 2011 Census.
Location
Heath Charnock is next ...
. The village is situated on the
A49 road
The A49 is an A road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrin ...
which leads from
Preston to
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...
. The manor house Park Hall dates from the 10th century.
It was the home of Henry de Lea, who was beheaded with Adam Banastre on Leyland Moor in 1315, after the abortive
Banastre Rebellion
The Banastre Rebellion was an uprising in Lancashire, England in 1315 against the Earl of Lancaster and his supporters. It took place in 1315 when a group of disaffected knights decided to revenge themselves on the Earl of Lancaster by attacking h ...
.
Local amenities
Charnock Richard Pasture is just off Freemans Lane, and is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
.
Charnock Richard Services
Charnock Richard Services is a motorway service area between Junctions 27 and 28 of the M6 in England. The services are in the Lancashire borough of Chorley and were the first on the M6 when they opened in 1963. Originally operated by Trust ...
, probably the area's most famous landmark, is a
motorway service station
Motorway service areas in the United Kingdom and Ireland, also known as services or service stations, are rest areas where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel/recharge, rest, eat and drink, shop or stay in an on-site overnight hotel. The vas ...
, between
Junctions 27 and 28 of the
M6 Motorway
The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is located entirely within England, running for just over from the Midlands to the border with Scotland. It begins at Junction 19 of the M1 and the western end of the A14 at t ...
. It was the first service station on the M6 when it opened in 1963 and is operated by
Welcome Break
Welcome Break is a British motorway service station operator that operates 35 motorway service stations in the UK. It is the second-largest motorway service area operator behind Moto. It also operates hotels and motels. It is a subsidiary of ...
.
Next to the service station stands the now derelict
Camelot Theme Park
Camelot Theme Park was a resort and theme park located in the English county of Lancashire. The park's theme was the well-known legend of Camelot, and the park decor incorporated pseudo-medieval elements. It was located on a site near the vill ...
. The park closed in November 2012, due to a lack of visitors and financial problems. The site has become a famous spot to explore for "urban explorers". Christ Church, a church of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
, was built in 1860.
Sport
The village
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club,
Charnock Richard FC, plays at Mossie Park on Charter Lane, and currently competes in the
North West Counties League
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the North West of England. Since 2019–20, the league has covered the Isle of Man, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cumbria, northern Staffordshire, northern S ...
. In June 2007, the club began work on redeveloping its ground to bring it up from
West Lancashire League
The West Lancashire Football League is a football competition based in northern England, consisting of five divisions – three for first teams (Premier, One and Two), and two for reserve teams. The league is currently sponsored by Lancaster ...
standards up to the higher standard required for the North West Counties League and for the higher
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
.
The first phase included a new pitch, largely enclosed with a spectators' stand, at a cost of about £60,000. The second phase included a new changing room building and the ground is now able to house 1,000 fans at games.
These improvements helped the club to join the North West Counties League in 2016 from the West Lancashire League.
The club then saw success, progressing to the North West Counties Premier Division in 2017 afterfinishing second in the First Division, thus gaining promotion at the first attempt.
Charnock Richard
Golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
Club, which opened in 1994, was a parkland golf course on the main A49 Preston Road and is set in . It closed in July 2013, after being bought by the sports tracksuit seller Dave Whelan.
See also
*
Listed buildings in Charnock Richard
References
External links
Charnock Richard Parish CouncilCharnock Richard
Chorley Council
Charnock Richard FC websiteCharnock Richard GC
{{authority control
Geography of Chorley
Villages in Lancashire
Civil parishes in Lancashire