Holmeswood is a small agricultural village in

West Lancashire West Lancashire is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Ormskirk, and the largest town in the borough is Skelmersdale. At the 2011 Census, the population of the borough was 110,68 ...

, in the north-west of England. It lies just north of the

Martin Mere Wetland Centre WWT Martin Mere is a wetland nature reserve and wildfowl collection managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Tarlscough, Burscough, Lancashire, England, on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, from Ormskirk and from Southport (Merseyside) ...

and to the south of

North Meols North Meols is a civil parish and electoral ward in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. The parish covers the village of Banks and the hamlet of Hundred End. The population of the parish/ward at the 2011 census was 4,146. His ...

about six miles east of the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

coast at

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

. The village's position on the

West Lancashire Coastal Plain The West Lancashire Coastal Plain is a large area in the south west of Lancashire, England. The plain stretches from the Rimrose Valley in Seaforth, near Liverpool on the Mersey, to the south, to Preston on the Ribble, to the north. To the e ...

lends it very fertile soil; unsurprisingly, agriculture (primarily of vegetables, though also some grain) is the economic mainstay of the village. Some smaller-scale pastoral farming is also seen, too. In contrast to the more northerly villages around

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becaus ...

, Holmeswood has remained largely undeveloped, although it is conveniently placed for commuting to the nearby towns of

, Preston,

Burscough Burscough () is a town and civil parish in West Lancashire in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. It is located to the north of Ormskirk and northwest of Skelmersdale. The parish also includes the hamlet of Tarlscough and the Martin ...

and

Ormskirk Ormskirk is a market town in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England, north of Liverpool, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston. Ormskirk is known for its gingerbread. Geography and administr ...

. For local matters, the village falls under Rufford Parish Council. The village lies almost wholly on the B5246, which runs from

Mere Brow Mere Brow is a small village in Lancashire, England, situated between Tarleton and Banks, just off the A565 road. It is 6 miles (9 km) east of Southport and 10 miles (15 km) south west of Preston. It is administered by the West Lancash ...

to Rufford. As befits an agricultural village of its size, Holmeswood has a small village hall (now home to the village nursery school), Methodist primary school and a bowling and tennis club.

Geography

Architecture

Holmeswood Hall stands among the dark woods between the villages of Mere Brow and Holmeswood. Thomas Hesketh, son of Nicholas Hesketh, was born at Holmeswood Hall in 1406. The present Holmeswood Hall was built in 1568 which is the date given on the 1847 Ordnance Survey map at Lancashire Records Office.Ordnance Survey Map, published 27 December 1847, Captain Tucker and Captain Stanley. This makes the building a grade II listed building. The Hesketh family being the owners of

Rufford Old Hall Rufford Old Hall is a National Trust property in Rufford, Lancashire, England. Built in about 1530 for Sir Robert Hesketh, only the Great Hall survives from the original structure. A brick-built wing in the Jacobean style was added in 1661, at ...

, re-built the present hall as a hunting lodge. The rise or 'brow' in approaching the hall is the ancient bank of Martin Mere. It can be seen today as a wood between Mere Brow and the hall itself the road is the ridge of the bank.

References

External links

Parish of Rufford with Holmeswood community website
* http://www.holmeswood.freeuk.com/ {{authority control Villages in Lancashire Rufford, Lancashire