Slaidburn () is a 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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

within the

Ribble Valley Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Clitheroe, the largest town. The borough also includes the town of Longridge and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. ...

district of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, England. The parish covers just over 5,000 acres 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 ...

Historically History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

in the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...

, Slaidburn lies near the head of the

River Hodder The River Hodder is in Lancashire, England. It is a County Biological Heritage Site. It rises on White Hill and flows for approximately 23 miles to the River Ribble, of which it is the largest tributary. The Hodder drains much of the Fore ...

and

Stocks Reservoir Stocks Reservoir is a reservoir situated at the head of the Hodder valley in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, England (historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974). It provides water mainly for Blackpool and the Fylde coast. The re ...

, both within the

, an

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...

. Farming is still a major employer, but the area attracts tourists; for walking in particular. The civil parish of Slaidburn shares a parish council with Easington, a rural parish to the north of Slaidburn. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 288. The

United Kingdom Census 2011 A Census in the United Kingdom, census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Inter ...

grouped the parish with Easington (2001 pop. 52), giving a total of 351. The parish church of St Andrew has a superb Jacobean screen and a fine Georgian pulpit. The

brass band A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting primarily of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands (particularl ...

composer

William Rimmer William Rimmer (February 20, 1816August 20, 1879) was an American artist and teacher born in Liverpool, England. Biography William Rimmer was the son of an English lumber merchant who emigrated to Nova Scotia, where he was joined by his w ...

(1862–1936) composed the now-popular march, named ''Slaidburn'' after the village, for the Slaidburn Silver Band. A new village hall has opened to much fanfare and is being well used. There is a local pub, the Hark to Bounty, which upstairs houses the ancient halmote or courthouse of the Manor of Slaidburn

History

From early times, the Manor of Slaidburn formed part of the ancient

Lordship of Bowland The Lordship of Bowland is a manorial lordship 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. ...

, being held in

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land subinfeudation, sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. ...

from the second half of the 14th century. The Lordship of Bowland 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 state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

of ten manors spanning eight townships and four parishes and covered an area of almost on the historic borders of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The manors within the liberty were Slaidburn (

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 King ...

, West Bradford,

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

), Knowlmere, Waddington, Easington, Bashall, Mitton, Withgill (Crook), Leagram (

Bowland-with-Leagram Bowland-with-Leagram is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, covering part of the Forest of Bowland. According to the census, the parish had a population of 181 in 1951, 128 in 2001 and 169 at the Census 2011. A ...

), Hammerton and Dunnow (Battersby). There was a major manorial reorganisation of Bowland in the second half of the 14th century, which may have been precipitated by a fall in population caused by the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

(1348–50) but was probably also a consequence of the absorption of Bowland into the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is an estate of the British sovereign. The estate has its origins in the lands held by the medieval Dukes of Lancaster, which came under the direct control of the monarch when Henry Bolingbroke, the then duke of Lancast ...

. Among other changes, this saw Newton subsumed into the demesne of Slaidburn and the manorial ''caput'' shift from

to Slaidburn. Two of the Lord of Bowland's

mesne Mesne (an Anglo-French legal form of the O. Fr. ''meien'', mod. ''moyen'', mean, Med. Lat. ''medianus'', in the middle, cf. English ''mean''), middle or intermediate, an adjective used in several legal phrases. * A mesne lord is a landlord who has ...

manors – Battersby (Dunnow) and Knowlmere – fell within the bounds of the township of Newton but did not become part of the demesne of Slaidburn. See

for further information. According to a leading local historian, the historic Manor and Liberty of Slaidburn covered a wide area, not equivalent to the Slaidburn parish boundaries, but comprising the villages and town fields of Slaidburn and Newton-in-Bowland, including Ingbreak, a town field to the west of Slaidburn village; Raw Moor, part of the enclosed land of 1619 north of Slaidburn village in the Croasdale area; Brunghill Moor, Burn Moor and Dunsop, also enclosed in 1619 and near Back Lane and Burn Hill; Champion, also enclosed in 1619 and to the east of Slaidburn village; Woodhouse, to the north west of Slaidburn village; Youlstone Wood, also enclosed in 1619, and to the south of Newton village; and most of West Bradford and

villages and their town fields. Title to the Manor and Liberty of Slaidburn, West Bradford and

, including the township of

, was bought by Tory MP, Ralph Assheton, later first

Baron Clitheroe Baron Clitheroe of Downham, Lancashire, Downham in the County of Lancaster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in the 1955 Birthday Honours for the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician Ralph Assheton, 1st B ...

, in 1950. In 1977, his second son, the Hon. Nicholas Assheton, was granted title. Since 2003, the Lord of the Manor and Liberty of Slaidburn has been Thomas Assheton, son of the Hon. Nicholas Assheton and nephew of the second

. The Steward to the Manor and Liberty of Slaidburn is Thomas Manson who was appointed in 2019. He is a partner at the Clitheroe-based firm of Chartered Surveyors and Land Agents, Ingham and Yorke. His predecessor, Michael Parkinson, formerly advised the

Lord of Bowland The Lordship of Bowland is a manorial lordship 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. ...

as the Chief Steward of the

Governance

Historically administered as part of the

Honour of Clitheroe The Honour of Clitheroe is an ancient grouping of manors and royal forests centred on Clitheroe Castle in Lancashire, England; an honour traditionally being the grant of a large landholding complex, not all of whose parts are contiguous. In th ...

for a long period, Dixon Robinson being the most prominent of the administrators. Along with

Bowland Forest Low Bowland Forest Low is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, covering some of the Forest of Bowland. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 168, falling to 160 at the 2011 Census. The parish ...

, Newton, Easington and

Bolton-by-Bowland Bolton-by-Bowland is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. Before 1974, the village was part of Bowland Rural District in the West Riding of Yorkshire. According to the census of 2001, the parish ha ...

, the parish forms the Bowland, Newton and Slaidburn

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

Borough Council. The ward had a population of 1,243 in 2001, rising to 1,325 in 2011. The ward elects a single councillor, who currently is Joan Elms of the Conservative Party.

Geography

The

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

known as

Watling Street Watling Street is a historic route in England, running from Dover and London in the southeast, via St Albans to Wroxeter. The road crosses the River Thames at London and was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the M ...

, that runs from

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

via

Ribchester Ribchester () is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Ribble, northwest of Blackburn and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The village has a long history w ...

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

, passes in a NNE direction to the west of the village before turning NW on Low Fell. This section is also known as the Hornby Road. The

flows through the parish, joined by Croasdale Brook on the eastern edge of the village. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the trials of the

Pendle witches The trials of the Pendle witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in English history, and some of the best recorded of the 17th century. The twelve accused lived in the area surrounding Pendle Hill in Lancashire, and were charged ...

, a new long-distance walking route called the

Lancashire Witches Walk The Lancashire Witches Walk is a long-distance footpath opened in 2012, between Barrowford and Lancaster, all in Lancashire, England. It starts at Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford before passing through the Forest of Pendle, the town ...

has been created. Ten ''tercet'' waymarkers, designed by Stephen Raw, each inscribed with a verse of a poem by

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, and her term expired in 2019. She wa ...

have been installed along the route, with the fifth located here.

People

*Thomas Sanderson, (1793–1878), farmer of Woodhouse, Slaidburn. He was also for many years

Overseer of the Poor An overseer of the poor was an official who administered poor relief such as money, food, and clothing in England and various other countries which derived their law from England, such as the United States. England In England, overseers of the po ...

for the Slaidburn District and an Officer of

HM Customs & Excise HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at the time of its dissolution) was a department of the British Government formed in 1909 by the merger of HM Customs and HM Excise; its primary responsibility was the ...

. In 1850, he and his wife Frances (née Bland – sister of the Rev Stephen Bland of St. Wilfrid's Church, Burnsall in Craven) and their children emigrated to Wisconsin, USA, on the SS ''Arctic'', where several of his sons rose to prominence – see below. :* Robert B. Sanderson, (1825–1887),

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

senator who became one of the largest sheep breeders in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Thomas Sanderson (Wisconsin politician) Thomas Sanderson (September 13, 1827October 11, 1912) was an English American immigrant, farmer, and Republican politician. He served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Columbia County. Biography Sanderson was born in Slaidb ...

(1827–1912), farmer and state legislator/politician. :*Jonathan Sanderson, (1837–1914), known as the Pioneer Giant of Nebraska, standing six feet nine inches tall. Whilst he and his wife were still newcomers in Nebraska William F. Cody (

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend at the young age ...

) and a scout stopped by and asked for shelter during a storm. They stayed two or three days playing cards and repairing and cleaning their guns. He was in the area as there had been some fighting on the Little Blue River about 20 miles south of the Sanderson home. :*Joseph Sanderson, (1841–1914),

farmer and state legislator/politician. He was very active in support of legislation beneficial to agricultural interests. *Robert Parker (1731–1796), a prominent lawyer and attorney of Halifax, Yorkshire, was born at Gamble Hole Farm in Newton in Bowland. He was baptised at Slaidburn Parish Church in March 1731 (1732 new style), the son of George Parker, a yeoman farmer. He is most famous for investigating and identifying the

Cragg Vale Coiners The Cragg Vale Coiners, sometimes the Yorkshire Coiners, were a band of counterfeiters in England, based in Cragg Vale, near Hebden Bridge, West Riding of Yorkshire. They produced debased gold coins in the late 18th century to supplement sm ...

who clipped gold and silver coins. He was also the attorney of choice for the owners of many of the large Yorkshire landed estates. *

James Radley James Radley (1884–1959) was one of the first English aviators, holding Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificate Number 12. As well as carrying out demonstration flights and competitions in aircraft, he also piloted a ballon in a number of bal ...

(1884–1959), one of the first English aviators, was born at Dunnow Hall in Slaidburn. *Tempest Slinger (1683–1728), prominent lawyer and attorney of

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

and

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and whose practice was the beginning of the law firm

Farrer & Co Farrer & Co is a British law firm headquartered in London, England serving private individuals, charitable institutions and corporations. They have, over their more than three hundred years of operation, acted for many of the Kings and Queens o ...

, the Queen's solicitors, was born at Dunnow Hall in Slaidburn in 1683, the son of Nicholas Slinger.

Ancient parish

The historic parish of Slaidburn comprised the

townships A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Bowland Forest High Bowland Forest High is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, covering some of the Forest of Bowland. It fell within the ancient boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. According to the 2001 census, the parish ...

, Easington,

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...

and Slaidburn itself.

Church

The church of St Andrew was built in the Perpendicular style: the powerful stone tower contrasts with the long, low, rendered walls of the nave and aisles. There is a fine interior with a great variety of box and bench pews ranging in date from the 17th to the 19th century. The font-cover is

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...

, the screen Jacobean and the three-decker pulpit is Georgian.Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) ''Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches: the North''. London: Collins; p. 349 The church is recorded in the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, ...

as a designated Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

, having been listed in 1954.

Media gallery

Image:Slaidburn Bridge, Forest of Bowland - geograph.org.uk - 56545.jpg, Slaidburn Bridge Image:St Andrews Church, Slaidburn - geograph.org.uk - 402420.jpg, St Andrew's Church Image:Slaidburn War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 371128.jpg, Slaidburn War Memorial Image:Slaidburn from the North. - geograph.org.uk - 131414.jpg, Slaidburn from the north Image:Slaidburn Village Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1299245.jpg, Slaidburn Village Hall Image:Slaidburn Heritage Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1349010.jpg, Slaidburn Heritage Centre Image:Brennands Endowed School, Slaidburn - geograph.org.uk - 1349024.jpg, Brennand's Endowed School File:Mourning Soldier War Memorial, Slaidburn, Lancashire.jpg, Mourning Soldier War Memorial

References

External links

Slaidburn Conservation Area Appraisal

Bell Sykes Meadow SSSI

Langcliff Cross Meadow SSSI

Myttons Meadow SSSI

Standridge Farm Pasture SSSI
{{authority control Villages in Lancashire Civil parishes in Lancashire Geography of Ribble Valley History of Yorkshire Forest of Bowland