Morecambe is a coastal town on the Irish Sea. It comprised the hamlets of Poulton, Bare and Torrisholme until 1889. Passage of the necessary legislation officially named the area Morecambe. Formed in 1894, the Urban District Council freed the town from governance by the Borough of Lancaster (until 1974, when Lancaster again took charge). But various parties […]
Barnoldswick in Lancashire is at the highest point of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The market town dates back to pre-Roman times, was prominent in the Industrial Revolution and Rolls Royce developed the jet engine there in the Second World War. The steam engine at Bancroft Mill still works and is part of the Stream […]
Rochdale sits at the foothills of the South Pennines. It flourished into a centre of Northern England’s wool trade from the 13th century. Rochdale was also a prominent boomtown during the first Industrial Revolution. With textile manufacture as key industry, the area subsequently developed as one of Britain’s first industrial towns. The town’s rapid development was partly due to Rochdale […]
Gorton is a town in Manchester, and it is rich in cultural heritage. For example, the world-famous Belle Vue Zoological Gardens opened in 1836. In its lifetime it served as a zoo, amusement park, exhibition hall complex and speedway stadium. It developed from containing a small amusements park in the 1870s to the ‘show ground […]
The Romans founded Chester in the C1st AD. The city was the fortress of the 20th Legion. There are extensive Roman walls of local red sandstone. Outside the walls are the remains of the largest Roman amphitheatre in Britain. Storyhouse Today’s theatre lovers can also enjoy an indoor experience at Chester’s Storyhouse. The recently opened […]
Lytham, was a fishing village and appeared in the Domesday Book 1086. But, in the C17th coastal retreats became popular as people the looked for the healthy properties of sea water. The town began to grow and popularity was bound to increase with the coming of the railways. Today the town has architectural features which […]
Nantwich is a lively medieval market town on the banks of the River Weaver in Cheshire. The town is famous for its medieval timbered buildings. It is also proud of its markets, its International Cheese Show and Food Festival, and its Civil War history. Music festivals, such as the Blues and Jazz Festival and Acoustics […]
In early September the doors will be open on hundreds of unusual and exceptional historic and iconic properties. We start you off with some ideas of where to visit around the country.
An ancient market town, Oswestry stands by an Iron Age Hill Fort named Caer Ogyrfan. According to legend, this was the name of King Arthur’s father in law. Gwinevere may have been born here. Of the 25 hill forts on the Welsh borders, this is the largest and is very impressive. The fort shows that […]
The centre of the City of Derby is an eclectic blend of old and new. The mix includes the Cathedral, Georgian buildings in Friargate and cobbled streets, next to C20th urban townscape. The once splendid Friar Gate Bridge dates from 1878. Local iron foundry Andrew Handyman & Co. designed the bridge for the Great Northern […]
