An important point about this village is that it has had a Lord of the Manor continuously since 1558. The Assheton family at that time superseded the Dyneley family who had held the manor through the medieval centuries, with land held by Sawley and Whalley Abbeys.
The peerage of Ralph Assheton in 1955 established a succession of Lords Clitheroe who continue to own a large farming estate here, and historically still collect the rents twice a year at the Assheton Arms pub. The family have constantly taken great care of this manor, its villagers and tenants, and maintain all that is necessary for the village wellbeing. In the 1800s the Asshetons undertook a great rebuilding and improving programme of village cottages and farms, much of the rebuilding retained on original sites.
There are no pylons or telegraph posts or overhead cables – they are all underground, and this is one of the first communities to have made this improvement – even the telephone box is a subdued grey rather than eye-catching red.
Agriculture has always been prevalent on this landscape of light soil overlying limestone, allowing good cattle-grazing. The ancient breed of White Park cattle (with their velvety black ears, noses and feet) dominated for hundreds of years before being superseded. The Asshetons apparently acquired a herd from Whalley Abbey at the Dissolution in about 1540 and they roamed in managed freedom over the estates of this manor and the neighbouring manor of Gisburn Park (Lister family).
Two ancient routes passed through here, one from Ribchester to Ilkley which was created by the Romans, and one known to be even earlier. There is evidence of a village here before the Norman Conquest and drovers and traders, including medieval monastic of course, created the busy-ness of this community. For centuries they traded fleeces for handwoven cloth, and milled cereal, and the marketing of cattle. When the textile industry took off in the 18th/19th centuries the local weavers had to give way to the development of large industrial mills in nearby cities and many moved out to those cities where there was more reliable work and better income. Meanwhile agriculture remained an important part of the economy – to this day.
The church of St. Leonard is considered to have been on this same site for over thousand years, with evidence of Saxon and early Norman foundations. A chapel existed here before the foundation of Whalley Abbey and served many nearby townships and hamlets. The tower is 15th century but the church has had successive restorations and rebuilds over the centuries. Situated at the top of the hill, the view from the porch overlooking the village and across the lush valley to Pendle Hill is breathtaking.
Downham Hall, the home of the Assheton family, was rebuilt in 1830s on its 16th century foundations, and with a large stables and coach-house block on the northside. Extensive gardens with long established trees and colourful shrubs are behind old walls, and an immaculate and expansive walled kitchen garden can be viewed below the church.
There are of course contrasting eras of architectural structure in the village, from 1580 upwards, the detail and features of earlier buildings being of particular interest to the group. Although the interiors of 17th century buildings must have been quite dark, the detailed windows and the work of skilled stonemasons on these structures still survives.
Considered to have been an Anglian village it was however difficult to identify what would have been a typical back lane, especially as the village layout has changed over the centuries, but the reliable old beck at the foot of Downham keeps running on its course through the valley.
The Field Society History Group had an excellent day which was well researched by Marion.
Words and pictures by Phyllida
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