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Penwortham sits on a hill
above the River Ribble, a strategic position that has been
recognised for a long time. Archaeological evidence shows that the
river was forded here in pre-historic times and there was a Saxon
settlement with a castle here long before the Domesday Book. The
name derives from Saxon:
Pen (a hill), weid, (a ford) and ham (a settlement).
After 1066,
William the Conqueror gave what is now Lancashire was given to
his relative Roger de Poicteau for his valour at Hastings. A small
castle was built on the hill in Penwortham overlooking the river
crossing and
the castle
mound (the motte) can still be seen behind St Mary's church. Roger
also gave land to the Benedictine Abbey at Evesham and they built a
small daughter abbey at Penwortham, starting in 1075. The priory
continued to function until the dissolution of the monasteries in
1535. The priory and its lands were sold to the Fleetwood family at
a then enormous price of £3,088. The Fleetwoods built a grand house
which became known as Penwortham Priory. An early photo of the
priory is shown below.
Whilst
much of the Middleforth (Lower Penwortham) area was developed during
the Victorian times, Upper Penwortham is largely 1920's housing and
post-war semis. Penwortham Priory became a victim of the 1920s
expansion of Penwortham when it was demolished to make way for
housing.
The
town's entry in the
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)
is
given here and a more detailed history
of the town can be found
here |
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