Bamber Bridge
Encyclopedia
Bamber Bridge is a village to the south of Preston, Lancashire, England
. The name derives from the Old English 'bēam' and 'brycg', which probably means "tree-trunk bridge". It is mentioned in an undated medieval document. The village is often referred to as "Brig" by residents. People born in the village, are known as "Briggers".
In 1857, the effect of the downturn in the cotton trade was such that a large manufacturer and spinner (Bamber Bridge SP & WN Co.) in the village reported liabilities estimated at £40,000 to £60,000, and were about to go on short time.
At approximately 7:00pm on Monday, 31 October 1859, a catastrophic fire burnt down the Withy Trees Mill in the village, owned by Eccles and Company. Contemporary reports said that the spinning-master and engineer had stayed on after the mill had closed at 6:00pm in order to effect some repairs to machinery on the third floor. A spark from the lamp they were using for illumination is said to have dropped upon some cotton waste, igniting it. Nobody was killed or injured in the fire, but between 16,000 and 17,000 spindles and 270 looms were destroyed and 250 hands were rendered unemployed at a stroke.
Reporting on 7 June 1862, The Times
stated that 600 hands had been thrown out of work with the stoppage of Dewhurst’s Mill. The same report also gave some indication of the economic strife that shopkeepers and other villagers now found themselves in – it was said that 1 in every 5 people in Bamber Bridge and Walton-le-Dale
and the surrounding area were now reduced to pauperism.
A petition against the recognition of the Confederate States of America
was presented to the House of Commons on Monday, 29 June 1863, by a villager, a Mr Barnes. No mention is made of his first name or whether he represented any organization.
The trade unionist George Woodcock
was born in the village on 20 October 1904. He was a voluntary official of the Bamber Bridge branch of the Weavers' Association after a spell of tuberculosis
. He won a TUC scholarship to Ruskin College, Oxford
in 1929. He was awarded the CBE
in 1953 and appointed a member of the Privy Council
in 1957. He was General Secretary of the TUC in 1960 and a member of the Royal Commission
on Trade Union
s and Employers’ Associations in 1965 and served as chairman from 1969 to 1971. He died on 30 October 1979.
at Farington
, with a branch connecting Bamber Bridge directly to Preston
. A station
was built where the railway crossed Station Road at a level crossing.
The stretch of track through the village was first owned by The East Lancashire Railway
, then the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
following incorporation in 1847.
In March 1859, a Hurricane engine bolted off the rails at Bamber Bridge and ran across the level-crossings and caught the end of a house knocking down the gable end. The accident did not end with any death or injury, even though a woman was washing in the kitchen of the house.
The railway was then amalgamated into the London & Northwestern Railway in 1922 and twelve months later became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(citation). The LMS
plaque was still in existence on the station subway buildings before their demolition in 2005 due to their dilapidation. The railways were nationalised in 1948, first becoming part of British Railways and then British Rail
when rebranded many years later. The railways were privatised in 1994 by the Conservative
government.
The line from Farington to Blackburn is now part of the East Lancashire Line
.
The direct route to Preston
was closed by British Rail in the 1970s, and most of the route is now a cycle route, as part of the National Cycle Network
.
next to the railway station. It was formerly part of the A6, until a bypass was built in the 1980s.
The village is also at the northern end of the A49
, where it meets the A6.
The section of the M6 motorway
around the village is part of the Preston Bypass opened in 1958, the first motorway in Britain, and includes the junction with the M61 from Manchester. More recently the M65
has been extended to join the A6, also in Bamber Bridge.
connected two parts of the Lancaster Canal
, and crossed Station Road.
, Bamber Bridge played host to a number of American
servicemen. Their base was situated on Mounsey Road, part of which still exists now as home to 2376 (Bamber Bridge) Squadron of the Air Training Corps
(or Air Cadets).
Trouble began on the evening of 24 June 1943, and it was largely an all-American affair that helped to highlight racial tensions within the American forces. Two white military police
men had entered the Hob Inn on Church Road to arrest a black soldier, who was out without a pass. An argument ensued between the black soldier and the white MP
s, with local people and British
servicemen siding with the black soldier and the small group of comrades he was with. The MPs left the pub to seek reinforcements and intercepted the soldiers as they returned to their barrack rooms. A melee broke out, guns were drawn and several men were shot.
Rumours abounded at the camp that the MPs were going to shoot the intercepted men and a crowd gathered at the gates of the camp. A party of armed men then commandeered a vehicle and drove out into the village, where more shooting broke out. White Americans were chased down the street and passing army vehicles were fired upon. Military reinforcements were brought in and a machine gun ambush was set up along Station Road. The local police stayed away from the area and locals were warned to stay indoors.
At midnight, a large group of MPs arrived at the camp armed with machine guns. A general panic broke out resulting in black soldiers arming themselves from the camp gunroom. There was then general chaos. Groups of armed men were stalking each other in the fields and back lanes of the village until around 4.00am the next morning, when an American general arrived. The only black officer was placed in charge of the situation and the rifles were then all handed in. One man was killed (Pte. William Crossland), 3 were injured and 35 arrested.
The Black Bull, Station Road - now closed
'Mackenzies In Brig bar (formerly the Mackenzie Arms), Station Road - now closed
The Lancs & Yorks, Station Road
The White Bull, Station Road
Last Orders (chain-pub formerly known as 'The Blue Ball'. The building was also the old police station), Station Road
Ye Olde Original Withy Trees (formerly Withy Trees Farm), Station Road
Withy Arms (formerly The Top House and prior to that 'Shifty O'Shea's', an Irish theme bar and prior to that the Withy Trees), Station Road
The Pear Tree, Station Road
The Peters Bar (formerly Tommy Tuckers), School Lane
The Woodsman, School Lane - now closed
The Hospital Inn, Brindle Road
The Poachers, Lostock Lane
The Walton Fox, South Rings Business Park
Bamber Bridge Conservative Club, Cranbourne Street (Opened by Lord Cranbourne)
The Trades Hall, Station Road (formerly the Liberal Club)
Bamber Bridge & County Catholic Club, Aspden Street
Bamber Bridge F.C.
, Irongate, Brownedge Road
School Lane Working Men's Club & Institute, St. Aidan's Road
Bamber Bridge Scooter Club, Ye old original withy trees, Station Road club website
2376 (Bamber Bridge) Squadron ATC (Air Cadets), Mounsey Road ACO Website
council. It is represented on the council by two councillors in each of three wards; Bamber Bridge East (Cllr. James Owen & Cllr. David John Watts (Mayor), both Labour Party
), Bamber Bridge North (Cllr. Stephen Bennett, Labour & Cllr. Carol Ann Chisholm, Conservative
) and Bamber Bridge West (Cllr. Thomas George Hanson, Labour & Cllr. Paul Andrew Foster, Labour).
. The second, South Ribble Rural East, covers the southern part of the village and is represented by Tom Sharratt, of the Idle Toad
party.
, the Labour
/Co-operative Party
Member of Parliament for Preston
. In the UK General Election on 5 May 2005, Hendrick polled a total of 17,210 votes (50.5 % of all votes cast), a clear majority of 9407 over the Conservative
candidate, Ms F. J. Bryce. Following their review of parliamentary representation in Lancashire, the Boundary Commission for England has created a modified Ribble Valley
seat in which the three Bamber Bridge parliamentary wards; Bamber Bridge East, Bamber Bridge North and Bamber Bridge West, will move at the next UK general election. The decision to move the wards was made despite objections raised by the Labour Party in Bamber Bridge. At the last general election, the Ribble Valley was confirmed as a safe Conservative Party seat and is currently represented by Nigel Evans
MP.
Age. The population was divided into the following age groups; 0–4 years, 5.86%; 5–15 years, 14.64%; 16–19 years, 4.19%; 20–44 years, 34.34%; 45–64 years, 25.21%, and; over 65 years, 15.75%.
Ethnicity. According to census returns, the ethnic make-up of the village was; White, 98.10%; Mixed, 0.50%; Asian or Asian British, 0.66%; Black, Black British, 0.23%, and; Chinese or other ethnic group, 0.51%.
Religion. The percentage of people listing themselves as; Christian, 86.68%; Buddhist, 0.10%; Hindu, 0.32%; Jewish, 0.00%; Muslim, 0.21%; Sikh, 0.11%; Other religions, 0.07%; No religion, 7.91%, and; Religion not stated, 4.60%.
Housing. In 2001, there were a total of 5027 households in the three wards. Of the total 84.14% were owner occupied and 15.86% were rented. Expressed as a percentage of the total; 34.50% owned their property outright; 48.47% owned their property with a mortgage or a loan, and; 1.16% of householders had shared ownership of their property. Expressed as a percentage of the total; 0.86% rented their home from the local authority; 10.22% rented from a housing association
; 3.05% rented from a private landlord or a letting agency, and; 1.73% rented from another source.
Health. In 2001; 67.28% of people were listed as 'in good health'; 22.89% in fairly good health; 9.83% not in good health, and; 19.74% of people were listed with a limiting long-term illness.
, Lytham St Annes
, Blackpool South
, Blackburn, Accrington
and Burnley
and various stations in between. Trains to Bradford
, Leeds
, York
, and Blackpool North
which pass through the station normally require a change at either Blackburn or Preston, except for one service each way daily which calls at Bamber Bridge. On Sundays between April and October, the "Dalesrail" service operates from Blackpool North to Carlisle
via Blackburn, Clitheroe
and the Settle to Carlise line, calling at Bamber Bridge.
churches, both are parish churches in the Diocese of Blackburn
. The first to be built was St.Saviour's Church, on Church Road at the south end of the village, was built in 1837 on land given by Mr. R. Townley Parker (Guild mayor of Preston in 1862) and was considerably altered and enlarged in 1886/1987, when the altered church was opened by Lord Cranbourne. The land for the churchyard was donated by Mr. R. A. Tatton of Cuerden Hall
. It is a Grade II listed building. St. Aidan's Church, on Station Road, was founded in 1895.
The village's Roman Catholic church, St. Mary's & St. Benedict's Church, is on Brownedge Lane, and was built in 1826, as a replacement for a chapel. A spire was added in 1866, and the church was partly rebuilt by Peter Paul Pugin
in 1892. The church has a neo-gothic altar
.
Bamber Bridge Methodist Church is on the corner of Wesley Street and Station Road, and was opened in 2006, as a replacement for an older building on the same site.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The name derives from the Old English 'bēam' and 'brycg', which probably means "tree-trunk bridge". It is mentioned in an undated medieval document. The village is often referred to as "Brig" by residents. People born in the village, are known as "Briggers".
Textiles
By 1764 calico printing had been established in the village and this was the first example of calico printing anywhere in Lancashire. Prior to the establishment of calico printing in the north, it was predominantly carried out in the south of England, before spreading to Scotland and the northern counties.In 1857, the effect of the downturn in the cotton trade was such that a large manufacturer and spinner (Bamber Bridge SP & WN Co.) in the village reported liabilities estimated at £40,000 to £60,000, and were about to go on short time.
At approximately 7:00pm on Monday, 31 October 1859, a catastrophic fire burnt down the Withy Trees Mill in the village, owned by Eccles and Company. Contemporary reports said that the spinning-master and engineer had stayed on after the mill had closed at 6:00pm in order to effect some repairs to machinery on the third floor. A spark from the lamp they were using for illumination is said to have dropped upon some cotton waste, igniting it. Nobody was killed or injured in the fire, but between 16,000 and 17,000 spindles and 270 looms were destroyed and 250 hands were rendered unemployed at a stroke.
Reporting on 7 June 1862, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
stated that 600 hands had been thrown out of work with the stoppage of Dewhurst’s Mill. The same report also gave some indication of the economic strife that shopkeepers and other villagers now found themselves in – it was said that 1 in every 5 people in Bamber Bridge and Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale is a village in the Borough of South Ribble, in Lancashire, England. It lies on south bank of the River Ribble, and the south-side of the city of Preston, adjacent to Bamber Bridge.-Toponymy:...
and the surrounding area were now reduced to pauperism.
A petition against the recognition of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
was presented to the House of Commons on Monday, 29 June 1863, by a villager, a Mr Barnes. No mention is made of his first name or whether he represented any organization.
The trade unionist George Woodcock
George Woodcock
George Woodcock was a Canadian writer of political biography and history, an anarchist thinker, an essayist and literary critic. He was also a poet, and published several volumes of travel writing. He founded in 1959 the journal Canadian Literature, the first academic journal specifically...
was born in the village on 20 October 1904. He was a voluntary official of the Bamber Bridge branch of the Weavers' Association after a spell of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He won a TUC scholarship to Ruskin College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1929. He was awarded the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1953 and appointed a member of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in 1957. He was General Secretary of the TUC in 1960 and a member of the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s and Employers’ Associations in 1965 and served as chairman from 1969 to 1971. He died on 30 October 1979.
Railways
The railway came to Bamber Bridge around the same time as the first cotton mills. A line was built connecting Blackburn with the West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
at Farington
Farington
Farington is a small village and civil parish in the South Ribble local government district of Lancashire, England.-Geography:Situated to the immediate north of Leyland, Farington consists of villages, farms and mossland, modern residential development and an industrial area around the Leyland...
, with a branch connecting Bamber Bridge directly to Preston
Preston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
. A station
Bamber Bridge railway station
Bamber Bridge railway station serves the area Bamber Bridge to the south of Preston city centre on the A6 and M6 roads.-Description:Its railway station, in common with Lostock Hall, was once much larger and used by many more trains than today...
was built where the railway crossed Station Road at a level crossing.
The stretch of track through the village was first owned by The East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
, then the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
following incorporation in 1847.
In March 1859, a Hurricane engine bolted off the rails at Bamber Bridge and ran across the level-crossings and caught the end of a house knocking down the gable end. The accident did not end with any death or injury, even though a woman was washing in the kitchen of the house.
The railway was then amalgamated into the London & Northwestern Railway in 1922 and twelve months later became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(citation). The LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
plaque was still in existence on the station subway buildings before their demolition in 2005 due to their dilapidation. The railways were nationalised in 1948, first becoming part of British Railways and then British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
when rebranded many years later. The railways were privatised in 1994 by the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government.
The line from Farington to Blackburn is now part of the East Lancashire Line
East Lancashire Line
The East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....
.
The direct route to Preston
Preston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
was closed by British Rail in the 1970s, and most of the route is now a cycle route, as part of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
Roads
Station Road is the main road through the village, and most of the shops are along the road. It crosses the railway at a level crossingLevel crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
next to the railway station. It was formerly part of the A6, until a bypass was built in the 1980s.
The village is also at the northern end of the A49
A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
, where it meets the A6.
The section of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
around the village is part of the Preston Bypass opened in 1958, the first motorway in Britain, and includes the junction with the M61 from Manchester. More recently the M65
M65 motorway
The M65 is a motorway in Lancashire, England. It runs from just south of Preston through the major junction of the M6 and M61 motorways, east past Darwen, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Nelson and ends at Colne.-History:...
has been extended to join the A6, also in Bamber Bridge.
Canals
The Lancaster Canal TramroadLancaster Canal Tramroad
The Lancaster Canal Tramroad, also known as the Walton Summit Tramway or the Old Tram Road, was completed in 1803 to link the north and south ends of the Lancaster Canal across the Ribble valley , pending completion of the canal. The canal link was never constructed.-History:The Lancaster Canal...
connected two parts of the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
, and crossed Station Road.
The 'Battle' of Bamber Bridge
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bamber Bridge played host to a number of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
servicemen. Their base was situated on Mounsey Road, part of which still exists now as home to 2376 (Bamber Bridge) Squadron of the Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
(or Air Cadets).
Trouble began on the evening of 24 June 1943, and it was largely an all-American affair that helped to highlight racial tensions within the American forces. Two white military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
men had entered the Hob Inn on Church Road to arrest a black soldier, who was out without a pass. An argument ensued between the black soldier and the white MP
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
s, with local people and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
servicemen siding with the black soldier and the small group of comrades he was with. The MPs left the pub to seek reinforcements and intercepted the soldiers as they returned to their barrack rooms. A melee broke out, guns were drawn and several men were shot.
Rumours abounded at the camp that the MPs were going to shoot the intercepted men and a crowd gathered at the gates of the camp. A party of armed men then commandeered a vehicle and drove out into the village, where more shooting broke out. White Americans were chased down the street and passing army vehicles were fired upon. Military reinforcements were brought in and a machine gun ambush was set up along Station Road. The local police stayed away from the area and locals were warned to stay indoors.
At midnight, a large group of MPs arrived at the camp armed with machine guns. A general panic broke out resulting in black soldiers arming themselves from the camp gunroom. There was then general chaos. Groups of armed men were stalking each other in the fields and back lanes of the village until around 4.00am the next morning, when an American general arrived. The only black officer was placed in charge of the situation and the rifles were then all handed in. One man was killed (Pte. William Crossland), 3 were injured and 35 arrested.
Location grid
Public houses
Ye Olde Hob Inn, Church Road. A 17th century coach house, built c.1616 and originally smaller than its present dimensions. Before it was known as The Hob, it was called 'The Black Horse'.The Black Bull, Station Road - now closed
'Mackenzies In Brig bar (formerly the Mackenzie Arms), Station Road - now closed
The Lancs & Yorks, Station Road
The White Bull, Station Road
Last Orders (chain-pub formerly known as 'The Blue Ball'. The building was also the old police station), Station Road
Ye Olde Original Withy Trees (formerly Withy Trees Farm), Station Road
Withy Arms (formerly The Top House and prior to that 'Shifty O'Shea's', an Irish theme bar and prior to that the Withy Trees), Station Road
The Pear Tree, Station Road
The Peters Bar (formerly Tommy Tuckers), School Lane
The Woodsman, School Lane - now closed
The Hospital Inn, Brindle Road
The Poachers, Lostock Lane
The Walton Fox, South Rings Business Park
Clubs and associations
Bamber Bridge Band Club, Station RoadBamber Bridge Conservative Club, Cranbourne Street (Opened by Lord Cranbourne)
The Trades Hall, Station Road (formerly the Liberal Club)
Bamber Bridge & County Catholic Club, Aspden Street
Bamber Bridge F.C.
Bamber Bridge F.C.
Bamber Bridge F.C. are an English football club based in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One North and are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association. They play their home games at the QED Stadium in Bamber Bridge...
, Irongate, Brownedge Road
School Lane Working Men's Club & Institute, St. Aidan's Road
Bamber Bridge Scooter Club, Ye old original withy trees, Station Road club website
2376 (Bamber Bridge) Squadron ATC (Air Cadets), Mounsey Road ACO Website
Local
Bamber Bridge is in the district of South RibbleSouth Ribble
South Ribble is a non-metropolitan district and borough of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Leyland.In May 2007, the council was officially declared "Excellent" by the Audit Commission, gaining its place among the best 5 district councils in the country,-Overview:On 4 October 2007, a...
council. It is represented on the council by two councillors in each of three wards; Bamber Bridge East (Cllr. James Owen & Cllr. David John Watts (Mayor), both Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
), Bamber Bridge North (Cllr. Stephen Bennett, Labour & Cllr. Carol Ann Chisholm, Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) and Bamber Bridge West (Cllr. Thomas George Hanson, Labour & Cllr. Paul Andrew Foster, Labour).
County
The village is covered by two electoral divisions on Lancashire County Council. The first, Bamber Bridge & Walton-le-Dale covers the majority of the village and is represented by Peter Mullineaux, of the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. The second, South Ribble Rural East, covers the southern part of the village and is represented by Tom Sharratt, of the Idle Toad
Idle Toad
The Idle Toad is a registered English political party, fighting elections in the South Ribble district of Lancashire, England.The party originated in 1997, when Labour Party councillor Tom Sharratt was deselected...
party.
Parliamentary
Bamber Bridge is currently represented in the House of Commons by Mark HendrickMark Hendrick
Mark Phillip Hendrick is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Preston since winning a by-election in 2000.-Biography:Hendrick, who is half Somali, was born in Salford, Lancashire...
, the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
/Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
Member of Parliament for Preston
Preston (UK Parliament constituency)
Preston is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. In the UK General Election on 5 May 2005, Hendrick polled a total of 17,210 votes (50.5 % of all votes cast), a clear majority of 9407 over the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate, Ms F. J. Bryce. Following their review of parliamentary representation in Lancashire, the Boundary Commission for England has created a modified Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status within the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Clitheroe. Other places include Whalley, Longridge and Ribchester. The area is so called due to the River Ribble which flows in its final stages...
seat in which the three Bamber Bridge parliamentary wards; Bamber Bridge East, Bamber Bridge North and Bamber Bridge West, will move at the next UK general election. The decision to move the wards was made despite objections raised by the Labour Party in Bamber Bridge. At the last general election, the Ribble Valley was confirmed as a safe Conservative Party seat and is currently represented by Nigel Evans
Nigel Evans
Nigel Martin Evans is a British politician. Since 1992 he has been Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley constituency. Since 2010 he has been First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, a deputy speaker.-Career:...
MP.
Demographics
Population. The 2001 Census data for the three wards that make up Bamber Bridge listed the entire population as 12,126. Of this number, 5,882 are listed as male and 6,244 as female.Age. The population was divided into the following age groups; 0–4 years, 5.86%; 5–15 years, 14.64%; 16–19 years, 4.19%; 20–44 years, 34.34%; 45–64 years, 25.21%, and; over 65 years, 15.75%.
Ethnicity. According to census returns, the ethnic make-up of the village was; White, 98.10%; Mixed, 0.50%; Asian or Asian British, 0.66%; Black, Black British, 0.23%, and; Chinese or other ethnic group, 0.51%.
Religion. The percentage of people listing themselves as; Christian, 86.68%; Buddhist, 0.10%; Hindu, 0.32%; Jewish, 0.00%; Muslim, 0.21%; Sikh, 0.11%; Other religions, 0.07%; No religion, 7.91%, and; Religion not stated, 4.60%.
Housing. In 2001, there were a total of 5027 households in the three wards. Of the total 84.14% were owner occupied and 15.86% were rented. Expressed as a percentage of the total; 34.50% owned their property outright; 48.47% owned their property with a mortgage or a loan, and; 1.16% of householders had shared ownership of their property. Expressed as a percentage of the total; 0.86% rented their home from the local authority; 10.22% rented from a housing association
Housing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
; 3.05% rented from a private landlord or a letting agency, and; 1.73% rented from another source.
Health. In 2001; 67.28% of people were listed as 'in good health'; 22.89% in fairly good health; 9.83% not in good health, and; 19.74% of people were listed with a limiting long-term illness.
Transport
The village has an unmanned railway station with hourly direct trains to PrestonPreston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
, Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
, Blackpool South
Blackpool South railway station
Blackpool South railway station is a single platform stop at the end of the Fylde coast branch line from Kirkham, in Lancashire, England. It is unmanned and has an hourly service daily, except winter Sundays....
, Blackburn, Accrington
Accrington
Accrington is a town in Lancashire, within the borough of Hyndburn. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, north of Manchester city centre and is situated on the mostly culverted River Hyndburn...
and Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
and various stations in between. Trains to Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, and Blackpool North
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
which pass through the station normally require a change at either Blackburn or Preston, except for one service each way daily which calls at Bamber Bridge. On Sundays between April and October, the "Dalesrail" service operates from Blackpool North to Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
via Blackburn, Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
and the Settle to Carlise line, calling at Bamber Bridge.
Worship
Bamber Bridge has two Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
churches, both are parish churches in the Diocese of Blackburn
Diocese of Blackburn
The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley...
. The first to be built was St.Saviour's Church, on Church Road at the south end of the village, was built in 1837 on land given by Mr. R. Townley Parker (Guild mayor of Preston in 1862) and was considerably altered and enlarged in 1886/1987, when the altered church was opened by Lord Cranbourne. The land for the churchyard was donated by Mr. R. A. Tatton of Cuerden Hall
Cuerden Hall
Cuerden Hall is a country mansion in the village of Cuerden near Preston, Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. The Hall was formerly a family home between 1717 and 1906, and used by the Army up until the 1960s. It is now a Sue Ryder Care Home...
. It is a Grade II listed building. St. Aidan's Church, on Station Road, was founded in 1895.
The village's Roman Catholic church, St. Mary's & St. Benedict's Church, is on Brownedge Lane, and was built in 1826, as a replacement for a chapel. A spire was added in 1866, and the church was partly rebuilt by Peter Paul Pugin
Peter Paul Pugin
Peter Paul Pugin was an English architect, son of Augustus Welby Pugin by his third wife Jane Knill. He was the half-brother of architect and designer Edward Welby Pugin....
in 1892. The church has a neo-gothic altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
.
Bamber Bridge Methodist Church is on the corner of Wesley Street and Station Road, and was opened in 2006, as a replacement for an older building on the same site.