Blackrod
Encyclopedia
Blackrod is a settlement and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
, in Greater Manchester
, England. It is 3.9 miles (6.3 km) north-northeast of Wigan
and 6.6 miles (10.6 km) west of Bolton
and, according to the United Kingdom Census 2001
, has a population of 5,300.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, Blackrod was once a centre for coal mining
Blackrod is reputed to be the site of a Roman station and they built a fort on the northern side of the town, on what is now a residential area called Castle Croft. The A6 road is built along the course of a Roman road passes below the hill on which the town is built.
In the first half of the 12th century the manor of Blackrod was held by William Peverel, but was confiscated by the king and in 1190 it was granted to Hugh le Norreys. In 1212 Hugh de Blackrod was tenant. In 1223 Hugh Norreys became lord of Blackrod and the manor descended through his family. Mabel Norris
heiress of Blackrod and Haigh
married Roger de Bradshaw and the manor remained with the Bradshaws until the 16th century.
Arley Hall was an estate in the west of the township held by William le Walsh in 1393 and later by Standishes and Norrises.
The hall was a moated manor house and is now the site of Wigan Golf Course.
After the Industrial revolution
the main industry of the town was coal mining
and there was a brickworks. In 1869 the collieries operating in Blackrod included Anderton Hall, Dootson Vauze, Park Hall, Rigby Hill, Marklands and Blackrod. The Scot Lane Colliery employed 628 men underground and 122 surface workers in 1923, it closed in 1932. There were formerly bleachworks, a calico-printing works and weaving mill was built in 1906.
and township in the ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors
in the Hundred of Salford
. It was part of the Wigan Poor Law Union
which after 1837 took responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
in that area. The Blackrod Local Board of Health was established in 1872 and in 1894 it became Blackrod Urban District
. Blackrod was within the administrative county
of Lancashire
but after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972
the Urban District became part of Bolton Metropolitan Borough in Greater Manchester in 1974.
It constitutes a civil parish, and has a town council and mayor.
overlooking the West Pennine Moors, and covers 2344 acres. It lies west of the M61 motorway
, which divides it from Horwich
. In the west is Arley, now the site of a golf course and to the south is Scot Lane.
Between Blackrod, Lostock
and Horwich is Red Moss, a 47.2 hectare (116.6 acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) which was designated in 1995 because of its biological interest. Red Moss is the best example of lowland raised mire
in Greater Manchester and is one of 21 SSSIs in the area. The site is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.
, founded in 1586 by John Holmes. It had a building, now demolished, near the church and in 1875 was amalgamated with Rivington Grammar School. In 1973 the Rivington and Blackrod Grammar School became Rivington and Blackrod High School
in Horwich
providing secondary education for many students in Blackrod.
Blackrod had three primary schools. Blackrod Anglican Methodist Church School, Blackrod Primary School - formerly Blackrod County Primary School and Scot Lane End Primary School which has closed.
priest to say divine service and mass in the chapel of St Catherine. The present church, dedicated to St Katharine of Alexandria
, is of Norman design but Elizabethan work can still be seen, but the parish church was enlarged in 1776, galleries added in 1837, the roof renewed in 1894, the chancel rebuilt in 1905 and nave in 1911. During this time the spelling has changed to Catherine, and now the current Katharine. There are six bells in the west tower, cast in 1776, renewed in 1922, and the clock was illuminated in 1947.
on the Manchester to Preston Line which opened in 1841 and where there was a branch line to Horwich
. Mineral lines served the various collieries.
The main road through the township was the A6, Manchester to Preston road which bypasses the town centre. The B5408 goes through the town. There are roads to Horwich and Aspull.
The M61 motorway
, part of the national motorway network between the M60
/M62
(Manchester
orbital motorway) and the M6
(Preston) was opened on November 28, 1969 by Fred Mulley, Minister of Transport
.
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It is 3.9 miles (6.3 km) north-northeast of Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
and 6.6 miles (10.6 km) west of Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and, according to the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, has a population of 5,300.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Blackrod was once a centre for coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
History
The name Blackrod derives from the Old English, blaec and rodu, meaning a "dark clearing". The first mention of the town dates to 1189, when it was recorded as Blacherode. It was recorded as Blakerodein 1200, and Blacrode in 1220. Another suggestion is that "rod" may refer to Holy Rood, Cross of Christ.Blackrod is reputed to be the site of a Roman station and they built a fort on the northern side of the town, on what is now a residential area called Castle Croft. The A6 road is built along the course of a Roman road passes below the hill on which the town is built.
In the first half of the 12th century the manor of Blackrod was held by William Peverel, but was confiscated by the king and in 1190 it was granted to Hugh le Norreys. In 1212 Hugh de Blackrod was tenant. In 1223 Hugh Norreys became lord of Blackrod and the manor descended through his family. Mabel Norris
Mab's Cross
Mab's Cross, in Wigan, Greater Manchester, is a stone cross probably dating from the 13th century . The remains of the cross are a one metre square dressed gritstone block high on top of a stone plinth and are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade II* listed building...
heiress of Blackrod and Haigh
Haigh
Haigh may refer to:Places*Haigh, Greater Manchester, England - a village*Haigh, West Yorkshire, England - a villagePeople*Christopher Haigh, British historian*Philip A...
married Roger de Bradshaw and the manor remained with the Bradshaws until the 16th century.
Arley Hall was an estate in the west of the township held by William le Walsh in 1393 and later by Standishes and Norrises.
The hall was a moated manor house and is now the site of Wigan Golf Course.
After the Industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
the main industry of the town was coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and there was a brickworks. In 1869 the collieries operating in Blackrod included Anderton Hall, Dootson Vauze, Park Hall, Rigby Hill, Marklands and Blackrod. The Scot Lane Colliery employed 628 men underground and 122 surface workers in 1923, it closed in 1932. There were formerly bleachworks, a calico-printing works and weaving mill was built in 1906.
Governance
Lying within the county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Blackrod was a chapelryChapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
and township in the ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors
Bolton le Moors
Bolton le Moors was a civil parish and ecclesiastical parish of the hundred of Salford in the historic county of Lancashire, England...
in the Hundred of Salford
Salford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
. It was part of the Wigan Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
which after 1837 took responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
in that area. The Blackrod Local Board of Health was established in 1872 and in 1894 it became Blackrod Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
. Blackrod was within the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
but after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
the Urban District became part of Bolton Metropolitan Borough in Greater Manchester in 1974.
It constitutes a civil parish, and has a town council and mayor.
Geography
Blackrod is situated on hilly ground near the River DouglasRiver Douglas
The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland or Astland, is a river that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England...
overlooking the West Pennine Moors, and covers 2344 acres. It lies west of the M61 motorway
M61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
, which divides it from Horwich
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
. In the west is Arley, now the site of a golf course and to the south is Scot Lane.
Between Blackrod, Lostock
Lostock, Greater Manchester
Lostock is a mostly residential district of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It lies west of Bolton town centre and northwest of Manchester....
and Horwich is Red Moss, a 47.2 hectare (116.6 acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) which was designated in 1995 because of its biological interest. Red Moss is the best example of lowland raised mire
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
in Greater Manchester and is one of 21 SSSIs in the area. The site is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.
Population change
| Population growth Population growth Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement.... in Blackrod since 1901 |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 2001 |
| Population | 3,875 | 3,896 | 3,867 | 3,599 | 3,072 | 3,153 | 3,606 | 4,975 |
| Source: A Vision of Britain through Time | ||||||||
Education
The earliest school in the township was Blackrod Grammar SchoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, founded in 1586 by John Holmes. It had a building, now demolished, near the church and in 1875 was amalgamated with Rivington Grammar School. In 1973 the Rivington and Blackrod Grammar School became Rivington and Blackrod High School
Rivington and Blackrod High School
Rivington and Blackrod High School is a Church of England, voluntary aided comprehensive and sixth form school in the North West region of England...
in Horwich
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
providing secondary education for many students in Blackrod.
Blackrod had three primary schools. Blackrod Anglican Methodist Church School, Blackrod Primary School - formerly Blackrod County Primary School and Scot Lane End Primary School which has closed.
Religion
The earliest mention of a chapel in Blackrod was in 1338 when Dame Mabel de Bradshagh endowed a chantryChantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
priest to say divine service and mass in the chapel of St Catherine. The present church, dedicated to St Katharine of Alexandria
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
, is of Norman design but Elizabethan work can still be seen, but the parish church was enlarged in 1776, galleries added in 1837, the roof renewed in 1894, the chancel rebuilt in 1905 and nave in 1911. During this time the spelling has changed to Catherine, and now the current Katharine. There are six bells in the west tower, cast in 1776, renewed in 1922, and the clock was illuminated in 1947.
Transport
Blackrod is served by Blackrod Railway StationBlackrod railway station
Blackrod railway station serves the village of Blackrod, 6.5 miles north west of Bolton railway station, 1.5 miles from the town centre of Horwich - closer indeed than station....
on the Manchester to Preston Line which opened in 1841 and where there was a branch line to Horwich
Horwich railway station
Horwich railway station was located in Lancashire, England on a branch from the Manchester to Preston Line. It was closed to passengers on 27 September 1965 and to goods on 25 April 1966....
. Mineral lines served the various collieries.
The main road through the township was the A6, Manchester to Preston road which bypasses the town centre. The B5408 goes through the town. There are roads to Horwich and Aspull.
The M61 motorway
M61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
, part of the national motorway network between the M60
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
/M62
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
(Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
orbital motorway) and the M6
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...
(Preston) was opened on November 28, 1969 by Fred Mulley, Minister of Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
.