Downham, Lancashire
Encyclopedia
Downham is a village
and civil parish
in Lancashire
, England. It is in the Ribble Valley
district and as of the United Kingdom 2001 census has a population of 156. The village is on the north side of Pendle Hill
off the A59 road
about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Clitheroe
.
The manor was originally granted to the de Dinelay family in the fourteenth century by Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. It ceased to be a part of the Honor of Clitheroe
in 1558 when it was purchased by the Assheton family. It still remains in Assheton ownership today but was reincorporated into the Honor of Clitheroe
in 1945 when Ralph Assheton
, later 1st Baron Clitheroe
, bought the remnants of the Honor from the administrators of the Clitheroe Estate Company.
The 2nd Lord Clitheroe does not allow overhead electricity lines, aerials or satellite dishes, making the village a popular location for filming period dramas. Downham was one of the locations used in the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind
, and the series Born and Bred
, set in the fictional village of Ormston, was also filmed in the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in 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...
, England. It is in the 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...
district and as of the United Kingdom 2001 census has a population of 156. The village is on the north side of Pendle Hill
Pendle Hill
Pendle Hill is located in the north-east of Lancashire, England, near the towns of Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Clitheroe and Padiham, an area known as Pendleside. Its summit is above mean sea level. It gives its name to the Borough of Pendle. It is an isolated hill, separated from the Pennines to the...
off the A59 road
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
about 3 miles (4.8 km) from 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...
.
The manor was originally granted to the de Dinelay family in the fourteenth century by Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. It ceased to be a part of the Honor of Clitheroe
Honor of Clitheroe
The Honour of Clitheroe is an ancient grouping of manors and royal forests centred on Clitheroe Castle in Lancashire, England; an honour traditionally being the grant of a large landholding complex, not all of whose parts are contiguous...
in 1558 when it was purchased by the Assheton family. It still remains in Assheton ownership today but was reincorporated into the Honor of Clitheroe
Honor of Clitheroe
The Honour of Clitheroe is an ancient grouping of manors and royal forests centred on Clitheroe Castle in Lancashire, England; an honour traditionally being the grant of a large landholding complex, not all of whose parts are contiguous...
in 1945 when Ralph Assheton
Ralph Assheton
Ralph Assheton may refer to:* Sir Ralph Assheton , 15th Century Noble, also known as 'The Black Knight'* Sir Ralph Assheton , MP for Clitheroe 1640–1653, 1659–1662, 1679–1680...
, later 1st Baron Clitheroe
Baron Clitheroe
Baron Clitheroe of Downham in the County of Lancaster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1955 for the Conservative politician Ralph Assheton, who had previously served as Financial Secretary to the Treasury...
, bought the remnants of the Honor from the administrators of the Clitheroe Estate Company.
The 2nd Lord Clitheroe does not allow overhead electricity lines, aerials or satellite dishes, making the village a popular location for filming period dramas. Downham was one of the locations used in the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind
Whistle Down the Wind (film)
Whistle Down the Wind is a 1961 British film, directed by Bryan Forbes, screenplay by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, from the novel by Mary Hayley Bell.-Plot:...
, and the series Born and Bred
Born and Bred
Born and Bred is a light-hearted British drama series that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005. Created by Chris Chibnall and Nigel McCrery, Born and Breds cast was led by James Bolam and Michael French, who play a father and son who run a cottage hospital in Ormston, a fictional Lancashire village...
, set in the fictional village of Ormston, was also filmed in the village.