Wiswell
Encyclopedia
Wiswell is a small village and civil parish
in Ribble Valley
, within the county of Lancashire, England. It is close to the towns of Whalley
and Clitheroe
at the foot of Wiswell Moor.
Alternatively, it is thought by some that 'Wis' was the name or part of the name of a pre-Christian chieftain and the hamlet was developed because of a well which provided essential water, hence Wiswell.
to West Lancashire.
The Vicarage House in Wiswell is of medieval origin and one of the finest sections of Roman road to be seen in Lancashire lies between Lamb Roe and Wiswell. The town also had a preaching cross and this can still be seen to the right of the road into the town. The shaft of the cross is modern but the site is ancient.
Wiswell Farm, on the outskirts of the village was constructed on the site of Old Wiswell Hall, which was the birthplace of John Paslew. He went on to become the 25th and last of the Abbots of Whalley.
The nearby Barrow Print Works or cotton mill was considered part of Wiswell and many people around Barrow and Wiswell worked there.
The property on which the pub operates was not originally designed as a public house. It was formerly three small cottages one of which was a freemasons' lodge.
This is how the current pub acquired its name. The original village pub was located adjacent to the public phone box. “The Lamb Inn” no longer exists and is now known as Clegg House,a residence on the corner of Coronation Gardens.
The Lamb Inn closed its doors over 150 years ago. At this time about forty percent of the people who lived in Wiswell left to live elsewhere. This was probably related to job losses (through the temporary closure of the Barrow mill) and significant employment opportunities elsewhere. Wiswell was without a pub for some time as the Freemasons did not open its doors until considerably later on.
The British census figures taken each ten years from 1801 to 1871 tell a story. The census uses the highway from Whalley to Pendleton to describe Wiswell as 'West' and 'East':
West:
East:
In the censuses from 1801 to 1841, the population rose sharply and stabilized between 1841 and 1851 at about 750 people. Following this the population declined sharply to about 420 in 1871.
The change in population in the 1850’s was dramatic. It seems likely that the Barrow Print Works closed for a time after 1851 or at least significantly reduced its workforce. Notes in the 1861 census highlight “a decrease in the population of the Townships of Wiswell and Whalley which is attributed to the discontinuance of employment in the Printworks.”
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 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...
, within the county of Lancashire, England. It is close to the towns of Whalley
Whalley
Whalley is a large village in the Ribble Valley on the banks of the River Calder in Lancashire, England. It is overlooked by Whalley Nab, a large picturesque wooded hill over the river from the village....
and 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...
at the foot of Wiswell Moor.
Name
The name Wiswell is commonly spoken as wizel. The true pronunciation is more like 'wize-well’ consistent with the original spellings of "Wyswell" or "Wiswall". There are several theories about origins of the name. It is said to take its name from Old Molly’s Well, a local landmark later to become known as Wise Woman’s Well (Wise Well).Alternatively, it is thought by some that 'Wis' was the name or part of the name of a pre-Christian chieftain and the hamlet was developed because of a well which provided essential water, hence Wiswell.
History
Wiswell was not always the affluent area it is today. It is believed that it was the residence of many of the servants of the Old Abbey in Whalley and later on a stop off point on the way from YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
to West Lancashire.
The Vicarage House in Wiswell is of medieval origin and one of the finest sections of Roman road to be seen in Lancashire lies between Lamb Roe and Wiswell. The town also had a preaching cross and this can still be seen to the right of the road into the town. The shaft of the cross is modern but the site is ancient.
Wiswell Farm, on the outskirts of the village was constructed on the site of Old Wiswell Hall, which was the birthplace of John Paslew. He went on to become the 25th and last of the Abbots of Whalley.
The nearby Barrow Print Works or cotton mill was considered part of Wiswell and many people around Barrow and Wiswell worked there.
Amenities
Today the village only boasts a pub (Freemasons Arms), however, there used to be a small corner shop, school and church. The names of each still stand on the original buildings but they are now prominent houses in the village.The property on which the pub operates was not originally designed as a public house. It was formerly three small cottages one of which was a freemasons' lodge.
This is how the current pub acquired its name. The original village pub was located adjacent to the public phone box. “The Lamb Inn” no longer exists and is now known as Clegg House,a residence on the corner of Coronation Gardens.
The Lamb Inn closed its doors over 150 years ago. At this time about forty percent of the people who lived in Wiswell left to live elsewhere. This was probably related to job losses (through the temporary closure of the Barrow mill) and significant employment opportunities elsewhere. Wiswell was without a pub for some time as the Freemasons did not open its doors until considerably later on.
The British census figures taken each ten years from 1801 to 1871 tell a story. The census uses the highway from Whalley to Pendleton to describe Wiswell as 'West' and 'East':
West:
- Wiswell township (part of) in the parish of Whalley. All that part of the township of Wiswell which lies on the Western side of the highway leading from the town of Whalley to the village of Pendleton and which passes through the town of Wiswell [and includes BarrowBarrow, LancashireBarrow is a village in the Ribble Valley district in Lancashire, England, situated between Whalley and Clitheroe and bypassed by the A59. It has a Primary school, a Chinese Chip Shop, a Business park, a McDonald's, a Co-operative Food and a park...
].
East:
- All that part of the township of Wiswell which lies on the Eastern side of the Highway leading from Whalley to Pendleton including Briggs farm, Busskens Hill, Wiswell Hall, Wiswell Eaves and the remaining cottages on the Eastern side of the Highway.
In the censuses from 1801 to 1841, the population rose sharply and stabilized between 1841 and 1851 at about 750 people. Following this the population declined sharply to about 420 in 1871.
The change in population in the 1850’s was dramatic. It seems likely that the Barrow Print Works closed for a time after 1851 or at least significantly reduced its workforce. Notes in the 1861 census highlight “a decrease in the population of the Townships of Wiswell and Whalley which is attributed to the discontinuance of employment in the Printworks.”