History
Preston Past: Avenham & Miller Parks (Part 2)
Avenham and Miller parks were both opened in 1867, however, Miller Park was created on land extending from the East Lancashire Railway to the North Union Railway embankments and was laid out on eleven acres of land which was donated to Preston Corporation by Alderman Thomas Miller, a principal partner in the firm of cotton manufacturers, Horrocks, Miller & Co. As with Avenham Park, Miller Park [...]
410 days ago by Paul D. Swarbrick Share
Free events to help families trace their Lancastrian roots
An event for Prestonians interested in tracing their family history takes place this weekend. The Family History Day at the Museum of Lancashire gives people a chance to explore their local roots. Stephen Miller, community outreach officer for the Museum, said: “This is a great chance to learn about your family history. We know a lot of people hit a brick wall with their research [...]
416 days ago by Ed Walker Share
Preston Past: Avenham & Miller Parks (Part 1)
Avenham Valley from the Vicarage Grounds,Preston 1862 (Courtesy of Preston City Council) A very early image of the area that was soon to be transformed into Avenham Park. This photograph was taken from the back of the old Vicarage garden in East Cliff. It appears that sleepers, rails and a quantity of cast iron chairs are stacked at the bottom of the slope in [...]
416 days ago by Paul D. Swarbrick Share
Preston’s Victorian churches revealed in new book
Their spires dominate the Preston skyline but how much do you know about the city’s churches? A new book celebrating a Victorian journalists visit to the chapels in Preston and the surrounding Lancashire countryside has been released. It takes the essays of Anthony Hewitson who in the early 1860s set out visiting every church in the city and writing an article on it for the [...]
423 days ago by Ed Walker Share
Preston Past: An Area Known As Bamber’s Yard (Final Part)
The second and final installment from last week’s article involves the remainder of the Bamber’s Yard area. Immediately below is an aerial image showing the complete area including the remaining part for the conclusion of our journey into the past of the Bamber’s Yard labyrinth. It is most probable that Prestonians of a certain age, at some time, will have walked along George’s Road down to Chapel Walks and Lune Street or vice versa. [...]
424 days ago by Paul D. Swarbrick Share
Ghostly memories of the former Preston Workhouse Hospital
Seeing a photo of the former Preston Workhouse Hospital in glorious Spring sunshine reminded a woman who used to live there of its past. Ruth Bond, who now lives in Fulwood, spent four years of her childhood running through the corridors, cellars and gardens of the former hospital. The building, now owned by the NHS and University of Central Lancashire, used to be a care [...]
430 days ago by Ed Walker Share