Roads and artifacts: 20/05/2012

Milestones, Boundary Markers, Historical Artifacts, Street Furniture, lost roads and buildings.

There are many traces of our ancestors scattered around our landscape. Mile Markers and Boundary stones are there too. The Milestone Society believes that there are approximately 9000 left in the United Kingdom. Some are cherished but others are hidden in hedgerows, some have been unwittingly destroyed by crashes, road equipment or even stolen. Roads have been straightened to make them safer. There are old gateposts still left in place, old buildings, and place names that declare an evocative past. The aim is to capture some of this information at least photographically before it disappears.

Although the Fylde Coast does not have ancient history, the Romans apparently struggled to Kirkham. There have been huge changes in the last two centuries from literally a a few fishermans' and agricultural dwellings, to a full blown tourist and light engineering industry.

More historical information can be found here about the Fylde coast.

It also seems that time has marched on and left what appears to be some very respectable buildings... which just should be used, but seem to have no worth.

Links from this Blog

Nearly-Midnight The genealogy website relating to the family. A tangled web of people all related to one another, explore!
Memorials Website dedicated to War Memorials - The majority in the North of England. Visits to churches, but also memorials in out of the way places.
Robert Clark The Father of Henry Martyn-Clark - A missionary out in the North-West Frontier of India. One of the first Europeans to set foot in Afganistan
Affetside Census A small village north of Bury, Lancashire, I can trace many of my immediate ancesters from there. On the Roman Road, Watling Street
Andrew Martyn-Clark My Father and his part in my World. Also my mother and his parents too.
Henry Martyn-Clark My Great Grandfather, his roots and his achievements. Discusses malaria but also his confrontations with Islam.

Friday, 25 May 2012

Churchtown, Garstang

I have not done St Helen's church or the Crosses justice. Unless you use flickr, there does not appear to be a photo of the cross. The two crosses that are mentioned in the Wikipedia Article do not refer to what seems to be a market cross or a preachers cross.

The booklet "The Ancient Crosses and Wells of Lancashire" tells me that this cross was erected by Alexander Butler of Kirkland Hall in the early part of the nineteenth century re-using the earlier base steps and square shaft. The Butlers were the predominant family in the area. Another visit is definitely required.

There seems to be no extra information about the cross either.

It seems there are actually the fragments then of at least 3 crosses in close proximity. This does not include Hagg Wood Cross either.

Churchtown Market Cross

There is a clear difference between the apparent antiquity of the steps and square base
compared to the round shaft.

View from the cross towards St Helen's Church

From the cross towards the Horns pub and thence to Garstang

Perhaps I need to return in 200 years

Churchtown Churchyard Cross. This cross was restored in 1930 by the gift of Jane Moncrieff
It used the ancient base of the cross at the south side of the church.

View towards the Market Cross from the church entrance

This page is very much a work in progress and will be updated as soon as I can return. I feel that there is more to be found. As the church is dated from the 13th Century and is a Grade 1 building it really does demand a revisit.