Midge Walkers

Walk No.  149

New Year’s Day Walk 2022- Leyland

Following the disappointment of not having any representation in the New Year’s Honours listings, our annual educational walk this year centred on Leyland and 24 walkers met on the Tesco car park at 10.00 a.m. Congregating around the stone cross, which is the oldest construction in Leyland and marked the old village centre, we learned of the social history and original development with the Leyland Hundred Manor eventually becoming the property of Edward the Confessor in late Saxon times.

Across the road, the public house, recently renamed the Stag (which had been its initial name), dates back to the 18th Century. It was renamed the Roebuck in 1823. Opposite on the corner of Fox Lane, another pub, formerly the Bay Horse appears on a map dated 1769 and was originally thatched. On the north side of Fox Lane, a group of 26 Hand Loom Weavers Cottages with basement workshops are situated. These were built before 1802 and were originally known as the “Friendly Society Houses”, but are now better known as the “Step Houses.”

Nos 66 to 70, built in 1887 out of an endowment of £2,000, given by Mrs Ryley, the first block of Alms houses was built. Nos 80 to 86 Fox Lane were another block, built in 1870 funded from the Osbaldeston Charities. John Osbaldeston of Chiswick London, who died in 1665, left £500 to be invested in land for the maintenance of the poor of Leyland. The first construction was on Cow Lane near Leyland Cross and subsequently rebuilt in their present position. Nos 92 to 100 date back to 1852 and the next block 102 to 112 erected in 1849 were funded by the Farrington family.

Crossing the road and reversing our direction soon brought us to the gates of The Cricket Club dating back to 1847. This piece of land was initially leased from the vicar of Leyland and in its early days the team’s success provided so many players to join the County Side, brought it the reputation of being the “Nursery of Lancashire.” The next point of interest was the former St Andrews C of E School, built by public subscription and dating back to 1837 and still used as a nursery school today. Further along, the façade of what was known as the Top School stood. All the classrooms in this building apparently were on the first floor. Eileen showed a photograph of her mother as a girl in one of the classrooms.

Continuing to the junction of Worden Lane and turning right, the building on the corner, now sadly boarded up, was Occleshaw House, having taken its name from an early occupier. Over the years it has had many uses including a chemist shop, post office, print works, hotel and even a doctor’s surgery. A little further brought us to another distinctive Georgian fronted town house with stone facings and Doric columns, appropriately named Leyland House. Built in 1770 and initially occupied by the Baldwin family who supplied no less than nine vicars to St Andrews Church. In 1844 the owner gifted it to start a Roman Catholic Church. In 1854 a new chapel was built for £500 under the title of St Mary’s. This was enlarged in 1919 and served the Catholic population until 1964 when the new building on Broadfield Drive was erected. Opposite a much older property, Clough House now operates as a Residential Care Home.

Turning into Chestnut Court opposite, took us behind a property called the Laurels, at one time owned by the Farrington family and the former St Andrews Vicarage called Chestnut Court, built in 1914 at a cost of £2,240 and now part of a sheltered housing scheme to enter the burial grounds surrounding the Parish Church. St Andrews Church dates back to 1050 with the tower and chancel at 1220. Our route, caused us to leave to the East adjacent to the ancient watch-house, believed to have been used at one time for the storage of corpses prior to burial. Immediately to the left, the partly timber framed building occupied by the Heritage Museum dates back to the mid 16th century and formerly housed the Grammar School. The stone cobbled path led us to the rear of the oldest inn, the Eagle and Child. It is believed that part of the premises was once used as Leyland’s Court House, with the cellars as holding- rooms for offenders.

Passing down Church Rd and passing the towns war-memorial, we turned into Stanning St, branching right at the end and following a pathway, emerged onto St Andrews way to follow the rear perimeter of Tesco and emerge on to Towngate, where we turned right. At the junction of Forge St, we paused to hear how in 1892 the family engineering business headed by James Sumner, following experiments with steam, produced a prize-winning lawn mower. The resultant Lancashire Steam Motor Company was formed in 1896 with the Spurrier family joining Sumner on the board of directors.

Further along at the junction with Hough Lane, we were reminded of the site of the old Regent Cinema Building which later became Woolworths and now is occupied by Asda and on our side The Gables.  Along Hough Lane and at one time viewing both right and left along the streets, views of the extensive North and South works of Leyland Motors could be seen and provided employment for the majority of the male population of the area.

Our route continued passing the United Reform Church Built in 1877 with its 80ft tower and the former Post Office building, now a Weatherspoon Pub with its name giving a nod to the past “The Leyland Tiger.” The round-about at the end partly occupies the site of the former Gas Works which existed until the 60’s and made way for new road development. We turned right into Turpin Green Lane, passing the Methodist Church on our left, and branched into Balcarres Rd. to its intersection with the main road which we crossed and continued to reach an NHS building at an intersection with Broad Square. This we were told had at one time been one of the training establishments for Leyland Motors and behind it, lay extensive playing fields.

Crossing this square and along Sandy Lane brought us out onto St Andrews Way at the Junction with Church Rd, from where we returned to our starting point. We had added to our knowledge of the area surrounding us and look forward to a better year ahead with the ability to join in many more enjoyable well researched rambles.