Withnell
| Withnell | |
|---|---|
 Bury Lane, Withnell village centre | |
  Withnell Shown within Chorley Borough  Withnell Location within Lancashire | |
| Population | 3,498 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SD634217 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHORLEY |
| Postcode district | PR6 |
| Dialling code | 01254 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Withnell is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England. According to the census of 2001, it had a population of 3,631, reducing to 3,498 at the census of 2011.[1] Withnell is about 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Chorley itself and about 5 miles (8 km) from Blackburn. It borders the villages of Brinscall and Abbey Village, which are part of the parish. It constituted an urban district from 1894 to 1974.
Etymology
[edit]The name Withnell is first recorded as Withinhull around 1160, and appears as Withinhulle in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire. It means 'hill where willow trees grow'.
Amenities
[edit]St. Joseph's Catholic church in Withnell has a primary school.[2] St Paul's Church of England parish church was built in 1841.[3] It has a 1917 war memorial cross commemorating First World War Pte James Miller, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after delivering a message and returning with the reply despite being shot in the back. The memorial was Grade II listed in 2024.[4]
There was formerly a post office, closed on 8 May 2008 as part of the Post Office Network Change Program.[5] A newsagent continued to operate from the old post office premises, but closed a couple of years later and the building became a private house.
Withnell Health Centre is a GP surgery serving Withnell and surrounding villages.[6][7] There is also a pharmacy, a beauty parlour and a car sales garage.
Withnell railway station served the village, but it closed in 1960.
Environs
[edit]Withnell Local Nature Reserve, designated by Chorley Borough Council, roughly traces the path of a now disused railway cutting for around 600 yards (550 m). Since 1966, a large number of wildflowers, native trees and heathers have been planted in the 12-acre (4.9 ha) site. The public are free to walk through the reserve.[8][9]
In 2018, the type of stone needed for the completion of the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona was discovered in Brinscall Quarry near Withnell.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Withnell Parish (E04005161)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell".
- ^ Nikolaus Pevsner (1969). North Lancashire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 264.
- ^ Mark Brown (7 November 2024). "Lancashire memorial to first world war hero given Grade II-listed status". The Guardian.
- ^ "Date set for post office closures". Lancashire Post. 15 April 2008. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012.
- ^ Paul Faulkner (12 July 2024). "GP wins lengthy campaign to keep running surgery". BBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
- ^ "Find services - NHS Choices". National Health Service. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ^ "Withnell Nature Reserve". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Map of Withnell Nature Reserve". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Barcelona's iconic Basilica de la Sagrada Familia built with stone from Lancashire". Lancashire Post. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Withnell, Chorley Borough Council.
- History of Withnell Township, British History Online.
- History of Withnell Mill, Withnell history website
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