Downham /ˈdaʊnəm/ is a village and civil parish in Lancashire, England. It is in the Ribble Valley district and at the United Kingdom 2001 census had a population of 156.[1] The 2011 Census includes neighbouring Twiston giving a total for both parishes of 214.[2][3] The village is on the north side of Pendle Hill off the A59 road about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Clitheroe. Much of the parish, including the village is part of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).[4] It adjoins the Ribble Valley parishes of Rimington, Twiston, Worston, Chatburn and Sawley, and the Pendle parish of Barley-with-Wheatley Booth.
| Downham | |
|---|---|
 The village with the bridge crossing Downham Beck | |
  Downham Location in Ribble Valley Borough  Downham Location in the Forest of Bowland  Downham Location within Lancashire | |
| Population | 214 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SD785442 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CLITHEROE |
| Postcode district | BB7 |
| Dialling code | 01200 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
History
editThe manor was originally granted to the de Dinelay family in the fourteenth century by Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. It ceased to be a part of the Honour of Clitheroe in 1558 when it was purchased by the Assheton family. It still remains in Assheton ownership today but was reincorporated into the Honour of Clitheroe in 1945 when Ralph Assheton, later 1st Baron Clitheroe, bought the remnants of the Honour from the administrators of the Clitheroe Estate Company.
The 2nd Lord Clitheroe does not allow overhead electricity lines, aerials or satellite dishes, making the village a popular location for filming period dramas.[5] Downham was one of the locations used in the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind, and the BBC One series Born and Bred, set in the fictional village of Ormston, was also filmed in the village.[6] The 2012 BBC drama The Secret of Crickley Hall was also filmed in and around Downham.[7]
Governance
editDownham was once a township in the ancient parish of Whalley. This became a civil parish in 1866, forming part of the Clitheroe Rural District from 1894 till 1974.[8]
Along with Chatburn and Twiston, the parish makes up the Chatburn ward of Ribble Valley Borough Council.[3][9]
Media gallery
edit-
-
Former Downham School with Pendle Hill in the background -
-
Downham Green -
The Assheton Arms -
A view of the village with the Lidgett House in the background
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Parish headcount" (PDF). Lancashire County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2006. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Downham Parish (1170215105)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Wards and parishes map". MARIO. Lancashire County Council. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ Forest of Bowland map (Map). forestofbowland.com. Lancashire County Council.
- ^ Gogarty, Paul (20 June 2003). "Lancashire: Journey to Middle Earth". Telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
- ^ "Village back in TV spotlight". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 23 May 2002. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ Woodhouse, Lisa (20 November 2012). "Ribble Valley village of Downham stars in BBC chiller". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest (North West) Ltd. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ "Downham Tn/CP through time". visionofbritain.org.uk. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ "Chatburn". Ordnance Survey Linked Data Platform. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
External links
edit