Bleasdale History and Archaeology

The name Bleasdale may have come from Old Norse Blesa which means "a bare spot on a hill-side"

Bleasdale Circle SD 577460

Just up the lane and across a few fields is Bleasdale Circle a Bronze Age timber monument built 3700 years ago. The original position of the timber posts are now marked by concrete markers.

The finds from the site are on display at the Harris Museum in Preston.

Bleasdale Circle Leaflet (PDF 966kb)

Roman Lead Mining

High above us across the fells are remains of Roman lead mining and a Romano-British enclosed settlement Sagar Hill.

Packhorse Bridge Admarsh Barn and St. Eadmer’s Church

An equally short walk will take you first past St. Eadmer’s Church, at Admarsh in Bleasdale founded in 1577 and rebuilt 1835 using much of the original decorative stone work. Further on you can go past Admarsh Barn built in 1720 and on to the Packhorse bridge used by horses transporting wool to the Pennine manufacturing areas.

Chipping

'Chipping' in old English means market, many of the village's finest buildings date from the 17th century but the village dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. In the village is an ancient water-wheel and the village church was founded in 597AD.

The craft shop and post office has been a shop since 1668 and is probably the oldest continuously trading shop in Great Britain.

Lancaster Castle

Ribchester Roman Fort and Bath House

Medieval Churches

Ancient churches can be found at Chipping, Slaidburn and Bolton by Bowland.

Clitheroe Castle

Sawley and Whalley Abbeys

Lime Kilns at Cow Ark, Downham, Slaidburn and Dunsop Bridge