Newchurch, Lancashire
Encyclopedia
Newchurch is a village in the Borough of Rossendale
, Lancashire
.
It is around one mile away from Rawtenstall
and half a mile from Waterfoot
.
It is also the home of Rossendale United F.C.
home ground Dark Lane.
The village has a mixture of large detached houses and farm houses, and smaller semi-detached housing on Staghills Council Estate where the majority of the villages population lives. There are two large manor houses, Heightside, a nursing home for the mentally ill and Ashlands, a care home for the elderly.
The village is built on a hill, Seat Naze. On this hill there is a stone circle with many rumours circulating about its original use.
A mobile phone mast
was erected on top of Seat Naze in the 1990's.
The hill also has a network of caves running underneath it, used for quarrying in the early 1900's. They stretch from Newchurch to Crawshawbooth
around 4 miles away.
The original building for Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
was in Newchurch, on Turnpike. This site was used between 1701 until 1913 until they moved to their current site in Waterfoot
. The site was then used as St Peters RC Primary School until they moved to a new site in the 1970's. It remained derelict until 2000, when it was demolished and the land was used to build a house.
The village is said to have been 'spoiled' post-war
with the building of new homes and the council estate, Staghills. During the 1960's many of the historic buildings were demolished to make way for newer bungalows, before this it has been said the village was similar to that of historic tourist attraction town of Haworth
in West Yorkshire.
passes through the village on a regular basis giving easy access to Bury
and Burnley
. The 273 bus provides transport through to Burnley and Bolton
.
, St. Peter's R.C and a Methodist Church.
Most of the local village shops and the post office have closed in the last couple of decades due to increased transport making it easier to reach local supermarkets in nearby Rawtenstall
. A takeaway, general store and hairdressers are the only remaining ones, as well as the two local pubs The Blue Bell and The Boars Head, the latter being open since 1674.
Newchurch has two primary schools; St Nicholas and St Peter's as well as a nursery.
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
.
It is around one mile away from Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
and half a mile from Waterfoot
Waterfoot, Rossendale
Waterfoot is a small Rossendale mill-town at between Rawtenstall and Bacup in Lancashire where the B6238 from Burnley meets the A681. It is where the River Whitwell meets the River Irwell.- History :...
.
It is also the home of Rossendale United F.C.
Rossendale United F.C.
Rossendale United F.C. was an English football club based in Newchurch, near Rawtenstall, Lancashire. The club was formed in 1898 but was expelled from the North West Counties League Premier Division on 18 June 2011....
home ground Dark Lane.
The village has a mixture of large detached houses and farm houses, and smaller semi-detached housing on Staghills Council Estate where the majority of the villages population lives. There are two large manor houses, Heightside, a nursing home for the mentally ill and Ashlands, a care home for the elderly.
History
Newchurch is one of the earliest settlements in the Forest of Rossendale. The township of Newchurch stretched from Bacup to Rawtenstall and in 1511 it was recorded as having a population of 1000 people. Before the building of St Nicholas in 1511, the village was called Kirk.The village is built on a hill, Seat Naze. On this hill there is a stone circle with many rumours circulating about its original use.
A mobile phone mast
Cell site
A cell site is a term used to describe a site where antennas and electronic communications equipment are placed, usually on a radio mast, tower or other high place, to create a cell in a cellular network...
was erected on top of Seat Naze in the 1990's.
The hill also has a network of caves running underneath it, used for quarrying in the early 1900's. They stretch from Newchurch to Crawshawbooth
Crawshawbooth
Crawshawbooth is a small village on the edge of the Pennine Hills in England just north of the market town of Rawtenstall, Lancashire, and just south of Loveclough. It is part of the valley of Rossendale, an ancient royal hunting ground...
around 4 miles away.
The original building for Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School is a selective co-educational foundation school in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The school is named after the two main towns either side of Waterfoot, Bacup and Rawtenstall.-History:...
was in Newchurch, on Turnpike. This site was used between 1701 until 1913 until they moved to their current site in Waterfoot
Waterfoot
Waterfoot is the name of several villages in the United Kingdom:*Waterfoot, County Antrim, Northern Ireland*Waterfoot, East Renfrewshire, Scotland*Waterfoot, Lancashire, England...
. The site was then used as St Peters RC Primary School until they moved to a new site in the 1970's. It remained derelict until 2000, when it was demolished and the land was used to build a house.
The village is said to have been 'spoiled' post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
with the building of new homes and the council estate, Staghills. During the 1960's many of the historic buildings were demolished to make way for newer bungalows, before this it has been said the village was similar to that of historic tourist attraction town of Haworth
Haworth
Haworth is a rural village in the City of Bradford metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is located amongst the Pennines, southwest of Keighley and west of Bradford. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope...
in West Yorkshire.
Transport
The 483 bus service ran by Rossendale TransportRossendale Transport
Rossendale Transport is a bus operator running within the Borough of Rossendale and into surrounding areas, including Rochdale, Bury, Manchester, Burnley, Accrington, Blackburn and Todmorden...
passes through the village on a regular basis giving easy access to Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
. The 273 bus provides transport through to Burnley and Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
.
Services
Newchurch has three churches, St Nicholas ChurchSt Nicholas' Church, Newchurch
St Nicholas Church in Newchurch, Lancashire, England, is a Church of England parish church built in the early 1500s.-History:The first church was thought to be made of wood and erected in 1511, and it was rebuilt in stone in 1561 in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.-External links:*...
, St. Peter's R.C and a Methodist Church.
Most of the local village shops and the post office have closed in the last couple of decades due to increased transport making it easier to reach local supermarkets in nearby Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
. A takeaway, general store and hairdressers are the only remaining ones, as well as the two local pubs The Blue Bell and The Boars Head, the latter being open since 1674.
Newchurch has two primary schools; St Nicholas and St Peter's as well as a nursery.