Images of Lancashire

Longridge is the town where I live. I believe that it's only fair that my hometown should finally get its own entry and a proper entry at that!

Longridge is a small town in the borough of Ribble Valley on a ridge above the River Ribble. It's a few miles north-east of Preston and has a population of around 8,000. The town got its name from Oliver Cromwell who, when on his way across the fells from Stonyhurst to Preston remarked, "What a long ridge this is".

It's a nice place in which to live and I love living here. The people are friendly and will often give you time of day unlike in many larger cities. Longridge is close enough to Preston yet near the lush countryside of the Ribble Valley to explore as you wish.

Anyway, enough of me wibbling on about how I love my town when you haven't even seen it. It was a lovely Thursday morning on which to take pictures so I'll shut up and let you see them!

This is one of the main roads running into Longridge at Stonebridge. You can see the small Thorougoods corner shop just across the road:



The Stonebridge roundabout. If you look closely at the top-centre of the first picture you might be able to make out a CCTV camera. Those were only put up earlier this year. The second picture shows some of Kestor Lane:





Part of Derby Road for your edification. There's the Corner Bakery a bit further on. Many a time I'd go down there of a Wednesday morning and pick up some meat and potato pies (a very traditional Lancashire dish!).



The Longridge branch of the Lancashire Constabulary:



This is the Roman Catholic St. Wilfrid's church:





And the St. Wilfrid's membership club of the same name. I've only ever been in there once or twice. Behind the membership club is a small hospital where people go to recuperate. It's lovely inside there and whenever I've been in you get the impression that they give a toss about the patients under their care.



The bottom end of Berry Lane. To the left is Carefoot's butchers' shop (see below), Barnacre Road Primary School (referred to by some people as 'Barnackered') , the Somerfield supermarket, the Alston Arms and people's homes.



Here's the aforementioned butcher's. If you're ever in the area and need some meat, Carefoots is the place.



Now we're on the Berry Lane, the main shopping street in Longridge. Across the road there is the Right Price shop - usually referred to as 'cheap shop' by us as they sell all manner of low-price things as well as soft drinks and so on. On the left of the image is A Touch of Class, a hairdresser's hair stylist.



The Towneley Arms Hotel, which is owned by Martin Carefoot, the man who owns the butcher's shop (and one or two other businesses in the town). This is one of the major pubs in Longridge. To account for the slightly differing climate: this picture was taken about six weeks before all other pictures in this set. I've just stuck it on as it goes well with the general tour.



The middle of Berry Lane. The office of the Longridge News used to be based just out of shot to the right of this picture but they closed it down a few years back. The building is currently owned by the Preston-based Fox & Co. estate agents.



A shot looking to the top of Berry Lane:



Another shot of the middle of Berry Lane. To the right of the picture is the Longridge Civic Hall. A market is held there every Thursday as well as a car boot sale every Sunday.



One of the local buses:



A picture taken nearer the top of Berry Lane:



The Longridge branch of Lancashire County Council's library service:



The top of Longridge. There's not a great deal up there to be honest apart from a pub (the White Bull) and the Hagans caravan site. Most of the top of Longridge is a residential area.



This is the other end. There's a few pubs (including, out of shot to the left, the Dog Inn), a chippy and the town's one and only cinema, The Palace.



A shot of the town's one-screen independent cinema, The Palace. Many a time I've come in here and watched some great films:



Much further down, this one, on Chapel Hill. The Roman Catholic St. Cecilia High School is on the other side of the road:



Now, I wouldn't normally cover a single pub but in this case I'll make an exception. Why, you ask? Well, this pub, The Old Oak on the Preston Road is my local. If you're ever in Longridge and have time go and have a pint and meet the locals. You're sure of a warm welcome!





And this, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, is where this Longridge-Tour-by-Internet ends. I hope you all enjoyed this look at my home town and I hope to take you on another trip soon. For now, though, goodbye!