History

About.......

Charnock Richard Scarecrow festival is now in its 9th year and runs every September. The villagers create wild and creative displays that attracts visitors from far and wide.The committee organise the event and facilitate the weekend which helps lots of local charitable and worthwhile causes such as the Old School, Church, Christ Church School, Football Club, Dog & Partridge, Uniformed Groups such as scouts and brownies and other local organisations.

Please pay us a visit and park safely in the designated areas. It's a lovely village that is tranquil and attractive, have a lovely stroll through it and help us to raise valuable funds that support local people and community groups. Come and visit us at the latest Charnock Richard Scarecrow Festival.

Village History.......

Charnock is a Celtic name. The char part of Charnock comes from the old Welsh ‘Caer’ meaning fortified place. Around 1242 the land passed into a family who assumed the surname Charnock and added the Richard, as that was the name of the head of the family. Other versions of this exist but all are similar, one with the name Richard being added to avoid confusion with Heath Charnock, but again Richard being the name of the head of the family.

Park Hall has a long and varied past and has been the home of some of Lancashire’s most influential families. Park Hall’s story began in the 7th century when the body of St Cuthbert was apparently hidden in the woods for three years, after which it is thought a monastery was built on the site in 908. Some years later it was the home of Henry de Lea, who was beheaded with Adam Banastre on Leyland Moor in 1315 after the abortive Banastre Rebellion.

Later the de Hoghton family (ancestors of the same family that still lives in Hoghton Tower) lived there as did the Alison family. In 1933 George Victor Few arrived at Park Hall and its use changed into a venue for entertainment. Park Hall was purchased by John Rigby in 1972 when he developed Park Hall as a hotel and banqueting venue, some of the woodland was cleared to make way for Arena North where many open air events were held and later this area became home to the Camelot Theme Park.

The Hotel and grounds are now in separate ownership with the hotel being run by Best Western and the surrounding grounds including the Camelot Theme Park, which is now closed, is owned by a property developer whose intentions are to build houses on the site.

Mining has paid a large part in this part of Lancashire and Charnock Richard is no exception, the remains of the mines around Syd Brook, in Welch Whittle remain clearly visible and records show that Nicholas Heskin was getting cannel (which is a coal that burns brightly but also lots of smoke) near Welch Whittle Mill in 1590. John Halliwell was mining coal in Charnock Richard in 1722 and in 1728 and he was using a water wheel on the Syd Brook (the brook which runs through Chisnall Wood and Welch Whittle) to pump out the water from his pit in that area. The baskets of coal were drawn up the pit by a horse drawn whim gin. There was also the pit of Ralph Lowe, near Park Hall, which was 72 yards deep and I’m not converting that to metric, but it took a horse to go round 4½ times to draw up a basket of coal.

Old School, Church and Alms Houses; James Darlington was a generous person who was in the fortunate position to be able to benefit all the places in which he lived, this ability was due to the fact that the Darlington family owned mining properties in Coppull and Charnock Richard. In 1845 James Darlington moved into Allison Hall Charnock Richard, and it was because of his efforts that a new school was provided in 1858 and in 1860 a new church was consecrated, Christ’s Church. In the late 1860s the Darlington family moved from Charnock Richard to Bedworth in Warwickshire, a county for which James Darlington was later to become High Sheriff but he never forgot Coppull or Charnock Richard.

On the death of his wife, Frances, in 1897, James Darlington provided the Alms Houses and private chapel at Charnock Richard. James Darlington died on 17 February 1918 at the ripe old age of 90, having led what must have been a full life.

Today

Charnock Richard has always been a farming area and still retains many farms. Charnock Richard motorway service area is probably the most famous landmark in the village today. It was the first service station on the M6 motorway when it opened, over 50 years ago, in 1963. As well as all of this fabulous history, we have now been doing the annual Charnock Richard Scarecrow Festival for 8 years!