From Neolithic man to Celts and Saxon invaders
In the first of a two-part series we look at the history of Littleborough and the surrounding area
LITTLEBOROUGH is situated close to the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The main routes into Yorkshire cross the Pennines via Blackstone Edge or follow the valley north through the ‘Summit Gap.’
The town itself sits in a wide valley, with smaller villages and hamlets like Calderbrook and Shore climbing the hillsides.
●●EARLY SETTLERS:
There is plenty of evidence of human inhabitation of the area from at least the Neolithic period in the form of flint arrowheads.
Rochdale Museum holds a bracelet made of Kimmeridge shale, which was found in 1929 on Flint Hill, east of Blackstone Edge, by Mr JH Price.
Kimmeridge shale is from Dorset and the bracelet dates from the early Iron Age. A Celtic torque (necklet) was found at Mawrode, Calderbrook, in 1832.
A workman was uprooting an oak stump and found a large flagstone beneath it.
Underneath the flagstone he found the torque which can now be seen in the main museum exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale.
The front of the torque is made of bronze beads strung on a piece of iron, while the back is a bronze tube, with ornamentation of late Celtic design.
Evidence of Roman occupation comes from the discovery of coins and pot- tery at Stubley Town House and Castle, along with the horde of coins found at Ealees in 1994.
In addition, a road crossing Blackstone Edge in a straight line up its steepest gradient has long been the subject of speculation as to whether or not it is Roman.
Once the Romans had left the area, the indigenous population were to face further invasion by the Saxons.
Place names indicate where places were settled by the Saxons.
For example, ‘gate’ as in Lydgate and Reddyshore Scout Gate was Saxon for ‘road.’
Sladen, Deanhead and Longden are all examples using ‘den’ or ‘dean’ which meant ‘little valley.’
‘Knowl’ meant a ‘rounded hill’ (Knowl Hill in Rochdale, and Knowl Farm on Blackstone Edge Old Road).
One of the few Celtic terms is ‘calder’ (Calderbrook), while the old Norse for ravine is ‘gale.’
‘Booth’ as in Booth Hollings is believed to be derived from Danish for a herdsman’s hut.
●●CHURCH AND CHAPEL:
By the time of the Norman Conquest Littleborough was part of the manor and parish of Rochdale.
In 1417, a chapel of ease (Holy Trinity) was built at Littleborough to serve the inhabitants.
Its mother church was St Chad’s, the Parish Church of Rochdale.
In 1815, the old chapel was demolished and a new building was consecrated in 1820.
The ‘new’ church had a tower which was pulled down in 1860 to be replaced by the present steeple, and in 1889 the foundation stone to the chancel was laid.
St James’ Church was licensed for worship in 1865, five years after the laying of the foundation stone by James Dearden, son of the Lord of the Manor, on his 21st birthday.
St Barnabas’ Church at Shore was consecrated in 1901, although the chancel and tower were not completed until 1907.
St Andrews Church at Dearnley was consecrated in 1895, and this building replaced the old iron church there.
Littleborough had a number of non-conformist chapels including the Methodical Piazza (which used to be near the railway arches), Victoria Street Chapel, Rakewood Wesleyan Chapel, Temple Methodist at Summit and Shore Methodist Chapel.
There were primitive methodist churches at Greenhill and Stubley.
Durn Baptists built an iron chapel in 1868, which was replaced by a stone built chapel in 1886.
In the 1870s, there were around 250 Roman Catholics in Littleborough and, although they had contact with the Roman Catholic church at Todmorden, they wanted a church of their own in Littleborough.
In 1878, a site was obtained on Featherstall Road, and a church was built with a school and priest’s house attached.
The present brick built church was completed in 1930, when the old iron church was sold to the Mission of St Hilda (C of E) at Hollingworth Fold.
●●OLD HOUSES AND OLD FAMILIES:
Old houses and family estates in the area included Town House, Dearnley, Lightowlers, Stubbley, Shore, Windy Bank, Schofield Hall and Pike House.
For more information about the old houses and families of Littleborough and Calderbrook, see Old Houses and Old Families of