Medieval

Medieval Monasteries                                                                                            

Birkenhead’s Medieval Monastery An incredible survivor, despite the odds

Penwortham’s Lost Medieval Monastery A long vanished, small priory with an intriguing history

The Lost Abbey of Tulketh The monks of Furness Abbey first set up a monastery at Tulketh, which failed to prosper

Manchester’s Medieval College of Priests The best preserved buildings of their kind in the whole of Britain, later converted into a school and library

Furness Abbey One of the best preserved abbeys in the whole country, it lies within region known as Lancashire North of the Sands

Furness Abbey Precinct Curiosities  A host of historic features outside the fence of the monastery ruins, but within the traditional bounds of the abbey

Cockerham’s Lost Augustinian Priory A small monastic community once lived here, close to a rival one by the sea

Upholland Priory A Benedictine Monastery near Wigan

Whalley Abbey A large stunning Cistercian Abbey at the heart of  Whalley

Sawley Abbey A small but beautiful Cistercian Abbey in Sawley Village

The Knights Hospitallers, Stydd Church A rare medieval hospital and church

Cartmel Priory  Augustinian monastery, once in Lancashire now in Cumbria

Norton Priory, near Runcorn A once wealthy priory is now Europe’s most excavated monastic site

Preston’s lost Medieval Friary Preston’s Friargate disappeared monastic building

Kersal Cell and Kersal Moor The intertwined histories of a very small monastery and the moorland around it

The Lost Leper Hospital of St Mary Magdalene, Preston A medieval hospital with an intriguing history

Edisford Bridge’s Lost Leper Hospital of St Nicholas, Clitheroe An important ford and bridge has a wealth of history associated with it

.

Norman Motte and Bailey Castles

Tulketh Castle, Preston A vanished castle from early Norman times, which once stood overlooking the River Ribble

Penwortham Castle A Norman motte and bailey, near Preston

Rochdale’s Lost Castle A motte and bailey castle once stood on the hill at Castleton

Castle Stede, near Hornby A motte and bailey castle built by Roger de Montbegon

Halton Castle, near Lancaster A motte and bailey castle once guarded this strategic point

.

Medieval Stone Castles

Clitheroe Castle A small medieval keep, dominating the market town

Greenhalgh Castle A tower from the castle stands as a lonely sentinel in the Garstang countryside

Lancaster Castle : The Fortress A huge Medieval castle, with a long and varied history

Lancaster Castle : The Prisons and Courts The castle has been a prison and a court right from the very beginning

Liverpool’s Lost Castle The castle may now be gone, but the site can still be visited and the history of the fortress is an interesting one

Liverpool Castle Replica  A reproduction of the lost castle, at Rivington near Horwich

.

Pele Towers and Fortified Houses

Arnside Tower A Medieval tower house with a fascinating past, but an uncertain future

Bury Castle  A fortified manor house, at the heart of Bury

Turton Tower, Chapeltown near Bolton A Medieval Pele Tower with Tudor and Stuart additions has a long and intriguing history

Radcliffe Tower, Radcliffe near Bury  A huge ruined Pele Tower at the centre of old Radcliffe

Dalton Castle, Dalton in Furness A fine Pele tower, once owned by the Abbot of Furness Abbey

Broughton Tower Although the tower was demolished two hundred years ago, a large part of the moat still exists on this little known site

.

Medieval Manor Houses

Newton Hall, Hyde The skeleton of  Medieval manor house, rescued and restored

Ightenhill’s Lost Manor House Once one of the most important Medieval buildings in Lancashire, a recent project has uncovered its location

Warton Old Rectory A Medieval manor house that was often embroiled in disputes between local powerful families and the crown

.

Medieval Churches

St Michael’s Cockerham A church with history that stretches back to the Medieval era

St Thomas the Martyr Church, Upholland near Wigan A Medieval church, with a host of fascinating later features

Holy Trinity Church, Bolton-le-Sands The existing church is part Medieval and has a long and interesting history

St Leonard the Less Church, Samlesbury  An unusual Medieval church, with a plethora of family box pews

St Michaels on Wyre A Medieval church with large contrasts to its sister church of St Helens

St Helens Church, Churchtown near Garstang Medieval building with many interesting artefacts to see, both inside and out

Brindle Churchyard, near Chorley Medieval grave covers, a stone coffin and wayside cross bases lie tucked away in the graveyard

Manchester’s Collegiate Church Manchester Cathedral, with many hidden medieval features

Whalley Parish Church One of the oldest churches in the region, with rare misericords

Ribchester Parish Church A possible Tolkien connection in this intriguing church

.

Medieval Crosses 

Catterall Cross A restored cross in a Medieval base

Howick Cross A large Medieval socket stone, with a restored cross

Slaidburn An intriguing fragment of a cross stands in the churchyard

Haddock Park Wood Cross, near Brindle  A large well preserved boundary cross

Cockerham Cross A Medieval base with a modern shaft

Clifton Cross Only original socket stone of this medieval cross survives, but a modern cross sits in its base

Sherburne Cross, Moor Park, Preston A modern cross shaft inserted into a very old pedestal

Hob Cross, Lathom  A  newly reinstated cross on a medieval site

Leyland Town Cross and Well A medieval cross and ancient well site at the heart of old Leyland

Newburgh Village Cross  Old medieval market cross set in the conservation area of Newburgh near Lathom

Holden Cross Base, Haslingden  A huge square stone socket that once held a wayside cross

Doffcocker or Halliwell Cross Once re-used as a footbridge, now given pride of place

Tailor’s Cross, Foulridge Folklore and history of the enigmatic cross

St Helen’s Cross and Holy Well, Whittle-le-Woods A lost well and a contentious cross.

Mab’s Cross, Wigan  An intriguing tale of folklore and history

Affetside Cross, Bury Roman, medieval or later? Read on and decide…

Pilgrims Cross, Holcombe, Bury A landmark on the medieval pilgrimage route to Whalley

Turton Cross, Chapeltown, Bolton Unusual surviving cross base with a restored shaft and head

.

Medieval Wells

Robin Hood’s Well, Helmshore near Bury  In great condition, this ancient well has a long history of supplying water to weary travellers

Clitheroe’s Town Wells  One from Medieval times and two from the Stuart era,  these wells provide an interesting insight into town life in the past

.

Medieval Bridges and Fords

Brungerley Bridge, Clitheroe A scenic beauty spot for over a hundred years, this site once witnessed the dramatic capture of a king

Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe Both a battle and a medieval leper hospital mark this important ford and bridge crossing

.

Medieval Woodlands

Spring Wood A medieval woodland owned by the monks at Whalley

History and Archaeology of Woodlands in the South Pennines

A History of the Allerton Oak A venerable old tree in Liverpool that may once have been the site of a Medieval Hundred Court