Bleasdale

Bleasdale is a village and civil parish in the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at . The two sources of the River Brock lie within the parish. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 147.

Within the parish are:

Bleasdale Church of England School (around 40 students, ages 4–11)
Bleasdale Circle^[1] - a Bronze Age earthwork at grid reference SD577460
The Parish Hall
The former Bleasdale Post Office, housed in the forge opposite Higher Brock Mill grid reference SD574445 on the River Brock, supporting brown trout and rainbow trout. From 1947 to 2002 the post office housed a café for locals, cycling and hiking folk to refresh, fitted with a well from circa 1700 beneath the building. In the early 1900s, "Jack Custard" was renowned for his quality of his custard tart for passing travellers.

The ancient Forest of Bleasdale is less well known than its more famous neighbour, the Forest of Bowland but its history is recounted by Smith^[2] Being a part of Wyresdale, Bleasdale never fell under the sway of the powerful medieval Lordship of Bowland.^[3]

Notable buildings

St Eadmer's Church: The church was rebuilt in 1835 by John Dewhurst and restored and enlarged in 1897. It has a west tower and lancet windows.^[4]
Bleasdale Tower: built in the early 19th century by William Garnett^[5]

References

^ Bleasdale Circle on the your Lancashire website
^ Smith, T. C. (1894), A History of the Parish of Chipping, C. W. Whitehead, Preston, Chapter 8
^ Forest of Bowland official website
^ Fleetwood-Hesketh, P. (1955) Murray's Lancashire Architectural Guide. London: John Murray; p. 133
^ Fleetwood-Hesketh

External links

Photographs of Bleasdale on Lancashire County Council website