| Downham | |
|
Downham
Downham shown within Lancashire |
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| Population | 156 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SD785442 |
| Parish | Downham |
| District | Ribble Valley |
| Shire county | Lancashire |
| Region | North West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CLITHEROE |
| Postcode district | BB7 |
| Dialling code | 01200 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Ribble Valley |
| List of places: UK • England • Lancashire | |
Downham is a village and civil parish in Lancashire, England. It is in the Ribble Valley district and as of the United Kingdom 2001 census has a population of 156[1]. The village is on the north side of Pendle Hill off the A59 road about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Clitheroe.
The manor was originally granted to the de Dinelay family in the fourteenth century by Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. It ceased to be a part of the Honor of Clitheroe in 1558 when it was purchased by the Assheton family. It still remains in Assheton ownership today but was reincorporated into the Honor of Clitheroe in 1945 when Ralph Assheton, later 1st Baron Clitheroe, bought the remnants of the Honor from the administrators of the Clitheroe Estate Company.
The 2nd Lord Clitheroe does not allow overhead electricity lines, aerials or satellite dishes, making the village a popular location for filming period dramas. Downham was one of the locations used in the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind, and the series Born and Bred, set in the fictional village of Ormston, was also filmed in the village.[2][3][4][5]