Higham, Lancashire

Higham with West Close Booth

Saint John the Evangelist Church
Higham with West Close Booth

 Higham with West Close Booth shown within Lancashire
Population 808 [1]
OS grid reference SD805365
Parish Higham with West Close Booth
District Pendle
Shire county Lancashire
Region North West
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BURNLEY
Postcode district BB12
Dialling code 01282
Police Lancashire
Fire Lancashire
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK Parliament Pendle
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Higham is a village in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, south of Pendle Hill. The civil parish is named "Higham with West Close Booth". The village is 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Padiham and about 4 miles (6.4 km) south west of Nelson along the A6068 road. At the 2001 census Higham had a population of 808 in 338 dwellings.[1]

Contents

Facilities

The centre of Higham is a conservation area.[2] The buildings in the area are stone-built mainly from the 19th century with a few older. Several farmhouses and barns have been converted to houses. Outside the Conservation Area most buildings are from later periods including modern housing estates.

Amenities include a pub, the Four Alls Inn, est. 1798 where you can discover the meaning of "Four Alls";[3] the Church of St John the Evangelist (C of E) built 1874,[4] Higham C of E (Controlled) Primary School,[5] and the Village Hall.[6]

Buildings and features

The Spout is a feature in the centre of the village, providing constantly running natural spring water. Nearby is the historic site of a pinfold or poundfield, a walled area with grass and running water which was used to temporarily impound animals.

Other buildings of note include The Village Hall, 1837, which was built as the National School and also used for Church of England services until St John's Church was built. Higham Hall, 17th century, used for meetings of the court of the Forest of Pendle. Clover Croft Mill stood in the centre of the village having latterly been used as a furniture factory. The demolition was completed in 2006 to enable a housing development to be built on the site.

On the road to Nelson are three buildings of interest: Lower White Lee (18th century), Higher White Lee birthplace of Jonas Moore (see below), Ashlar House has a porch dated 1594 with the names Richard Grimshaw and John Box, but the house seems to have been rebuilt in the 17th century.

Notable residents

Herbert Butterworth (1902–1938) professional footballer, born in Higham.

Harry Hargreaves (1896–1975) professional footballer, born in Higham.

Jonas Moore (1617–1679) later Sir Jonas Moore FRS, was an English mathematician, surveyor, Ordnance officer and patron of astronomy, born at White Lee, now Higher White Lee Farm, Higham.[7]

Pendle Witches One of the families swept up in the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 was the 'Chattox' clan, based in West Close where the old crone Mother Chattox lived and her family pursued their work of professional begging. In Alizon Device's confession she told that "Anne Whittle, alias Chattox, was suspected for bewitching the drinke of John Moore of Higham, gentleman"[8] and for causing one of his sons to die. The landlord of the pub, The Four Alls, accused Chattox of putting a curse on his brew. The suspected witches were first examined at Ashlar House, by local Magistrate Roger Nowell of nearby Read Hall.

References

External links