Long Preston
Long Preston is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England, in the Yorkshire Dales. It lies along the A65 road, and is 12 miles (19 km) from Skipton and 4 miles (6 km) from Settle. The population of Long Preston in 2001 was 680, increasing to 742 at the 2011 Census.[1]
| Long Preston | |
|---|---|
Long Preston Location within North Yorkshire | |
| Population | 742 (2011 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SD835585 |
| • London | 200 mi (320 km) south-east |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SKIPTON |
| Postcode district | BD23 |
| Dialling code | 01729 |
| Police | North Yorkshire |
| Fire | North Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
| 54°01′06″N 2°15′10″W / 54.0184°N 2.2529°W | |
The village was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974.[2]
History edit
Early times edit
Humans have been in the Long Preston area since prehistoric times; remains have been found in caves on the hills above Settle and an axe head dated to the Stone Age was found in the area of Bookil Gill.[3] The presence of a Roman Road through the village, led to the discovery of a small fort in what is now part of the churchyard.[4]
Middle Ages edit
Long Preston is mentioned in the Domesday Book, where it is described as Prestune,[5] later being registered as Prestona in Cravana. Prestune means "the priest's farmstead or town".[6][7] Later, the prefix "Long" was added, referring to the length of the village.[8] Long Preston was part of the old west division of Staincliffe Wapentake.[9]
A school was built in the village during the reign of Edward IV (1461–1483) as part of the Hammerton Chapel. It is likely that it was closed in 1541 during the dissolution of the religious houses. In 1672 the Petty School was held, most likely either in the chapel or in a building near an old vicarage. A new school replaced the Petty School in 1819.
Industrial age edit
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Long Preston was dominated by agriculture and the trades associated with it. In the 1750s a turnpike road was constructed from Long Preston to Settle.[10] In the 1960s this road (now the A65) was raised, widened, and straighted. Several homes and farms were demolished to accomplish this.[11]
In 1790, a cotton spinning mill was constructed, possibly on the site of an old corn mill.[12] The mill was demolished in 1881 due to flooding. Later on Fleets cotton mill was built, which was three storeys high and water powered.
The railway was opened in 1849 and expanded in 1875 with the building of the Settle-Carlisle Line.[13] It declined in the 1970s and '80s but is now seeing an increase in heavy freight and passenger traffic.
In 1801 the population of Long Preston was 573; this rose to 808 in 1831 but dropped to 610 in 1961.
Modern day edit
Between 1923 and 1935, Long Preston was the railhead for the construction of Stocks Reservoir built by the Fylde Water Board (FWB). Steam traction engines hauled material between the FWB depot, to the west of the current station, by road to Tosside where connection was made with a 3-foot gauge industrial railway system that served the dam construction project.[14]
In the 20th century, most people were employed in the village at the garage, wool warehouse, auction mart, farms or in the surrounding area, e.g. Skipton. A number of houses were rented at Long Preston making it affordable to live there. In the 1960s people started to purchase their own homes.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, there was a livestock auction mart, shoe shop, tailors, butchers, bakers, post office, cafés, wool warehouse and corn mill.
A bypass was proposed and was given the go-ahead in 1994 but after the 1997 general election, with Labour gaining power, the bypass was scrapped.[15]
Long Preston is the home of audiobook producer Magna Story Sound.[16]
Transport edit
Long Preston is served by Long Preston railway station, which is on the Leeds to Morecambe Line.[17]
Education edit
Long Preston has a primary school, Long Preston Endowed School, with around 60 pupils attending over a range of seven year groups.[18]
Notable people edit
Former television chef Susan Brookes is a resident of the village.[19]
References edit
- ^ a b UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Long Preston Parish (1170216770)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ "History of Long Preston, in Craven and West Riding | Map and description". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- ^ "History". www.longprestonheritage.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ Scholes, Ron (2011). Yorkshire Dales. Ashbourne: Horizon Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-1843065081.
- ^ "[Long] Preston | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ Ekwall, Eilert (1960). The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names (4 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 374. ISBN 0-19-869103-3.
- ^ "Long Preston :: Survey of English Place-Names". epns.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ Mills, A. D. (1998). A dictionary of English place-names (2 ed.). Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. p. 278. ISBN 0192800744.
- ^ "Genuki: LONG PRESTON: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1868., Yorkshire (West Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ white, Clive (6 August 2015). "Dastardly murder near turnpike road". Craven Herald. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ LPCAA 2010, p. 13.
- ^ LPCAA 2010, p. 14.
- ^ Bairstow, Martin (1994). The Leeds, Settle & Carlisle railway : the midland route to Scotland. Halifax: M. Bairstow. pp. 20, 29. ISBN 1-871944-09-0.
- ^ Mitchell, W. R. (2004). Bowland and Pendle Hill. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Phillimore & Co., Ltd. p. 132. ISBN 1860772854.
- ^ Mason, Viv (17 December 2006). "End of the road for A65 bypass". Craven Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ Directory of publishing 2010. United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (35 ed.). London: Continuum. 2009. p. 54. ISBN 9781441110886.
- ^ Kelman, Leanne (2018). Brailsford, Martyn (ed.). Midlands & North West (4 ed.). Beckington, Frome: Trackmaps. 36B. ISBN 9781999627119.
- ^ "Long Preston Endowed Voluntary Aided Primary School URN: 121631". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ Brookes, Susan (1998). Susan Brookes' real home cooking. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-414051-6. OCLC 44828755.
Sources edit
- Conservation Area Appraisals in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Long Preston (PDF). outofoblivion.org.uk (Report). 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- Bowtell, H.D. (1988). Lesser Railways of Bowland Forest and Craven Country - and the dam builders in the age of steam. Platewell Press. ISBN 978-0-9511108-8-1.
- Speight, Harry (1892). The Craven and north-west Yorkshire highlands. Being a complete account of the history, scenery, and antiquities of that romantic district. London: E Stock. OCLC 7219082.
External links edit
- Long Preston Village Website
- A History of Long Preston
- Maypole Inn
- Long Preston Gallery