Parbold
The Parish of Parbold, to the east of Ormskirk, is a
charming residential township which is both hilly and picturesque.
It rises from the River Douglas to a height of 400 feet above sea
level. Parbold Hill gives magnificent views across the surrounding
countryside and is always popular with visitors. A little below its
summit stands a rough-hewn monument in the shape of a bottle. Known
locally as Parbold Bottle, it was originally erected to commemorate
the great Reform Bill 1832.
Parbold became part of the Barony of Manchester after the Norman
conquest, as did Dalton and Wrightington, and was held by a branch
of the Lathom family as early as the 13th century. Parbold was
acquired by John Crisp in 1680 and his son Thomas Crisp, Member of
Parliament for Ilchester, reconstructed Parbold Hall in the
Palladian style. In 1802 the hall became for a time the home of the
dispossessed Benedictine Community of Dieulward in France.
A familiar local scene is the old windmill near the canal in the
centre of the village. It replaced the water cornmill which once
stood near the Douglas bridge in Alder Lane. The windmill in its
turn was superseded in the middle on the 18th century by the
present mill which was originally worked by a steam engine and
produced compound cattle foods until its closure in 1985.
Visitors and residents can enjoy some lovely scenic walks in the
area along a network of well-marked and maintained footpaths. The
canal is popular with anglers and ramblers and the village has a
number of pubs, tea rooms and shops including a Post Office.
Map:
Parbold Parish