 COMPLIMENTS OF THE GARSTANG
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Garstang
is a small market town, which grew up where Lancashire’s great
north-south main road crosses the Wyre. The town stands on the
River Wyre, the Lancaster canal, and the West Coast mainline railway and
is 10 miles south of Lancaster and 11 miles north of Preston. Being on
the Great North West Highway between London and Edinburgh, Garstang was
in the 18th century an important staging post for mail and
passenger coaches, with thirteen public houses and taverns at one time
in the town. During the 19th century Garstang was famous for
its cattle and Cheese Fairs when some 3000 head of cattle were brought
down from the north each November for sale.
The history of Garstang goes back thousands of years with Neolithic
and bronze Age artefacts found in the area. The name
Garstang may have sprung from the Saxon word "Gaerstung" meaning common
land or meadowland. The Doomsday Book describes it as ‘Cherestanc’.
 In 1310 Edward II first granted the Market Charter to
the town. In the centre of the Market Place stands the Market Cross,
which is probably the most famous landmark in Garstang. It was first
erected in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. Nearby
were the stocks where wrong-doers were placed to sit out the allotted
hours thought necessary to expiate their crime. The stocks were
destroyed by fire in 1939 whilst in the loft of the Old Town Hall. What
a pity we now do not possess them as they would be perfect for dealing
with modern day hoodlums! Near to the stocks were large fish stones
which were used to lie out fish for sale. In the centre of
Garstang by the Market Cross, are the Old Town Hall and Market House,
which was partly demolished in 1755, and following the 1939 fire was
then restored retaining its original characteristics. At the north end
of the High Street opposite the Council Offices stands the Old Grammar
School, which was founded in 1602. Leading from the High St. are
numerous ‘Weinds’ (narrow alleyways) old pathways which at one time led
from the river to the pastures adjoining Back Lane now Park Hill Rd.
Thomas Stanley, the 1st Earl of Derby built nearby
Greenhalgh Castle in late 1400's, under licence from King Henry VII. It
was constructed in the form of a square with one tower. It’s presence
contributed to the peace and stability of the surrounding country during
those difficult times and remained until the Civil War. After the war
ended the Parliamentarians ordered the castle to be dismantled and local
farmers were not slow to make use of it as an unofficial quarry. Only
the ruins of one of the four corner towers survive to this day. It is
said that the castle was blown out by Cromwell’s cannon from a point on
which now stands Cromwell House.
In1679 King Charles II renewed Garstang’s charter, making Garstang a
free borough to be governed by a bailiff and seven burgesses. This
continued until the new Municipal Corporation Act meant the creation of
the Rural District of Garstang in 1894. The parish contained the
townships of Claughton, Catterall, Kirkland, Nateby, Winmarleigh, Cabus,
Barnacre-with-Bonds, Nether Wyresdale, Forton, Holleth, Cleveley,
Bilsborrow, and Pilling. The Council Offices on the High Street were
erected in 1913 by the Board of Guardians and acquired by the Garstang &
Rural District Council in 1946. In 1974 the re-organisation of local
government meant that Garstang RDC disappeared to be replaced by
Garstang Town Council and all existing administrative functions passed
to Wyre Borough Council.
 The Parish Church of Garstang is St. Helen, which dates from 1160 and
is situated in Churchtown, about one and a half miles west of Garstang.
In 1769 a church was built on the present site in Church St. and
consecrated in the name of St. Thomas in 1848 being created a separate
parish in 1881.
In Garstang you can find the Lancaster Canal. This
was originally designed by an engineer named John Rennie, construction
began in 1792 and it was officially opened in 1797. The canal was used
to transport coal, slate, timber, food, rope and limestone and later
offered a passenger service between Preston and Kendal. Garstang rope
was transported to many docks including Lancaster, Glasson and Preston.
The Lancaster Canal has one of the longest lock free canals in Britain
running for 51 miles (82km) with 199 bridges. The canal was
prosperous until 1840 when the Lancaster and Preston railway began
operating. The main line by-passed Garstang until in 1870 a junction
line was built from Garstang to Knott End but it was deemed not
profitable and was closed in the 1960’s.
Garstang started to increase in size from the 1960’s and this has
continued to present day. The population of the parish is now
approximately 5000 and many of Garstang’s residents work locally or in
the nearby cities of Preston and Lancaster. |
