There’s plenty to see and do all year-round in this beautiful historic village
Just Roman around
You can’t spend long in Ribchester without becoming aware that the Romans spent time here. It must have been one of the nicer postings – not many marauding invaders to deal with, and some glorious view to enjoy. One cavalryman, on returning home, wrote that the village was the richest town in Christendom. It isn’t these days, but it’s no less lovely than ever.
The Roman fort of Bremetennacum was established in the later years of the first century and was garrisoned by cavalrymen from Spain and Hungary. The location beside the Ribble was selected by the Romans to protect a ford, then a bridge, where their road from Manchester to Hadrian’s Wall crossed the river. The history of the fort is recorded at the small museum in the village. The fort remained for around 300 years and during that time a settlement grew outside the walls.
Remains of the bath-house and other buildings can still be seen and the little museum, near the entrance to the churchyard, holds a number of smaller finds, although Ribchester’s most famous find, an elaborate cavalry helmet, discovered in Church Street in the 1700s, is now held at the British Museum. Other Roman remains can be spotted around the village, notably in the columns which stand outside the White Bull pub.
Keep the faith
St Wilfrid’s Church is among the loveliest in the county, if not the country. Building work began in the early 13th century, before when a small Norman church just up the road at Stydd served the community.
Originally St Wilfrid’s would have had just the nave and chancel but work to extend the church was started as early as the 14th century.
Additions include the north chapel and the tower, which architectural guru Pevsner says was built in the early 1500s and which holds a peal of six bells and a clock which bears the year 1813. The east window contains fragments of stained glass which are at least 500 years old and over on the north wall traces of a medieval wall painting have survived remarkably well.
One of the quirkier features of the church is the dormer window added in 1712 which floods the interior with light through the old spun glass. The extra light makes it easier to spot the red rose of Lancashire on one of the roof bosses and the gallery which is supported on stone Tuscan columns and is said to have been recycled from the Roman remains.
Tuck in
Ribchester isn’t a big place but there’s plenty of choice of places to eat and drink. In and around the village you’ll find pubs, cafes and restaurants serving food for all tastes, all occasions and all budgets.
The White Bull – another historic building: the date stone is inscribed ‘1707’ – is a favourite with locals and visitors alike. The Black Bull and the Ribchester Arms are popular too, and the Potters Barn is an award-winning tearoom with an eclectic décor, wholesome food and a varied programme of events.
And when the weather starts to warm up, there are plenty of glorious spots to lay your picnic blanket, too.
Walk on
Ribchester is well-known to walkers and cyclists and there are many glorious routes to explore from the village. One of the most famous is the Ribble Way, a70-mile trail which was inaugurated in 1985 and follows the river from its source in the Yorkshire hills to its estuary at Longton Marsh. There are scores of other paths to follow, some of them suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, which give the best possible views of the Ribble Valley scenery.
And if you’re not sure which to take, ask a local. This is a small, tight-knit community with exudes a genuinely friendly atmosphere and is bound together by its groups and organisations. There are sports clubs, an amateur dramatic society, local historians and walking groups among others, so the chances are that whoever you ask will, if they don’t have the answer themselves, know someone who has.
Showtime
With such an active community and a wealth of groups around the village, it’s no surprise that there’s plenty going all here. The village celebrates its annual Field Day on the third weekend of June and there’s a May Day Market on the Spring Bank holiday with stalls on the village square, which is called the hillock.
And the Royal Lancashire Show is now held annually on land just outside Ribchester. Last year’s event was a record-breaker with more than 21,000 people attending the event at the showground at Salesbury Hall and more than ever competing in the various animal classes. This year’s show will take place from July 22-24 and tickets are on sale now from royallancashireshow.co.uk or 01254 814712.
