Drive & Stroll, with Ron Freethy: Waddow Hall

SOME time ago I wrote a brief article about 19th century Clitheroe, which had a spa and at one time this looked as if it might be a rival to Harrogate.

Alas, the fountain of inspiration trickled and eventually dried up altogether.

My colleague Eric Leaver unearthed a fascinating article published in this newspaper on February 22, 1952, where the correspondent of the time reviewed a book called English Spas, which was published by Batsford and then highly priced at 16 shillings.

William Adamson, the author, was Clitheroe-born and listed a number of East Lancashire spas and wells.

One of these wells, now on private land, will hold fond memories for those ladies who enjoyed Guide camps at Waddow Hall. The book points out that the well may well have been pagan as the ancient people wove a web of superstition around wells and springs.

Addison writes: "Near the Ribble at Clitheroe, in the grounds of Waddow Hall, is a well inhabited by Peg O'Nell, who was long blamed by the folk of the neighbourhood for whatever went wrong with their lives.

"It is said that every seven years she claims a (human) victim and it was long the custom to drown a bird or an animal in the river on Peg's Night to appease her." This custom was certainly followed in the early years of this century by superstitious folk but I'm sure that most historians would say that this pre-dates Christianity.

In the grounds there is a headless statue which is said to represent Peg and again there is speculation regarding this structure.

I am inclined to believe that it may have been once entire and graced the Cistercian monastery at Whalley.

I wonder what readers think of this theory regarding the origin of the statue and also if anyone has memories to share with us with regard to the history of Waddow Hall itself and especially experiences enjoyed at the camps of the Girl Guides.

Waddow Hall is close to Brungerley Bridge, which is a wonderful place to park your car and follow the footpath through the old quarries and on towards West Bradford.

Winter is the perfect time to enjoy this area as snowdrops are already beginning to appear, as are the first blooms of barren strawberry. Look out especially for the butterbur whose flowers appear early in the year and long before the huge umbrella-like leaves.

Just in case you think that the butterbur is too common to be of interest, let me mention that there are actually two species.

These are the very common pink type and the extremely rare white butterbur.

Botanists from the southern counties of England travel long distances for a glance at the impressive growth of butterbur.

This is yet another example of how lucky we are in Lancashire to have wonderful walking country with a balance between history and natural history.

Previous news story

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.