Ron Freethy's England: Towneley Hall

WHETHER or not you like horse riding, you have to admit that the so-called Sport of Kings is very much a part of English history.

The most famous racehorse that ever lived in East Lancashire was a wonderful beast named Kettledrum.

The racehorse was foaled in 1858 out of Hybla and the breeder was James Cookson of Neasham Hall.

Kettledrum was owned by Colonel Charles Towneley and was trained by W and G Oates at the Thorneyholme Stables at Dunsop Bridge. These stables still stand.

I went to Towneley Hall, surely one of the finest museums and art galleries in Britain, and still set in magnificent countryside.

The Hall is set in a valley and on the hill near Worsthorne is the Kettledrum Hotel named after the horse. Susan Bourne the curator of Towneley showed me a painting of Kettledrum which won the Derby in 1861 at the price of 16 to 1. The painting shows the jockey Ralph Bullock, Colonel Charles Towneley, John Towneley, Richard H Towneley, the trainer and Richard Eastwood who was the Towneley's land agent. The work was painted by Harry Hall.

The remarkably good odds of 16-1 meant that many local people (and no doubt the Towneley family) made a killing from the bookies and many gave money towards the building of St Hubert's Roman Catholic Church.

The church stands on the road from Dunsop Bridge towards the Trough of Bowland.

It was completed in 1865 at a cost of £700. Kettledrum is shown on two of the stained glass windows and there are also carved stone horses' heads on the pillars near the altar.

One further memory of Kettledrum is to be found in St Peter's Parish Church which has an altar stone paid for with Kettledrum's winnings!

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