(A
rough guide to the history of)
Evidence
of prehistoric man in Gt. Harwood was uncovered in 1967 when
a Bronze Age axe was dug up in the Greenhill area of the town
so it is probable that the area has been hunted, if not farmed,
for thousands of years. At Colne,
about 10 miles to the north east, Stone, Bronze and Iron Age
remains have been found and only 2-3 miles from Gt. Harwood
town centre is the Iron Age, Planes Wood, promontory fort at
Portfield where a hoard of gold and bronze was uncovered.
Map of Roman roads and forts around Great Harwood |
(Borrowed from
Colne & Pendle in Lancashire. A contact address for the author would
be appreciated.)
The Roman occupation
saw the main lines of communication missing the area as has happened
before and since.
There are two possibilities
for the origin of the town's name put forward by E. Elkwall:
"har" could mean grey.
"Hara" meaning hare.
The "Magna" then "Great", I presume, was to differentiate
between this Harwood, Little Harwood five miles to the west and Harwood
fifteen miles to the south (or
possibly the inhabitants just thought it was great).
Martholme,
the name of Great Harwood's Manor House, is thought to be of Danish
origin but nothing in particular is known of the area until after
William became King in 1066.
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