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Introduction
What is it ?
Where is it ?
Why do it ?
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GREAT
HARWOOD
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ARROD;
SNUFFY; is
like many small towns or large villages. Quite unremarkable.
It
is not on a major road, you don't even need to go through it on
the way to somewhere else.
It
has few buildings of significance to anyone outside and perhaps only
one of renown.
It
has had many distinguished sons and daughters though not many famous.
It
is not in many tourist guides.
It has had little to boast of in sporting success for many years.
So WHY a site dedicated to GREAT HARWOOD ?
These quotes might explain.
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"To the visitors,
physically speaking, Great Harwood is a small, mainly cotton manufacturing
town, nestling in the westernmost slope of the Pennine Range. We,
the people, are known for our independence, our pride, and our insularity.
It is said that our women are more houseproud than other women, and
consequently have a more than passing interest in their neighbours.
It is also said of the menfolk that they are thrifty, that they own
their own house and also the house next door. Many persons maintain
that to name a place "Great So-and-so" is to place a heavy
handicap upon it. We must remind our readers that greatness is not
confined to size or numbers, and that in OUR TOWN of some eleven thousand
men, women and children the observer cannot fail to note certain qualities
in its inhabitants, and such an inviting air in the town itself that
he will
be greatly tempted to settle down within our fold." |
The Festival of Britain Programme:
OUR TOWN, 1951.
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"Great Harwood
is unique.
Standing on the edge of some of the prettiest country in England,
it has retained its beauty on the outskirts whilst managing to cater
for industry in its centre.
Owned by succeeding Lords of the Manor from 1177 to 1925, it grew
slowly. It was a self supporting community which developed an intense
local pride. Its isolated position meant that good roads, the railway,
and industry came late to Great Harwood. For hundreds of years it
was a community of farmers and handloom weavers.
In the middle of the last century, the cotton mills sprang up, the
population increased, new houses were built, churches and chapels
flourished, but Great Harwood remained at heart the sturdy independent
little town it had always been." |
| OLD
HARWOOD. Louie Pollard and Harry E. Eaton
"Great Harwood is geographically isolated from the towns which formed
the Borough of Hyndburn in 1974, and its historical development has
always been somewhat separate from the central Accrington Area.........
................
The town itself is perhaps the most attractive of Hyndburn's districts,
and the spacious, well planned streets and avenues provide a pleasing
contrast to the more depressing areas which can be seen elsewhere
in the Borough." |
A Guide to the Industrial
Archaeology of Great Harwood. Michael Rothwell. 1980.
Perhaps best summed up with this anecdote about an election meeting
in Blackburn which is reported thus:
Speaker: "Is there a better country on the face of the earth, is
there a finer land in which to live than this England of ours".
"Aye" came a voice from the back of the room, "Gre't 'Arrod". |
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Well that's what they say but the real reason is that it's my home
town, I spent the "formative" years of my life here.
I no longer live in 'Arrod but were I never to return it would still
be part of my life and what more reason need there be ?
Fortunately
for me there are others who have taken a keen interest in Great
Harwood's history most notably Mrs. Louie Pollard and I thank her
for her efforts in researching and publishing so much about the
town. I'd also like to thank other members of The Great Harwood
Civic Society who have aided me, Mr John Trappes-Lomax, members
of The Great Harwood Appreciation Society and Mrs Marjorie Goodliffe
who have contributed information and Mrs Marjorie Quinn for the
loan of her books. Photographs, apart from the ones filched from
the books, have been supplied by Mrs Goodliffe, Brian Shepherd,
John Duckworth, Christine Kydd, Mike
Groszkruger my family and me.
Without all these people this site would be much thinner than it
will be (if you follow). |
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The
site will grow as I collect more information and photographs so
if you know of or have something which you think should be included
in, or indeed excluded from, this site please mail.
I will be delighted to hear from you.
Bibliography
: I have unashamedly
stolen from the books below sometimes entire passages.
Great
Harwood Gleanings, Louie
Pollard
The Story of a Village Church, Louie Pollard
People and Places in Great Harwood, Louie Pollard
A Great Harwood Miscellany, Louie Pollard
Great Harwood from William the Conqueror to the Millennium, Louie
Pollard
Old Harwood, Louie Pollard and Harry E. Eaton
Genius of Great Harwood, Harry E. Eaton
Industrial Heritage. A guide to the Industrial Archaeology of
Great Harwood, Michael Rothwell
A History of Our Lady and St Hubert's R.C. Church Great Harwood,
Lancashire, J.B. Phelan
Our Town, 1951, The Festival of Britain Programme
Additional
reading :
Threads
of Lancashire Life, Winnie
Bridges
The Road to Nab End, William Woodruff
Some material on this web site is reprinted by permission of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In granting permission
for this use of copyrighted materials, the Church does not imply
endorsement or authorization of this site. |
Other
people I'd like to thank for their help along the way are Andy Fitz for
his invaluable help with soft and hardware, my wife for putting up with
me spending so much time on this project , BSVSC
for inspiring me to get started on the net, George (paperdragon) for finding
me and keeping my interest going,
my parents without whom none of this would have been possible, Ian Green
for giving me my first HTML tags, all bar staff who have
ever served or will serve me, everyone in The Brocket who I know, all
runners who make races so enjoyable, the girls at Madam Silvi
......
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