Withnell

Not to be confused with Withnell Fold.

Withnell is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England. According to the census of 2001, it had a population of 3,631, reducing to 3,498 at the census of 2011.^[1] Withnell is about 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Chorley itself and about 5 miles (8 km) from Blackburn. It borders the villages of Brinscall and Abbey Village, which are part of the parish. It constituted an urban district from 1894 to 1974.

Withnell
Bury Lane, Withnell village centre
Withnell Shown within Chorley Borough Show map of the Borough of Chorley Withnell Location within Lancashire Show map of Lancashire
Population	3,498 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SD634217
Civil parish	Withnell
District	Chorley
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CHORLEY
Postcode district	PR6
Dialling code	01254
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
UK Parliament	Chorley
List of places UK England Lancashire 53.690°N 2.555°W / 53.690; -2.555

Etymology

The name Withnell is first recorded as Withinhull around 1160, and appears as Withinhulle in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire. It means 'hill where willow trees grow'.

Amenities

St. Joseph's Catholic church in Withnell has a primary school.^[2] St Paul's Church of England parish church was built in 1841.^[3] It has a 1917 war memorial cross commemorating First World War Pte James Miller, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after delivering a message and returning with the reply despite being shot in the back. The memorial was Grade II listed in 2024.^[4]

There was formerly a post office, closed on 8 May 2008 as part of the Post Office Network Change Program.^[5] A newsagent continued to operate from the old post office premises, but closed a couple of years later and the building became a private house.

Withnell Health Centre is a GP surgery serving Withnell and surrounding villages.^[6][7] There is also a pharmacy, a beauty parlour and a car sales garage.

Withnell railway station served the village, but it closed in 1960.

Environs

Withnell Local Nature Reserve, designated by Chorley Borough Council, roughly traces the path of a now disused railway cutting for around 600 yards (550 m). Since 1966, a large number of wildflowers, native trees and heathers have been planted in the 12-acre (4.9 ha) site. The public are free to walk through the reserve.^[8][9]

In 2018, the type of stone needed for the completion of the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona was discovered in Brinscall Quarry near Withnell.^[10]

See also

Listed buildings in Withnell

References

1. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Withnell Parish (E04005161)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
2. "St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell".
3. Nikolaus Pevsner (1969). North Lancashire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 264.
4. Mark Brown (7 November 2024). "Lancashire memorial to first world war hero given Grade II-listed status". The Guardian.
5. "Date set for post office closures". Lancashire Post. 15 April 2008. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012.
6. Paul Faulkner (12 July 2024). "GP wins lengthy campaign to keep running surgery". BBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
7. "Find services - NHS Choices". National Health Service. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
8. "Withnell Nature Reserve". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
9. "Map of Withnell Nature Reserve". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
10. "Barcelona's iconic Basilica de la Sagrada Familia built with stone from Lancashire". Lancashire Post. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2024.

External links

• Withnell, Chorley Borough Council.
• History of Withnell Township, British History Online.
• History of Withnell Mill, Withnell history website