Garstang
Coordinates: 53°54′11″N 2°46′01″W / 53.903°N 2.767°W
| Garstang | |
 The market cross in Market Place |
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 Garstang
Garstang shown within Lancashire |
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| Population | 4,074 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SD495455 |
| Civil parish | Garstang |
| District | Wyre |
| Shire county | Lancashire |
| Region | North West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PRESTON |
| Postcode district | PR3 |
| Dialling code | 01995 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Lancaster and Wyre |
| List of places: UK • England • Lancashire | |
Garstang is a town and civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is ten miles north-northwest of the city of Preston and eleven miles south of Lancaster, and had a total resident population of 4,074 in 2001.[1]. It is famous for being the world's first ever Fairtrade Town.
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[edit] History
A brief but comprehensive history of the parish, including the parish church of St Helen in Churchtown and Greenhalgh Castle can be found in "The Parish of Garstang", A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 7.[2]
King Charles II is alleged to have spent the night in a town centre pub, the Royal Oak, during the Civil War.[citation needed]
St. John Plessington was born at Dimples Hall, which is just outside the town.
Garstang was once served by Garstang and Catterall railway station which closed in 1969, and Garstang Town railway station which closed to passengers in 1930.
The town is overlooked by the ruined remains of Greenhalgh Castle, built in 1490 by Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby.
[edit] Etymology
Garstang is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Cherestanc.[3] Later recordings of the name include Geresteng, Grestein, 1204; Gayrestan, 1236; Gayerstang, 1246; Gayrstang, 1274; Gayrestang, 1292.[4]
[edit] In the 21st century
The town celebrates an arts festival and an agricultural show every year in August.
In April 2000 Garstang declared itself "the world's first Fairtrade Town", influencing many other towns, cities and counties around the United Kingdom to work towards the same goal.[5] The Fairtrade Town status was renewed by the Fairtrade Foundation on 13 August 2003.
Planning approval has been given to build a 518 ft wind turbine in the town, the UK's largest, to provide power for a local factory producing the award winning Garstang Blue cheese.[6][7]
The local newspaper, the Garstang Courier, is available on tape free of charge to blind and partially-sighted people from Galloway's Society for the Blind.
Garstang won the Small Town category in the 2005 Britain in Bloom Awards.[8]
Local primary schools are Garstang Community Primary School, with approximately two hundred and forty-five pupils. St Thomas' CE School and SS Mary and Michael Catholic School. The local secondary school is Garstang High School which does not currently (as of 2008) offer sixth form courses, pupils travel to Lancaster, Preston, Blackpool and further for A level courses.
The town has seven pubs: the Crown, the Eagle and Child, the King's Arms, the Royal Oak, the Wheatsheaf, Th'Owd Tithe Barn and the Church Inn. It has four restaurants: La Passione (formerly the Farmer's Arms), Pipers, Ken Ma and The Great Season, the latter two being Chinese restaurants. There is also a Golf Club and Country Hotel and the Crofter's Hotel, on the main A6 road.
Garstang is referenced in episode 5 of the first series of the comedy Phoenix Nights. Brian Potter (played by Peter Kay) said "What have you called us? What have you called the best cabaret lounge this side of Garstang?" in reference to an alternative comedy night being run at his fictional club.
[edit] Governance
From a very early time, Garstang lay within the Amounderness Hundred of Lancashire. From 1894 until 1974 Garstang formed its own local government district in the administrative county of Lancashire; "Garstang Rural District",[9] which extended beyond the current civil parish boundaries, including villages such as Pilling.
Since 1974, Garstang has formed part of the Wyre borough of Lancashire.
[edit] Geography
Lying on the River Wyre and the Lancaster Canal, Garstang is situated close to the A6 road, the M6 motorway, and the West Coast Main Line, between Lancaster and Preston. It lies on the eastern edge of the Fylde, and the Forest of Bowland is not far to the east.
Garstang and the nearby villages of Bonds, Bowgreave and Catterall form an almost continuous built-up area, bypassed by the A6 road in 1926.[10]
[edit] People
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2011) |
The following people have lived at, or were born in Garstang:
- Sir Robert Atkins (politician), Member of the European Parliament for the North West England region and Vice-President of Lancashire County Cricket Club
- Isaac Ambrose, a puritan vicar
- Mary Anne Hobbs, a BBC Radio 1 DJ
- George Benson, a footballer noted for his time at Accrington Stanley
- Dicky Bond, footballer noted for his time at PNE and Bradford
- Harry Dean, a left-armed bowling cricketer
- Robert Terrill Rundle, a methodist missionary noted for his work in Western Canada
- Rebekah Pennington, Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Saxophone for The Arcadian Kicks
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ United Kingdom Census 2001. "Garstang CP (Parish)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=7&c=pilling&d=16&i=1001&m=0&enc=1&areaSearchText=garstang&areaSearchType=16&extendedList=true. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ^ (1912) "The parish of Garstang", A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 7, pp. 291-300. Date accessed: 26 October 2007
- ^ "Lancashire A-L". The Domesday Book Online. http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/lancashire1.html. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
- ^ (1912) "Townships: Garstang", A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 7, pp. 311-313. Retrieved on 2007-10-25
- ^ Fairtrade Foundation. "About Fairtrade Towns". http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/campaigns/fairtrade_towns/about_fairtrade_towns.aspx. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ^ The Daily Telegraph (2009-05-01). "Cheesemaker to use biggest windturbine in UK to power factory". London. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/5257193/Cheesemaker-to-use-biggest-windturbine-in-UK-to-power-factory.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
- ^ The Garstang Courier. "Garstang cheese firm wins hat trick of food awards". http://www.garstangcourier.co.uk/news/Garstang-cheese-firm-wins-hat.3885058.jp. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
- ^ RHS. "Britain in Bloom 2005 Winners". http://www.rhs.org.uk/britaininbloom/north_west/garstangwinner2005.asp. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
- ^ A vision of Britain through time. "A vision of Garstang RD". http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10000555. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- ^ Greenall, R. (2007), Garstang Past, At Heart Ltd, Altrincham, ISBN 978-1-84547-137-8, p.52
[edit] External links
- Official Garstang website from the Garstang and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce
- Garstang.com Garstang.com
- Garstang Rugby Club
- Garstang, GENUKI article.
- Garstang Fair Trade Town
- Galloway's Society for the Blind
- Garstang Country Hotel and Golf Club
- Community website Garstang entertainment site.
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