BRIGHT FUTURE
Penwortham is a suburb of Preston that is fast becoming known as one of the best places in which to live and work. Photography: Roger Moore
Offering a good selection of independent shops and boutiques, with lovely parks and outdoor spaces, Penwortham feels a world away from Preston city centre.
With excellent housing, from contemporary new-builds to historic Victorian homes, Penwortham is a hugely popular place for young families.
Estate agents have recognised this – house prices have risen but they still offer great value considering it is one of the most desirable locations in the region. With the motorway network close by Penwortham is also popular with commuters too.
Located on the River Ribble, historically Penwortham is set on top of a high rock – the name is derived from pen, meaning a hill, weid meaning a ford and ham meaning a settlement. Penwortham remained extremely rural until just before the Great War with the first large scale development beginning in the 1920s with the sale of vast amounts of land that had belonged to a local squire.
Significantly in 1915 a new bridge over the river connected Penwortham directly to Fishergate Hill in Preston giving access to the town and its markets, the railway station and the newly built dock.
This encouraged the building and development of new housing, transforming rural Penwortham to a suburb of Preston.
With hills to the east and the sea to the west, Penwortham was provided for with food in the form of fish and fertile floodplains for grazing cattle.
Today the town is full of on-trend places to eat and drink, with fashionable craft beer and gin bars along with artisan delis – it has quite literally taken off in terms of being a popular destination to visit. For brunch, lunch or an evening out, Penwortham is definitely the place to be.
