CROMWELL IN LANCASHIRE
Historian and fell-walker Andrew Stachulski takes a look at a celebrated bridge, the Civil War and its Lancashire connections
Generations of travellers along the B6243 between Clitheroe and Hurst Green have been charmed by the crossing of Lower Hodder Bridge. Here, the river is beautiful both upstream and downstream. Most eyes, however, will be trained on a man-made feature just a few yards downstream of the present bridge, namely an older bridge: a fine, high, three-arched structure which can still be crossed on foot with care. By long tradition this is ‘Cromwell’s Bridge’, but what are the facts?
Without question, the Lord Protector-to-be was in the area in 1648, en route to the Battle of Preston. That proved to be a significant victory for Cromwell over a joint English and Scottish army, which effectively ended any armed support for the Royalist cause from that quarter. Indeed, this battle concluded the second phase of the Civil War – the final trial, sentencing and execution of Charles I took place just a few months later. It is believed that Cromwell stayed at Stonyhurst for one night prior to the battle – a long-held tradition maintains that he slept in his armour through suspicion of his Catholic hosts. Cromwell arrived in Lancashire from the east, via Skipton, Gisburn and Stonyhurst, surprising the Royalist forces who had become spread over a long distance. At Preston, there was fierce fighting around modern-day Ribbleton Lane, but soon Cromwell’s troops had gained a decisive victory. The Royalist forces were scattered.
But what of the bridge? All the evidence is that it is old enough, probably built by Sir Richard Shireburn, lord of the manor, in 1562. The present road bridge is much more recent, probably built around 1820. Anyone who has seen the old bridge at close quarters, however, might be slightly incredulous at the thought of hundreds or thousands of troops crossing it. Most likely the majority of Cromwell’s ‘model army’, as they became known, would have forded the river on foot. I have certainly crossed the bridge once, long ago, but no recommendation to follow is offered. The stonework is quite narrow, and the highest point feels decidedly exposed. You have been warned!
In these days, when so much is made of the Tolkien Trail and Tolkien’s involvement with Stonyhurst, the setting is definitely evocative. A short distance downstream from Lower Hodder is the confluence of Hodder and Ribble, and in a further half-mile the Calder joins the combined stream. This juxtaposition of the bridge with the merging of three rivers finds a clear parallel in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy – Tolkien’s Brandywine Bridge, within the Shire, crosses the Brandywine and is close to the Withywindle and Shirebourne rivers. Of all the walks you can do from the Hurst Green-Stonyhurst area, the visit to Lower Hodder should definitely not be omitted. For the walker, the Hodder makes a splendid companion, combining delightful scenery with interesting wildlife. The section between Lower and Higher Hodder bridges, where you are never more than a mile or so from Stonyhurst College, is particularly fine. Grey wagtail, dipper, kingfisher, heron and less common ducks such as goosander are all likely to be seen – and you may get a glimpse of an otter. The military associations of the area will seem part of another world.
Returning finally to those Civil War days, they were dark times for Lancashire. Apart from the direct loss of fighting men during the war, there was collateral loss of life and property as much fighting took place in the county. Additionally, many were struck down by a severe bout of the plague around 1644 to 1646. For a more detailed study of this period, take a look at Lancashire At War: Cavaliers and Roundheads 1642-1651, by J J Bagley and A S Lewis (Dalesman Books, 1977). It seems a far cry indeed from the idyllic modern-day setting of Lower Hodder Bridge.
Andrew Stachulski is co-author with Helen Shelmerdine (nee Shaw) of ‘The Forest of Bowland’, published in 2015 by Merlin Unwin @£14.99
