Todays feature is about Belthorn

BELTHORN Richard Ainsworth's History
The following article first appeared on the 19th June, 1920 in the Accrington Observer and Times.

BELTHORN is situated at the summit of that wild stretch of country lying between Oswaldtwistle, Darwen, and Haslingden. The group of grey old homesteads which constitute the village, appear to have grown with the landscape, and out of it, like the thorn-bushes, the rocks and the rough-coated acres of moorland that seem to isolate them. These old homesteads have brought forth a sturdy race, who have shown their love of home by clinging to these high moorlands, and wrestling with nature in all her moods. These hills and moors possess a spell which is difficult to define. The rushes, the heather, and the soft spring turf; the sigh and the rustle of the herbage, as it is stirred by the wind; the ever varying colours, the brown and the purple, the rich green of the moss; the freedom that encircles, the silence that reigns, all go to make up the glory of these moorland heights in the summer time.

ORIGINS OF BELTHORN

The origin of Belthorn, like many other places in our land, is lost in the dim and distant past. Centuries ago much of the lower land in our district was either forest or vast morasses, in which streams flowed and caused vast areas to be nothing but quaking bogland. The hill tops were the safest places for man, the best way of getting from one place to another. Growing civilisation has drained the marshes and lowlands, while the people have betaken themselves to the warmer valleys. Now the hill tops and ridges are left comparatively lonely, as they never were in the old days, but this isolation has preserved to us traces of the life of other days. There is no doubt of Belthorn's early origin, but very conflicting are the theories of how it got it's name. One of the most imaginative and fascinating theories is that Belthorn is a corruption of Beltane or Beltein, a festival connected with sun worship. This carries us back to the days of the Druids and has a biblical connection with the worship of Baal. This festival was held on the 21st June, during which fires were kindled on the tops of the hills, to which the people gathered, and various ceremonies were gone through in the worship of the sun. Another and more commonplace theory is that a bell was fastened to a thorn. The fierce winds that blow upon this hill top, caused the bell to ring. This was in order to give travellers a knowledge of their whereabouts. A more reasonable idea is that its name is derived from the thorns which grew hereabouts. 'Thorn' is frequently used, with a distinguishing prefix, in local placenames, such as Gaulkthorn in Oswaldtwistle.

OLD ROADS OF THE DISTRICT

The old roads of a district are a very interesting study, and none more so than in this locality. The ancient Roman road from Manchester to Ribchester was within sight of Belthorn heights. The present highway from Bury to Blackburn keeps very near the Roman way, in many places, and is identical with it in some stretches. As Watling Street it passes over the height of Affetside, then on towards Blackburn. The most interesting stretch of this Roman road is that at Blackamoor, near Lower Darwen. It is known as Roman Road near Blackamoor Church. Vestiges have been traced near Daisyfield Brow. A few years ago a portion of the original pavement was laid bare when some sewerage excavations took place. The road was about twenty feet in width, and was discovered at a depth of four feet below the present road. The stones comprising the pavement were large, and the upper sides were worn smooth by the traffic which passed over them whilst the Roman road continued in use. The stones were unsquared, rough hewn out of some neighbouring quarry, and are of millstone grit, probably from Revidge. Traces of a cross road of lighter construction, at about the same level as the main Roman road, on either side under the existing branch road to Guide and Oswaldtwistle eastward, and to the valley of the Darwen river westward, were also discovered. Probably that road occupies the line of a vicinal way, or Roman by-way running in those directions. The present highway through Belthorn follows closely the line of a very old road, from Haslingden Grane to Blackburn. In medieval times there were a number of stone crosses alongside this road. The base of one, the Holden cross, which stood near Holden Hall, is preserved in Haslingden Park. Then there were the Higher Abbey, and Lower Abbey crosses, but all traces of these have disappeared. A stone cross two feet high, with some Roman coins under it, was found near Guide in 1865. There were several old tracks and pack horse roads; a good example is to be seen passing by Quaker Fold.