Contact Pendle.Net
Privacy Policy
Kid Safe Policy
Make this my Homepage
Site Map
| Pendle.Net -> About Pendle -> History |
History of Pendle
Mesolithic Man
12,000 - 3,000 BC: The earliest signs of man in Pendle come from the small flints left behind by Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) man at places like Boulsworth Moor, Monkroyd, Wycoller and Catlow. Items including stone axe heads and more advanced tools suggest that Neolithic man was present in Pendle towards the end of this period.
Bronze Age
3,000 - 1000 BC: Pendle was part of a trade route between the Yorkshire coast and Ireland. The remains of burial grounds along with various artifacts have been found along the route which ran through areas such ad Brinks Ends, Trawden, and Blacko Hill.
Iron Age
1000 - 0 BC: Iron Age man probably arrived in the area in about 750 BC at the Brigantes tribe. The major settlement of this time was the hillfort at Castercliffe dated at 6 BC.
Romans
0 BC - 410 AD: During the Iron Age the Romans invaded Britain. There is a great deal of evidence of the Roman presence in areas surrounding Pendle but we're still not sure if Pendle had much in the way of Roman settlements. The nearest we get is a small camp at Elslack near Barnoldswick.
Anglo Saxons
410 - 800 AD: At about this time the Romans left Britain and left it open to attack by tribes from North Germany - the Angles. They colonized in areas such as Marsden (Nelson) and Trawden.
Vikings
800AD+: The Vikings gave the names to many places that are still in existence (or at least very similar sounding names) today. Earby is good example of this. Pendle was given over to Viking rule by Alfred of Wessex as part of "Danelaw". Eventually Alfred's son and grandson Athelstan recaptured the area after the Battle of Brunanbraugh - thought to be somewhere between Trawden and Thursden Valley. After this battle Athelston crowned himself the first king of England. He made a Treaty of Peace at a place called Eamot which is known today as Emmot in Colne. Pendle became border territory again in the 11th century due to further conflicts with the Vikings.