With the redevelopment of Whittingham Hospital, which closed its doors thirty years ago, much has changed in Goosnargh and Whittingham. It is still of great interest historically, first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 and the ancient parish church of St, Mary's stands as it has done for centuries, flanked by the imposing Bushells Hospital, Grapes Inn and the school. Historic halls still hold their secrets of priest holes and private chapels, the place names of Button Street and Silk Mill Lane remind us of its once prosperous cottage industries. Looking back at Club days of the Friendly Society, Harvest Festivals, Royal Jubilees, bull baiting and gambling on Inglewhite Green, eccentric vicars, and much more which helps to build a picture of what life was like in the 19th century and beyond, Characters of Goosnargh in the past, including the first chronicler of Goosnargh, Richard Cookson who wrote Goosnargh Past and Present and the Goosnargh Rambler, which were an inspiration for this book.

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