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Contact us Brief History of Lea
4:01pm Monday 6th August 2007
To the west it adjoins Clifton and Wyre Borough Council, and part of Lea is represented by a a member of Parliament for the Fylde!
Lea (pronounced 'lee ah') Introduction Lea lies to the north west of Preston and is predominately rural in nature. It is one of the most westerly wards of Preston City Council.
As a political ward is bordered by the wards of Ingol, Larches and Riversway and Preston Rural North.
Geographically the area includes Cottam.
The main road to Blackpool passes through Lea, as does the railway line, Ribble Link and Lancaster Canal.
The River Ribble constitutes the southern boundary.
It was divided by the Savick Brook which has since been developed into the Ribble Link, a navigation way (not a canal) linking the Lancaster Canal via the River Ribble and River Douglas into the national canal network (Leeds Liverpool Canal).
History Lea was a 'manor' that goes back as far as 1066 and beyond. The Italians and French were here a long time ago!
Indeed there is an old Roman Road 'Danes Pad' that led from the Roman fort at Ribchester to the fort at Kirkham. Part of this Roman road aligns with the existing canal.
When Preston docks were originally dug out and constructed a number of artefacts were found, some in Preston Harris Museum (always worth a visit). These included moose antlers and pre-historic items, suggesting human habitation goes back a long time in the area.
After the Norman conquest of 1066, Lea was held by the King. Lea was divided into French and English Lea, divided by the Savick Brook. English Lea being to the north. These designations have since disappeared of the annals of time and the area unified. In fact it was around 1207 when Henry II swapped English Lea for land around the Mersey (Liverpool) and so the two Leas were united under the lordship of Henry de Lea, son of Warine. It was in fact this Henry de Lea that also become lord of Hoghton near Blackburn, home of Hoghton Tower and the family of that name.
Sidgreaves, a family name still survives, (Sidgreaves Lane) appears as far back as 1277, and land in Lea was also owned by Cockersand Abbey and the Knights Hospitallers around the same time.
The manor of Lea was always inter-twined with the adjacent areas, Ashton, Ingol, Cottam.
Recalling our family and Henry de Lea - it remained with this family until the fateful Banastre rebellion of 1315 when there was an uprising against the Earl of Lancaster. Having thrashed around west Lancashire for a while, the rebels were finally defeated by an army representing the Earl of Lancaster at a ruck near Deepdale in Preston. Henry de Lea appears to have been beheaded! Nice! His inheritance passed to his sister Sibyl. Who married Basil (only joking) she actually married Sir Richard de Hoghton and from that time Lea belonged to the de Hoghtons. Not a lot of people know that!
There was built, a 'Lea Hall' on the south side of the Savick Brook, no longer there. Again not much happened for a couple of hundred years but appears there was some cattle rustling around 1589. The lads over at Staining took 'the uppityy' when some cattle disappeared and it seems turned up in Lea. 'Not having it', they armed themselves with guns, bows, arrows, Welsh hooks on staves, swords, daggers, pikes and bills and attacked Lea Hall. Thomas Hoghton and another were killed. Complaints were made, - there's a surprise - and the Singleton lads, 'the main kiddies' (Thomas Singleton et al), were sent to Lancaster Castle.
Generally the Hoghton family hung onto everything (indeed they still own land in Lea) although there were some 'Papists who had land sequested during the Commonwealth (Civil War etc).
There is unsubstantiated fable that old Mr Shakespeare (William Shakespeare) himself may have visited the de Hoghtons. There is also a thought that he crossed the beach between what is Lytham and Southport and this idea appears in one of his plays. Whether there is any truth in the story is impossible to ascertain... but you never know!
The road to the west and into the Fylde passes though Lea and was at one time wet, boggy and marsh land. A new, private road was constructed but incurred a toll. The toll was paid at Lea Gate, where you had to cross the Savick Brook. This remained in place until the early 1900's! The name, Lea Gate remains as the name of the pub and now hotel just above Savick Brook on the A583.
The Ashton and Lea Golf Club stands on land leased from the de Hoghtons.
Preston Football Club has there training ground in the area.
Part of Lea includes Lea old town next to the BNFL Spingfield plant, origins uncertain. On Darkinson Lane stands St Marys Roman Catholic Church. This was instigated by the Gradwell family (see below) in the early 1800's after the Clifton family (of Lytham) and adjoining village changed religion from Catholicism .
None of the information contained above should be considered accurate!
Geoff Gradwell
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