Mawdesley

History

The name Mawdesley is thought to have originated in the reign of Edward I (1272–1308). The suffix 'ley' describes a field, meadow or clearing. Records show that a manor existed in 1250 AD on the site of the present Mawdesley Hall.

Mawdesley Hall is a small hall, situated on a back road leading in to the village. It was built by William Mawdesley in 1625, but altered towards the end of the 18th century .

Transport

The village is isolated from public transport services. No main roads pass through the enclave. An infrequent day time bus service runs from the centre of the village to Chorley and Southport. The nearest railway station is three miles away at Rufford.

The local roads are minor back lanes, mostly narrow, unlit, lacking pavements, poorly maintained and generally unsuitable for the high volume of large 4x4 commuter vehicles and heavy farm traffic they now take.

Religion

St Peter and St Paul's Catholic Church is located at OS grid reference SD508146, Salt Pit Lane, and was founded in 1830. The Wesleyan Methodist church, New Street, was founded before 1893 from religious societies founded by John Wesley and his preachers and was located at OS grid reference SD493150. St Peter's CE Church, High Street, Mawdesley with Bispham, was founded in 1839 and is located at OS grid reference SD489143.

Education

The village has two small primary schools, Mawdesley St Peter's C of E School, and St Peter and Paul's Catholic School. Little Acorns Pre-school operates from within Mawdesley St Peter's C of E School and serves Mawdesley and the surrounding villages, providing play-based learning for 3 to 5 year olds.

Community

Mawdesley is a small dormitory/retirement village with few amenities. The area is popular with wealthy retirees. House prices are far above the national average. Local landmarks are limited to, a village hall, Millennium Green (a small public green space created in 2000 to mark the millennium), and Cedar Farm (a small craft centre in a converted pig farm on the edge of the village). There is a small convenience store and one pub (Red Lion). The former Black Bull pub on Hall Lane closed in 2013 and has remained shut ever since. On the boundary with Eccleston, two miles from the centre of Mawdesley but still within the village, is The Robin Hood pub.

Mawdesley Village Hall is run by a group of volunteers called the Mawdesley Village Hall Management Committee. The village hall serves the local community; offering a variety of events, activities and services for small children and elderly people. There is a function room which is hired out for private events and to a variety of clubs. The groups using the hall include; playgroup, mums and toddlers, Mawdesley Amateur Dramatics, Cubs, Beavers, Scouts, Guides, W.I., Mothers' Union. The facilities are also used by a branch of the University of the Third Age who provide art classes, historical lectures etc. for Mawdesley's predominantly older aged/retired community.

Geography

The village sits on a low rise from the surrounding flat mossland of Mawdesley Moss. Mawdesley Moss is an extremely flat, industrially farmed, isolated area of mossland. The nearest hill, Harrock Hill (515 ft) belongs to the neighbouing parishes of Hilldale and Wrightington. This low, rolling hill is visible in some areas of Mawdesley and serves as a landmark from the otherwise flat, industrially farmed, monotonous landscape.

Mawdesley is a straggling village, with fragmented areas of residential ribbon development along the various back roads in the parish. As such Mawdesley lacks the clearly defined centre, and sense of place found in neighbouring villages like Croston and Parbold.

Notable residents