Explore Ormskirk, Lancashire: A blend of historic sites, Edge Hill University influence, and community concerns.
The towns are close, yet very different. Skelmersdale has straight roads. Ormskirk has winding, old streets. Dot Broady-Hawkes knows Ormskirk well.
She is a local historian. Her home, The Almonry, is full of history. The Chapel of St John is attached. It dates back to the year 1500.
Lady Alice was placed in its vault in 1926. The chapel has small apartments. They have been lived in for 520 years. Rent is £115 a week, with bills included.
Lathom Park has castle ruins. Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, once lived there. A war memorial marks the park entrance. It highlights Ormskirk’s history.
The memorial honors a WWI depot. The Earl of Lathom offered his land for training horses. They came from the USA and Spain. Winston Churchill sent ships for the horses in 1919.
About 9,000 horses went back each week. Dot loves local history. Ormskirk has plenty of it. She showed several historic sites.
Ormskirk Parish Church is unique. It has both a tower and a spire. These structures sit at one end. Dot uses tech to learn more. She found carvings with her phone.
Locals like the town’s heritage. But a newer addition causes problems. Edge Hill University opened in 1885. It now has over 15,000 students.
Student housing changed the town. Many houses became shared flats. Ormskirk is lively with students. The population grows, but they don’t pay tax. The town feels different during breaks.
Tower Hill Water Tower is historic. It stands near student housing. Neil Dawson will convert it. It will become a four-bedroom home. Some residents worried about privacy.
The council approved the plan, like one from 2017. The council saw limited harm. Changes to the tower were acceptable. Dot supports preserving history. She wants future generations to appreciate it.