Chap. 7.] PARISH OF RIBCHESTER. 159 



years ago by the owner, D. Irvin, Esq[., into his own grounds. At 

 Pinfold and Dutton Lee are remains also of old crosses ; and in Gallow's 

 Lane, Dutton, is another of these numerous relics. 



The Blackburn and West Yorkshire Eailway passes between three 

 and four miles of the village, where, at Wilpshire, there is a station 

 called by the name of the village. A new railway is being projected 

 from Preston to Whal'ey, which will pass close to Ribohester. 



There is a fine bridge of three arches, built in 1789, over the river 

 Eibble, about a mile from the village. Close to the bridge is " The 

 De Tabley Arms Hotel," a famous resort for tourists in the days when 

 it was kept by " old John Eawclifle and his wife." 



An old white house (now pulled down), " opposite the strand in 

 Ribchester," is said "to have been slept in by Cromwell before the 

 battle of Ribblesdale."' In Church Street there is an old house with, 

 a stone over the doorway bearing the date 1680. There are no initial 

 letters on the date-stone, which is, however, decorated with floriated 

 designs. It is now used as a butchei's shop. 



The old houses in the neighbourhood are Dutton HaU, Huntington 

 Hall, Buckley Hall, Cottam Hall, Hothersall Hall, Salesbm-y HaU, the 

 New HaU, and Osbaldeston Hall. The three last mentioned are not 

 in Ribchester parish, and s.) are not noticed in this work. Further 

 reference to the old halls and the old families will be found in Chapter 

 VI. 



"Atticus" gives such a piquant description of the chef d''ceuvre of 

 Ribchester art that I must once more quote from his work, to which I 

 am already under such great obligations. 



Amongst its chief curiosities is " a white buU — a jewel of a creature 

 all over — which would have graced the hieroglyphical art of Egypt, and 

 cast into the shade the winged animals of Nineveh and aU its palaces. 

 When that white buU is wanted no more at Ribchester the British 

 Museum people wiU give something for it. It is the most decided bull 

 we have yet seen. If Rosa Bonheur ever gets a glimpse of it she will 

 ' die larfin,' as the Yankees would say." I am much afraid that this 

 buU, which stands as the sign of the White Bull Inn, Ribchester, wiU 



'Cromwell, however, was probably never at Ribchester. 



