234 A HISTORY OF LONGRIDGE. [Chap. 11. 



Goosnargh has, too, a rather unenviable notoriety for roads. A 

 popular local saying is, " that there are as many roads in Goosnargh 

 as would reach to London." The extent of them, as given by the 

 Ordnance Survey, is 35 miles. The number of cross roads makes 

 travelling rather difficult for strangers. 



Goosnargh is not a " village," nor a "hamlet: " it is an " agricul- 

 tural-district." True a few houses scattered about the neighbourhood 

 of the Church are called " Goosnargh Village " — a title as misleading 

 as it is incorrect. It has been most aptly termed " a nook " by Mr. E. 

 Kirk, who thus describes his native place. " The land rises from the 

 flat Fylde like a majestic swell of the mighty ocean rushing between 

 two high hills, chopped and furrowed on its surface into a hundred 

 hillocks, mounds and breezy brows, striated with babbling brooks and 

 purling rills. The land rises from about two hundred to four hundred 

 feet above the sea, and from its crest water perfoi-ms what is thought 

 to be a wonder, by flowing eastwards for several miles. Although the 

 western point is sixteen to eighteen miles from the sea, it is not an 

 uncommon thing for salt water to be found on the fences, and yews 

 are occasionally turned brown on the west side by the brine of the 

 Irish Sea." 



The Pabish Chtjech. 



The date of the foundation of Goosnargh Church, dedicated to St. 

 Mary, is merely a matter of conjecture. Baines saj's it is of great 

 antiquity. Dr. Whitaker considers the present edifice a restoration 

 of the building existing in the reign of Henry VIII. Fishwiek says it is 

 certain there was a chapel here in 1330. A chantry was in existence 

 in 1553. The registers date from 1639, and the church was restored 

 in 1778, and again in 1868-9. The style of architecture is mixed. 

 A brass tablet is in the church to the memory of William 

 Bushell, Esq. Two other tablets are erected to the memories of James 

 Sidgreaves, Esq., and John Burch Parker, Esq. On the floor of the 

 tower is an inscription to the effect that William BuslieU, Rector of 

 Heysham, was minister here for the time ])eing, dated 1715. Theie 

 is a peel of six bells in the tower. The oldest tombstone in the church- 

 yard bears the date of 1668. A sundial in the churchyard bears the 



