TOPOGRAPHY 



THE HUNDRED OF BLACKBURN 



(CONTINUATION) 



MITTON (Part of) 

 AIGHTON, BAILEY AND CHAIGLEY 



Acton, Dom. Bk. ; Aghton, 1274 ; Aighton, 

 modern. Occasionally an H was prefixed, e.g. Hacton, 

 1235. 



Bailegh, 1257 ; Bayley, 1284 ; Bayleye, 1 29 1. 



Cheydeslega, 1 246 ; Chaygeslegh, 1 3 3 1 ; Chaddes- 

 legh, Chaddesley, 1346 ; Chageley, c. 1440. 



This composite township is bounded on the north 

 and east by the Hodder, which separates it from 

 Yorkshire, in which county is situated the greater 

 part of the parish of Mitton. On the south the 

 Ribble is the boundary. The dominant physical 

 feature is Longridge Fell, projecting eastward into 

 the township a little north of the centre. Its highest 

 point, 1,149 ft-> ^^ J ust w i tn ' n tne border. From 

 the ridge the ground falls rapidly to the north and 

 east, and more gently to the south, many outlying 

 spurs breaking the surface into hills and doughs, the 

 latter often watered by rapid brooks, formerly supply- 

 ing motive power to numerous bobbin mills. Trees 

 are abundant, and along the Hodder are many 

 beautiful views. 



Aighton and Bailey lie to the south of the Fell, to 

 the east and west respectively, being parted by Dean 

 Brook, while Chaigley or Chaigeley occupies the 

 north-east slope. Stonyhurst, 1 which as the residence 

 oi the lords of the manor has for centuries been the 

 dominant house in the township, lies near the centre 

 of Aighton, with Winkley or Winckley to the south- 

 east, in the corner formed by the confluence of Hodder 

 and Ribble, and Woodfields to the north-east. Hurst 

 Green, the principal hamlet, is about a mile south- 

 west of Stonyhurst. Chilsey Green is to the north, 

 under the Fell ; near it are the Shireburne alms- 

 houses. Morton House lies to the east, while Craw- 

 shaw and Hudd Lee are near the western border. 



In Chaigley, Chadswell and Chapel House are central, 

 the houses known as the hall and the manor lying 

 to the east and Wedacre to the west. 



The principal road is that from Longridge to 

 Mitton and Clitheroe, through the southern part of 

 the township. The portion of this road from Hurst 

 Green to the lower Hodder bridge was made by 

 McAdam in 1826, being one of the first attempts to 

 apply his system. 2 The new Hodder bridge, of three 

 arches, was built at the same time ; the old one, still 

 standing a few yards to the south, was provided by 

 Sir Richard Shireburne in 1562. 3 There is no 

 bridge across the Ribble, 4 but a ferry is maintained 

 to Hacking on the south bank. The older road from 

 Longridge is higher up, passing through Chilsey 

 Green and Stonyhurst, but this is now little used. 

 North of the Fell is another important road, from 

 Chipping and Thornley to Clitheroe, crossing the 

 Hodder by the higher bridge. 



The area of the township is 6,300^ acres, 6 " 7 

 Aighton measuring 2,867 acres, Bailey I >4 I ^i and 

 Chaigley 2,015. A detached part of Aighton called 

 Lennox's Farm was in 1883 transferred to Dutton, 

 within which township it lay. 8 In 1 90 1 the popula- 

 tion numbered 1,310. 



Aighton was in 1066 in the hundred of Amounder- 

 ness and apparently in the parish of Preston ; its 

 double transference to the hundred of Blackburn and 

 to the parish of Mitton was no doubt a consequence 

 of the early grants to the Lacy and Mitton families 

 respectively, as narrated below. 



To the ancient 'fifteenth' 38;. was contributed, 

 when the hundred in all paid ^37 x jr. yd., 9 and to 

 the county lay a proportionate sum. 



The township is now governed by a parish council. 



1 Two fields near the hall are called 

 Great and Little Stonyhurst. 



3 J. Gerard, Stonyhurst Coll. 1 24. 



3 Ibid. 57. Sir Richard provided the 

 atone and paid £70 to the mason. In 

 the appended note is a statement by the 

 rector of Mitton in 1331 that the bridge 

 over the Hodder — probably a wooden one 



— was frequently broken down, the river 

 being liable to floods. 



4 An aqueduct carries the Blackburn 

 Corporation water-pipes across the river, 

 but there is no public footway by it. 



5-7 The Census Rep. of 1901 gives 

 6,289 acre8 , including 108 of inland 

 water. 



8 Transferred under the Divided Parishes 

 Act, 1882. The land is at the north 

 end of Dutton. The farm may have 

 taken its name from a Lynalx, related to 

 the old lords of Ribchester. A Thomas 

 Lenox had land in 1524 ; see below. 



9 Gregson, Fragments (ed. Harland), 

 19. 



