BARROWFORD is a village in the North of England which has a history that can be traced back to Norman Times. It was not a village in those far off days, but the land was owned by the Rulers of England and was given to the Norman Baron of CLITHEROE - a neighbouring town which had a castle - and he, in return, vowed his allegiance.
For many centuries Barrowford was sparsely populated, - the land was too poor for growing quality crops - and so the area consisted of a few farms and cottages and the inhabitants managed to scratch a living through rearing sheep and cattle and handloom -weaving.
Every family owned at least one handloom, and more if they had the space, each member of these families could work the looms, even children of three and four years of age - this was strictly of neccessity to survive, hard times indeed.
Things hardly changed for many centuries in this part of the world, apart from the passing of History, which scarcely touched this, by now, small hamlet. Until, in the late Eighteenth Century happened The Industrial Revolution. The invention of steam-power to drive looms arrived, and factories and houses started to spring up, and, in no time at all we had a township.
All through the 19th Century and half-way into the twentieth, "King Cotton" was the Industry that provided the livelihood for most of the folk in Barrowford. From the mid -fifties onwards there was a steady decline in the industry, due to cheap imports from the Far East.
Barrowford today is a village that has 'turned its hand' to other skills and is relatively prosperous.
This author's only complaint, is the Civic Vandalism of the 1960's when many historic buildings were demolished in the guise of 'Progress'(?)
The village is now part of the greater Borough of PENDLE and as such, will eventually become part of a greater metropolis.
