Whitewell

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.913
longitude= -2.524
population=
civil_parish= Bowland Forest Low
official_name= Whitewell
shire_district= Ribble Valley
shire_county = Lancashire
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Ribble Valley
post_town= CLITHEROE
postcode_district = BB7
postcode_area= BB
dial_code= 01200
os_grid_reference= SD655465

Whitewell is a hamlet within the Ribble Valley borough of administrative Lancashire, England, in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Historically it lies right on the border of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The hamlet is the site of a restaurant and hotel, "The Inn at Whitewell". During the 14th century The Inn was a manor house in which dwelled the keepers of the royal forest, but became a resting place for travellers on their way to Lancaster in the eighteenth century. Beside the hotel is a Chapel of Ease built in 1817, and which came under the Lancashire parish of Whalley. [http://www.visitlancashire.com/xsdbimgs/Journey%20Through%20the%20Centre%20of%20the%20Kingdom%20-%20Walks%206,%207%20&%208(1).pdf]

Much of the land and property in the area belongs to the Duchy of Lancaster estate, as the black plaques on each building serve to remind. The surrounding forest was once the hunting ground of Henry VII, and his descendant, the present monarch, is said to be fond of the area, visiting the hotel in 2006 for lunch. Nearby settlements include Dunsop Bridge which claims to be the centre of the United Kingdom, and Clitheroe, the administrative centre of the borough.

References