Sites, scenes and places in the Neighbourhood of Blackrod parish.
These sites, scenes and places are the backdrop of our Plan and showcase the breadth of our community.
There are 4 bridges of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal located within the Blackrod Boundary:
Arley Bridge No. 64
Weavers Bridge No. 65 aka “Anderton Bridge”
Aberdeen Bridge No. 66
Waterhouse Bridge No. 67
The bridges are grade II listed.
The Parish Church of St. Katharine stands in a prominent position in the village of Blackrod and can be seen from many miles around. The Church is dedicated to Saint Katharine of Alexandria whose feast day is the 25th November. The first recorded evidence of a church in Blackrod is in the Manchester Diocesan Calendar which says that a church existed in 1138.
The church is a building of stone in the Norman style, consisting of nave, south aisle and an embattled western tower with pinnacles, containing 6 bells and a clock.
Most of the present church was rebuilt in the early 1900s, replacing the earlier church. The oldest part of the church is the lower tower which was part of a church built during the reign of Elizabeth I. The church is noted for its stained glass windows including the East Window designed and made in 1914 by Mary Lowndes, who was also renowned as one of the leaders of the suffragette movement.
The church was re-ordered in 2000 to bring it into the 21st century with the addition of meeting rooms, kitchen, office and toilets, enabling church and community to have space to meet and enjoy various activities such as the monthly Film Club, Flower Club, Stitch & Knit Group and Sunday School. A new Vicar, Revd Angela Wynne, was appointed in 2016 as a half time post as part of the team with Daisy Hill, Westhoughton and Wingates churches.
All are welcome to St Katharine’s and details of services and events can be found on the website at www.stkatharine.net
Is hosted annually in July and attracts visitors from all over the UK. Celebrated it’s 10th year in 2016. Scarecrows appear all around the village. Churches, schools and businesses provide activities, refreshments and summer fairs. A community event welcoming everyone. Programmes available giving details, maps and competitions. All monies raised from programmes go to the Blackrod Community Fund supporting the village.
Blackrod railway station serves the village of Blackrod, 6.5 miles North West of Bolton railway station.
The station was opened on 4th February 1841 as Horwich Road by the Manchester and Bolton Railway. It was renamed Horwich and Blackrod, then Horwich Junction, then Horwich and Blackrod junction, finally Blackrod in 1888.
The annual ploughing competition brings farmers, families and visitors from across the UK to enjoy a thousand year old tradition in Blackrod.
The former Blackrod Grammar School in Church Street, built in 1799, was incorporated with the Free Grammar School at Rivington in 1881. Today it is a private nursery.