Brief History

Shortly after the Norman Conquest, Henry de Lacey, a Norman nobleman,  selected Barnoldswick as the site for an important monastery.  He had  pledged to build a structure to the memory of God if he recovered from a serious illness.

Looking to fulfil that promise, twelve Cistercian monks and ten lay brothers arrived from Fountains Abbey to begin their work in 1147.  A local church already existed, however, and the locals were not happy about visitors interfering  in the running of their affairs.

When the climate proved just as inhospitable and the corn failed to ripen, the monks and brothers abandoned Barnoldswick and transferred their energies to the building of Kirkstall Abbey, near Leeds.  A few depressions in the ground, thought to be fishponds, along with a spring known as St Mary's Well are all that remains of their work.  The site is still known as Monkroyd and it is now home to a housing estate.

Ten years after their departure, the Brothers returned to build the church of St Mary le Ghyll.  Legend has it that this was built so far out of town to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the locals!

Barnoldswick, or "Barlick" as it is colloquially known, remained a small village for hundreds of years.  The surrounding Pennine Hills made excellent grazing for sheep and hand-loom weaving flourished in cottage houses as weavers busily turned fleece into cloth.

Barnoldswick prospered as a result of the cotton trade and by the start of the First World War, 22,000 looms were in operation and 13 mills dominated the landscape.  But, there was a huge slump in the woolen trade after the Great War followed by an upturn in the town's fortunes with the arrival of the Rover Company to manufacture and repair aero engines.  Rolls Royce took over the local factories and remains one of the largest employers in town.