Penwortham

The Penwortham Area Committee is made up of the Higher Penwortham, Charnock, Kingsfold and Middleforth areas.

Penwortham is a town located on the south bank of the River Ribble and the name derived from pen (meaning a hill), worth (meaning settlement) and ham (land within the bend of a river). 

The town of Penwortham can be traced back to pre-historic times with archaeological evidence showing that the ford in the Middleforth area was used to cross the River Ribble. It was also listed in the Domesday Book spelt as "Penverdent".  Between 1066 and 1086 a small castle was built on the hill in Penwortham overlooking the river crossing. This was a simple motte-and-bailey castle and was known as Penwortham Priory with the castle mound (the motte) still visible from the graveyard of St Mary's Church.

Penwortham's economy began to diversify in the 16^th and 17^th centuries with the appearance of medium sized farms and the growth of spinning and weaving.  In the mid 1780s Penwortham Mil opened and provided jobs for the residents of Middleforth.

The first detailed map of Penwortham was produced in 1839 which shows Leyland Road, Penwortham End (now known as Higher Penwortham) and Middleforth Green.  Also included was the still extant workhouse on Greenbank Road and The Fleece Inn on Liverpool Road.

In 1915 a new bridge was opened which was built wide enough to carry four lanes of traffic. This had a large impact on Penwortham significantly increasing the links with Preston.

In 1950, one of Lancashire's oldest charities, Galloway's Society for the Blind, set up its headquarters in Penwortham and has been there ever since. The charity provides services to some 6500 blind and visually impaired people across Lancashire and beyond.

The town continued to develop and the 1980s saw the initial construction of the Penwortham by-pass and by 1981 the population had increased to 21,571. According to the census in 2001 Penwortham now has a population of 23,436 which makes it the largest civil parish by population in Lancashire.