Gisburn, ENG - Postcode - BB7 4LP

Description of Gisburn

Located in the Ribble Valley borough of Lancashire, Gisburn (formerly Gisburne) is a village and civil parish. It is situated 8 miles (13 km) to the northeast of Clitheroe and 11 miles (18 km) to the west of Skipton, both of which are located within the historic West Riding of Yorkshire. According to the 2001 census, the population of the civil parish was 506. However, by the time of the 2011 census, that number had risen to 521.

Horton, Paythorne, Sawley, and Rimington in the Ribble Valley, and the parishes of Bracewell and Brogden in Pendle, are adjacent to the civil parish.

Etymology

First mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the spelling Ghiseburne, Gisburn has been around for quite some time. The name again appears in writing in the 12th century, this time spelled Giselburn. The name is derived from the Old English words burna ('stream') and *gysel ('gushing'), both of which have been reconstructed. The first part, however, could be derived from the Old English given name *Gysla. Therefore, the original meaning of the name was either "gushing stream" or "Gysla's stream."

Before the arrival of the railroad in the parish, Gisburne was spelled differently. In 1962, Gisburn station was one of many that were shut down as a result of the Beeching Axe. The town of Guisborough, also in Yorkshire (now in North Yorkshire), was sometimes spelled "Gisburne," so "Gisburn in Craven" became a common moniker.

Geographical distribution of Gisburn

Bowland Forest to the west, Pendle Hill to the south, and the Yorkshire Dales and Pennines to the north and east all contribute to Gisburn's rural setting and isolation. The A59 runs parallel to the Ribble valley, which is relatively flat, and through the parish.

History of Gisburn

The remains of a 4th-century Romano-British farmstead called Bomber Camp can be found just across the boundary with Bracewell and Brogden, and the ancient Roman road from Ribchester to Ilkley runs through the southern part of the modern civil parish.

This village's layout is typical of those built in the tenth century: houses face the main street, and tenement plots slope down to a back alley.

Gisburn Forest, Paythorne, Newsholme, Horton, Rimington, Middop, Nappa, and Swinden were all part of the larger ancient parish that centred around Gisburn.

In 1612, a local woman named Jennet Preston was put on trial in the Lancashire witch trials for allegedly using witchcraft to bring about Thomas Lister's death. When she was put on trial, the village was part of Yorkshire, so the proceedings took place in York. After a trial, Preston was found guilty and executed on the York Knavesmire.

Before 1911, the village's livestock market was located on Main Street, but it was relocated to its current location at the western end of town, adjacent to the former railway station.

Gisburne Park is traversed by the Pennine Bridleway National Trail, and the Ribble Way follows roads in the village itself.