Walton-le-Dale

Walton-le-Dale is a picturesque little town of the rural South Ribble of Lancashire, England. The area is steeped in history and folklore and was once settled as the Roman fort, Belisama. Roman remains have been discovered in the area, in addition to Cuerdale Hoard, which in 1840 was the largest Viking treasure discovered in Western Europe. 

Legend has it, that at midnight on 12 August 1560, under the moonlight in Saint Leonard's Churchyard, occultist and scholar Dr John Dee summoned the spirit of a man who had died before giving the whereabouts of a considerable amount of money. It is said that he was successful and the spirit did indeed tell the occultist the whereabouts of the wealth, but not before also predicting to Dee the fate of many of the locals, which is said to have later come true.

Although a little more substantial than many of the locations of the Ribble, Walton-le-Dale is still a very traditional and timeless place. Cotton-spinning continues as a flourishing trade here and a number of interesting brasses and monuments to the traditions of the textile industry can be seen throughout the area. The town's church of Saint Leonard, was originally erected in the 11th century and is the primary landmark of this pretty town of the South Ribble, which boasts a good choice of traditional pubs and restaurants, shops and amenities. The town is conveniently situated on south bank of the River Ribble, to the south the city of Preston, by Bamber Bridge, making this an idyllic and convenient vantage point from which to explore the rest of Lancashire, with ease of access to all of the major towns, cities and attractions.