Preserving Preston's Heritage CIC - The Everyday Working Lives of Historical Walton le Dale Walk

The Walking Tour will explore the historical village of Walton le Dale and will discuss the Everyday Working Lives of the people who lived here from Roman Times through to the of the end Walton le Dale Urban District Council.

Along the way we’ll discover how people made their living and how the village developed around work, trade and transport. From the Roman military supply depot and the medieval village to turnpike roads, bridges and milestones, we’ll follow the routes used by soldiers, travellers, farmers and traders.

We’ll look at the industries that shaped Walton le Dale, including its cotton mill and the later paper mill, as well as corn mills, lost mill goyts and the Bridge Works. The farms, market gardens and estates provided food, employment and income, while the rivers supported salmon fisheries and other working activities.

There will be stories of local people and businesses too, including Joseph Livesey and the houses, shops and workshops that formed the everyday landscape of the village. Along the route we’ll encounter clues to the past that are easy to overlook – from a fire insurance plaque to surviving milestones and traces of buildings and waterways that have disappeared.

This is a chance to see Walton le Dale not simply as a collection of historic places, but as a working community, and to imagine the people who travelled its roads, worked its land, operated its mills and made their livelihoods here.

Timings

Sunday 20 September:

1000-1230

Location & directions

Capitol Centre Retail Park, Walton-le-Dale, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 4AW

Directions:

Meet adjacent to the grassed area in front the Nuffield Health Preston Fitness and Wellbeing Centre (Gym), which is a 'Scheduled Monument' and was the site of a Roman Military Supply Depot·

Contact on day:

Ashley Preston

Telephone number:

+447547337059

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking preferred

Booking conditions:

Please email Ashley Preston at [email protected] with number of places required and the names of the attendees. Places will be offered on a first come, first served basis but a waiting list will be actioned if others drop out.

Booking contact name:

Ashley Preston

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking opens:

14 Aug 2026 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

18 Sep 2026 06:00 PM

Accessibility details

There may be raised kerbs and uneven surfaces to navigate, with roads to cross. Toilet facilities will be available on route at the discretion of a number of local establishments. The best locations will be at the Capitol Centre, ideally before or after the tour. In a similar fashion, drinks and snacks will be available. However, to stick to a timetable and get the most out of our allotted time, I would like to keep stops to a minimum. It would be advisable to bring some fluids with you if you think it may be required during the walk.

Additional information

Multiple historic places

Max number of people:

20

Estimated duration:

2 hour(s) 30 minute(s)

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