Ruins and Romans, Fonts and Furrows. Anything Old in Lancashire

[youngtug]

Neither are black rats, and they are the ones associated with the plague. Although brown rats do carry plague they didn't arrive in Europe until the 1600's and probably late 1600's by the time they got to England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_rat

[Lal]

The post earlier about Stocks Reservoir interested me. Our family used to go for walks around there regularly. I remember the rebuilt church of course and the stories behind it, including about exhuming the old churchyard and reburying them there, and I've visited it many times. But I also remember that it was possible to walk through the woods to the water's edge and there was a lot of interesting stuff to be found.

This was broadleaf woodland, not the pine that was grown around much of that area. I don't know if it was an old woodland though, but it was perfectly possible to make out where the original lanes had been and even better, where houses had been. One in particular must have been an old farmhouse as the layout was of a pretty large and square house (there were still walls remaining up to about one or two feet) and in the middle, the steps down to the old cellar. As kids we poked around a few times, wondering if you could get in, but it seemed to have been filled in. There was what had obviously been a cottage garden and an orchard too. As you got closer to the water there was clearly an old lane, and when there was a drought, a stone bridge would emerge out of the water, leading to an 'island'.

I found this link to a fantastic site http://dalehead.org/1995_drought_year.htm with photos of the 1995 drought and the bridge was 'Grange Hall Bridge', though it was in better shape in '76 and '83.

I know my parents have photos of this so I'm going to have to ask for copies now! Do any of these remains still exist, and can you even gain access to that area?

[Maggie.]

Hi Lal - that's a really interesting read about Stocks.  Despite it not being that far away from where I live, I cannot remember ever having been - it tends to be the case with places on your doorstep doesn't it?  The link to the old photos is fascinating.

Here is a link to another of those United Utilities leaflets that shows the route of an 8 mile  walk around the reservoir with points of interest noted.   

http://www.forestofbowland.com/files/uploads/pdfs/leaflets/StocksRes.pdf

[Greensleeves]

Really interesting link, Lal.  Loved the picture of the ancient bridge; must seem really strange when it re-emerges from the waters.  I would love to  do the 8 mile walk around the reservoirs and see all the archaeological/historic sites on the circuit.  Maybe we should get a coach up 

[msr]

Well GS, you know where there's a bed

Much as I'd like to, I really don't think (in fact pretty certain) that my feet won't allow me to walk that far these days.  Very annoying as I could walk quite a long way at a decent pace.

[Maggie.]

This is all quite fascinating.  I think I mentioned earlier the book by Barbara W Tuchman 'A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century' which is really a very interesting source of information about the black death.

Intrigued with this, so I read up a bit about this book and I would like to read it. I've ordered a used copy for not a lot of money from the USA via A****n.

[youngtug]

In the meantime this is an interesting read;  http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=1442216&pageno=1

[Greensleeves]

I must find my copy, Maggie; I have re-read it in places many times.  It is so informative and makes you wonder how anyone actually survived the 14th century because not only was there the black death, but also the most terrible famines and wars.  It seemed that almost the whole of Europe was laid waste; it gives a broad background to what was happening in our own particular areas and helps us to understand what it must have been like, even in the most remote areas.

And that's an interesting link too, YT. I note that Defoe was about five or six at the time of the Great Plague, and therefore a year older at the Great Fire of London which apparently decimated the area where he and his family lived.  I am assuming that he must have gathered together a great many eye-witness accounts to produce his work.   

 It must have been a tumultuous time in the mid 17th century throughout the country.  There would have been a fear of strangers because of the plague, and then the news filtering through about London burning would have been received with shock and awe.  And of course the country had just cast off the yolk of the Commonwealth and the King returned to the throne so after years of fear and uncertainty for many, with the country seeming on the road to recovery,  the plague then came to wreak yet more havoc.

Added:  If we did manage to arrange a walk round the reservoirs, perhaps we should do it in character and take msr along on a litter 

[Maggie.]

How am I ever going to get any work done with all this interesting information to read?

Thank-you again YT - the latest link provides an illuminating insight into those terrible times and the impact on communities.

To recap, at least for my own benefit, there is a school of thought that for convincing reasons has the 14th century Black Death and the 17th century Bubonic Plague as two separate diseases. 

Black Death -
Incubation period - 32 days
Death sure to follow infection
No rats in rural areas as black rat stayed near ports and no brown rat until 1720-ish

Bubonic Plague -
Incubation period 2-6 days
Human mortality lower and not as infectious
Caused by bacterium Yerisina Pestis that affects rodents then transmitted by fleas.