The Loudmytham Site

Loudmytham 

Location :  OS Grid Ref : SD 64834 43104;  [Lat 53.882930   Long : -2.5364440]  It is a couple of miles east of Chipping.

Several alternative spellings of Loudmytham have been found : Loudmyholme;  Loudmythorne;  Lowde Mythun,  Loudmithonn; Lowdmyth; Lowd Mytham; Loudmytholme; Loudmithon; Loudmithin.

Mynni is Old Norse and Mythan dates from Saxon times being a meeting place and in this case probably means the the meeting or confluence of rivers at mouth of the River Loud.  (Source : Village Records App II p210 - John West  +  Lancs vocabulary of English placenames p38) 

This is in many way an unique place, it is situated at the convergence of the river Hodder and its tributary the river Loud. The late Jessica Lofthouse in her "Lancashire Fair Face" describes it thus: 

"I think perhaps there is no stretch of the Loud banks quite so lovely as this, where Hodder waits and beckons her to make haste, to join hands and run together under the high-flung arches of Doeford Bridge."

Certainly to lean on the parapet of the Doeford bridge on a spring day, as I did on my first visit in 1981, and to watch and listen to the rivers is almost magical !! There is a constant chortling and chuckling of the water over the river bed and this almost rings in your ears when you leave. The "Hodder" is very suitably named from the Celtic words meaning "pleasant and peaceful stream"

As can be seen on the map below (left side) , the area known as Crombewalholme in very early times is just to the north of this site. Loudmytham is also on the south east end of the deer park at Leagram in which several members of the family worked during these early times. It is the oldest known site of a Crombleholme family home and the present farmhouse is still occupied on the site. It is probable that the present stone building contains part if not all of the original timber building hidden within it.    

As the reference map and aerial photograph show the site is naturally bounded to the north east by the river Hodder and to the south east by the river Loud. The site is reasonably level and enclosed by trees on both river boundaries. The Loud as a tributary of the Hodder converges just to the east of the site. Just to the east again, is Doeford Bridge taking the adjacent road north east over the Hodder.

There has been a bridge at Loudmytham for many centuries, in Langshaw's "The 100 bridges of the Blackburn Hundred" the bridge is mentioned:   "A bridge of a single arch existed at Loud Mytham near Loudfoot over which a horse might be led when the ford was too dangerous"

This also illustrates the fact that the River Hodder used to run much higher than it does today. Today much river water is used further upstream to feed the large Stocks reservoir and as mentioned before a boat could have been used on the river in earlier times. Just across the bank and a little upstream there was a stone boat house recorded at Stakes in 1655. Large trout and other fish were also common. In the description of the house itself John Weld also records:

"Out of doors are traces of a strong wall and embankment on three sides, which enclosed formerly a garden to the south, forming as well a very necessary defence against the encroachment of the river in times of floods"

It would therefore appear that in the days when the Crombleholme family lived at Loud Mytham there was a danger of river flooding. No doubt, they were also rather partial to the occasional trout !! The river many have also been used to float felled timber downstream  in connection with the various works at Leagram.

The earlier dwelling was probably quite old at the time of its major alteration* (see below). It was probably the last of several less permanent timber dwellings on the site. The Crombleholmes being local carpenters in the 15th century no doubt constructed the last one from local materials and timbers that were then still plentiful at that time. Early dwellings would have been quite crude, with "post hole" type of construction being used with the main timber posts  anchored directly in the ground. Obviously such buildings were short lived and needed renewal every 20/30 years. There is frequent mention of turf being dug for use in dwelling houses, this would have been used as a roof covering in place of thatch which was used on the nearby Leagram Lodge.

It is not unreasonable to assume that the earlier building occupied by the Crombleholme family was a timber framed dwelling perhaps of early "cruck" constuction. Large curved timber blades (known locally in Lancashire as "siles") were inclined together as the basic "A" frame structure of the dwelling. See below*.

It is interesting to note that this method of construction is also mentioned in the survey of 1556:

"There are also five hundred sappling stubbs, a great part whereof are old, rotten, and hollow, and are only fit for firewood, the rest are only good for yate stopps, and silles for poor men's houses, partly on account of their great age but especially because they are so often lopped and cropped, one with another they are not worth more than 4d each."  The commissioners had also certified that 346 sapling trees had been felled and distributed by the five keepers by order of the Master forester (Sir Thomas Talbot) ......"for the repair of tenant's houses according to ancient custom."

From the survey made in 1556 the old park seems to have been nearly devoid of wild cattle and deer. Earlier between 1494 - 1523 Cuncliffe Shaw (a present day authority on the area) states that the deer population was in the order of 2000. A Crown survey of Leagram Park and Bowland forest also revealed insufficient timber remaining to maintain the fence and tenant's buildings and by 1608 the situation recorded was even worse.

History of the present Farmhouse:

In the History of Chipping (Smith) the farmhouse is called "Loudmyholme". This account was written shortly after the extensive "renovations" of the late 19th century. It mentions that the latest property was part of the Weld Estate inherited from the Sherburne family. Mention is also made that the Crombleholme family lived here during the sixteenth century and were followed by the Marsdens from about 1620 and by the Slaters from 1720 down to the mid nineteenth century.

* An interesting paragraph appears in a booklet  : (Source : published by Aussteiger Publications in 2004 by John Dixon entitled The Forest of Bowland Little Bowland, Lower Hodder Valley & trough of Bolland - Circular walks from Whitewell, Chipping & Dunsop Bridge - p43.   RC has this book)..

........Loud Mytham is a large yeoman farmhouse of the early 17th century that incorporates an earlier timber framed building - an oak mullioned window was found when work was done on the east wall. Stone mullioned windows abound, and originally the house had many more, as one can make out by inspecting the gable. The Weld family who live here hope to open up these former lights and we may soon see the house as it was when the old catholic family of Crombleholme lived here...... 

I only discovered this booklet on a visit to Lancashire in 2012 and did not have time to visit Loud Mytham so I cannot verify if any related discoveries have been made since 2004. It is interesting to note that a (Blundell Weld family still occupied the house in 2014 although sold ? in 2020)

The Crombleholme Family at Loudmytham:

With an area land being named Crombleholme in early times, the site may have originally been the settlement of the family who adapted its name. It may have become known as Loudmytham later due to its proximity to the River Loud. As shown on various contemporary maps, members of the Crombleholme family who were recorded as being pallisers and carpenters in the adjoining Leagram Park lived on this site. It adjoined the Pale itself and in the various legal depositions made between the Crown and the Shireburnes in the early 1600's, it is mentioned as being the copyhold land of Loud Mytham.

This ancient form of tenure (only finally abolished in 1922) originally depended upon custom and the lord of the manor's will by carrying out certain services for the lord. The Black Death in the 14th century caused a scarcity of labour and in turn this led to the old feudal services being replaced with money payments. The Crombleholmes, as tenants of Loudmytham, would have been protected by title written on the manor court rolls rather than by national law. The tenant was given a copy of this title and hence the term copyhold. When the property was transferred, the tenant first surrendered it to the Lord of the Manor, who held the fee simple, the new tenant was admitted on payment of a fine.

The Crombleholme family leave Loudmytham : No records have been found as yet relating to the transfer or vacation of Loudmytham by the Crombleholme family. There are no family wills that have been found that mention Loudmytham later than 1614. However, it was probable that the Crombleholme family had left about c1620-25 as the Marsden family were the next occupiers of Loudmytham and it is thought that they substantially rebuilt to house at this time. This was the time of substantial rebuilding of houses in England and it is likely that the original timber framed building was replaced by a stone built one with some of the timber frame left internally.

Later, the Marsden family are mentioned in the local Chipping parish register:

1677 Richard  s/o Thomas Marsden of Lowd Mytham in Bolland.(bap.)

1682 Margrett d/o Thomas Marsden of Loudmithonn. (buried)

The Marsdens ("of the Pale") sold the reversion of their 99 year lease (from the Sherburnes)  in about 1720 to Christopher Slater of Leagram. In his will of 1729, he in turn, left his estate held by lease called Loudmithom to his sons Thomas and William Slater. (Source : History of Chipping)

1715 : The Stonyhurst magazine (II 239) recalls a tradition that "two rebel officers called at the house in 1715 after the retreat from Derby and asked for shelter and to be directed to the King's road to Lancaster"

One account which gives a fascinating first hand account of the building is John Weld's History of Leagram written at the end of the nineteenth century:

"The old house of Loud Mytham, situated near to the junction of the Loud with the Hodder, had a claim at one time to be something more than a farmhouse.  It is supposed to have been built by a Captain Marsden of the Pale, about the commencement of Charle's 1.'s reign, or the end his predecessor's. [1625] Captain Marsden was living in 1682, being more than 83 years of age [ie b 1599].

It is a heavy-looking building, of rough walling, containing a ground floor, and rooms above, with one long chamber under the roof occupying its entire length, and lit by a window in the gable at either end. The house had many blocked up windows with numerous mullions. The principal entrance used to be on the north side, approached by a descent of several steps; it is now closed. The old door had, a few years since, a large bar of oak used as a bolt, without any other fastening. Some oak panelling remains in the rooms. Two enormous arks testify to the abundance that once existed, one being capable of holding at least fourteen loads of meal.

There are also one or two supposed hiding-places, where temporary concealment might have been found in troubled times. The chimney in the centre of the building fills a large space, the fire place being altogether out of proportion to present wants, containing room for several persons to sit down on either side within its extensive arch. Above is a soot chamber eight or nine feet square, occupying the entire height to the roof.

The above is a description of the house previous to 1879, in which year it was entirely rebuilt, except the outside walls. The roof, which had been covered with heavy stones slates and had given way in some places, was repaired, and recovered in Welsh slates.

The central chimney and soot chamber were done away with, and the whole interior rearranged more in conformity with present requirements. The old blocked-up windows, souvenirs of the window tax, were all re-opened and filled with large panes. (what a shame !!)

Out of doors are traces of a strong wall, and embankment on three sides, which enclosed formerly a garden to the south, forming as well a very necessary defence against the encroachment of the river in time of floods.

The house if built by Captain Marsden of the Pale, must have been placed on the site of a more ancient one, as a house is indicated in the same place, in an old map of the park, at least as early as Henry VIII's reign [1509-47]. It stands in that part of Bowland which is in the angle between the two rivers and the out-fence of Leagram. It was purchased by Sir Nicholas Shireburne, Bart., about the end of the 17th century, and has formed part of the estate since."

* See the comments above regarding recent uncovering of elements of the original building fabric from 2004. To be verified.

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