CASTLE HOLME, BILLINGTON, LANCASHIRE SD 718 366

A mile NE of Whalley the Roman road between Ribchester and Elslack crosses the river Calder below Mytton Wood. To the SE of this crossing, set in a loop of the Calder, stands a square raised mound known as ‘Castle Holme’. The mound is 70ft square set on the cardinal points and rises about 5ft above the surrounding ground. The mound is thought to be the site of a Roman temple or signal station, given its size and close proximity to the civil settlement at Whalley. Roman coins of Hadrian were found on the site in the 1830’s. The position of this structure is a good site for a post securing the passage over the river Calder as it is positioned between two ancient fords, Potter ford and Chew Mill ford. Over the first passed the Roman road and the medieval road from Blackburn to Whalley passed over the second.

Permission to view must be obtained from the friendly farmer at Chew.

On the opposite side of the river to Castle Holme is an earthwork near Calderstones Hospital, Nethertown. The site is NW of main built-up area of Nethertown on the perimeter of Calderstones Hospital grounds. It consists of an overgrown earth bank skirting the top edge of a promontory with a hollow occupying the crown of the promontory. In all it occupies less than 100m square.