Strategically placed on
the banks of the River Ribble, PRESTON was already an
important market town in Anglo-Saxon times and received its royal
charter in 1179 - origin of the famous Preston Guild celebrations,
which since 1542 have taken place every twenty years (the next
in 2012). The town was attacked by Robert the Bruce, changed
hands in the Civil War and saw action during the Jacobite rebellions,
while Charles Dickens gathered material here for Hard Times ,
his coruscating attack on the factory system.
Some handsome Victorian
public buildings survive, most notably the majestic Greek-Revival-style
Harris Museum and Art Gallery (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; free), in the
central Market Square. The permanent collection focuses on fine
art and decorative art, while temporary exhibitions often explore
links with the town's significant Asian population. On either
side of the Harris lie the modern shopping streets, converging
on Fishergate, the main street through town. For a change in
emphasis, cross Fishergate to explore the handsome Georgian development
of Winckley Square , once home to the town's richest cotton magnates.
If you needed any more incentive to stop it would be to make
your way to the ground of Preston North End - one of Britain's
oldest football clubs - for the marvellous National Football
Museum , Sir Tom
Finney Way, Deepdale Stadium (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, midweek matchday
10am-7.30pm, Sun 11am-5pm; £6.95). On one level, this is
simply an unparalleled collection of football memorabilia: those
who know about such things will relish the chance to see items
like the Geoff Hurst crossbar from the 1966 World Cup Final.
But you really don't have to know anything about football to
enjoy the museum, since "the true story of the world's greatest
game" is backed by fascinating archive material on football's
origins, its social importance, the experience of fans through
the ages, and other relevant themes.
For the football museum,
it's a ten-minute ride on bus #19 from Preston bus station ,
right in the centre of town. The train station , on the west
coast main line, has regular services to Manchester and Blackpool. The tourist office is in the
Guild Hall, on Lancaster Road (Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm; tel 01772/253731),
just round the corner from the Harris
Museum.
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