Rufford, ENG - Postcode - NG22 9DB

Description of Rufford, Lancashire

The village of Rufford in West Lancashire, England, sits at the confluence of the River Douglas, the A59, the Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston Railway, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The neighboring village of Holmeswood is also part of the civil parish of Rufford. The name "Rufford" comes from the Old English words for "rough ford," which literally translate to "rough crossing."

This location served as a fording point on the River Douglas. Records show that the name Rufford was first written as Ruchford in 1212, then as Rufford in 1285, then as Roughford in 1318, then as Rughford in 1332, and finally as Roghforth in 1411.  During the reign of Henry I, Richard Bussel, baron of Penwortham, awarded Richard Fitton a portion of the manor. Dame Maude Fitton, his heiress and descendent, wed Sir William Hesketh in 1278. The other half of the land came down to the Heskeths since Sir William's grandson wed the daughter of Edmund Fitton. A licence for a weekly market and annual fair was awarded to Sir William Hesketh in 1339. In 1346, he participated in the Battle of Crécy, and by 1360, he had been made a knight of the shire. The Hesketh family, in the late 15th century, constructed Rufford Hall. It was renovated in the 1820s and changed again in 1661. When the family finally abandoned the old hall for the new Rufford New Hall in 1798 or 1799, it was expanded.

Geographical Description of Rufford

Located 5 and a half miles to the north-east of Ormskirk, the town of Rufford spans 2,996 acres of generally flat territory that rises slightly in the direction of Holmeswood to the north.

Much of the land is farmed or utilized as pasture because of the fertile loam over sand soil. The settlement is separated from Croston by the River Douglas and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the Liverpool and Preston railway.

Little to no industry exists in the mostly rural hamlet. Excellent prime farmland. The village was popular for day visits from nearby cities in the early 20th century, when it was deemed "one of the prettiest in South Lancashire." Historic sites like Rufford Old Hall and Mere Sands National Nature Reserve, as well as the marinas along the canal, have been drawing tourists since the Victorian era. The village is home to a variety of eateries, including cafes and teahouses, as well as the public house Hesketh Arms and the hotel and restaurant Rufford Arms.