[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by RHFOY

Retlaw do you know if spire farm was used by monks at one time?
And did cromwell stay there to rest whilst fighting charles 1?

Robert de Lacy granted the lands of Accrington to the monks of Kirkstall in 1192, overriding a previous grant made by his father to Hugh son of Leofwine the Saxon.
The monks established vacaries (farms) on the newly aquired lands after chucking the people of Accrington out, these vacaries were at High Riley, Friar Hill, Antley, Henheads, Iconhurst, Laund and Fernihalgh.
Never found any documentation to show that Cromwell even knew Accrington existed.
When the monks left in circa 1280, the descendant of the de Lacy's appointed a steward to oversee his holdings, he took the name Riley, so he was Robert de Riley, and lived in the vacary known as High Riley
The additions to the barn when the watch tower was moved from behind High Riley Cottages and built into the barn, occured somtime around 1830, a change is shown in the rateable value from the 1828 one, and another made in 1835.
We once had a fire at Spire Farm in the early 1960's and it took 2 other pumps just to relay water to the site, each machine carries 500 yards of hose, hope your water supply has improved, had to relay it from Hambledon lodge.
Retlaw.