Warton Village
Warton, in north Lancashire...
- is an historic parish in North Lancashire
- was the ancient home of the Washington family
- is in the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- is close to the centre of the British Isles
Warton is a small village with a population of around 2,500, located just over a mile and a half from Carnforth, in North Lancashire. It is within easy reach of J.35 of the M6 motorway and is served by Stagecoach bus services linking north Lancashire and the South Lakes. At Carnforth railway station there are trains to connect with the West Coast Main Line at Lancaster, plus local services between Barrow, Manchester Airport, and West Yorkshire.
Warton has two churches (one Anglican, one Methodist), two community halls, a monastery, a school, a pre-school, a toddler group, two pubs, a Post Office, a local brewery, and a well-being/fitness centre. There is a playground built in 2010 by a small group of young parents, as well as a lot of help from fellow villagers, who together raised over £138,000.
Close to the centre of the village stands the remains of the ancient Warton Old Rectory. Owned by English Heritage, it has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed building. Built of limestone rubble walls with sandstone dressings, a cross passage originally separated the full height great hall in the southern side, from service rooms and a first floor chamber in the north. The doorway at the eastern end of the cross passage is interpreted as the main entrance, while the western one led to a garden, both originally had a porch. A doorway in the northern gable wall led to a courtyard with an external kitchen and well. In the south-west corner of the great hall is a doorway that led to another building which survives as part of the modern vicarage, and the southern gable had an ogee quatrefoiled window under the apex to provide light. It not known exactly when the rectory was abandoned, but it was a ruin by 1721. The Old Rectory is open to the public, free of charge.
Warton also has a very active Village Society which raises considerable sums of money each year through a variety of events.