Longridge - Quarryman's Arms

Name: Quarryman's Arms

Address: 1 Delph House, Higher Road, Longridge

There were four main quarry-masters, of whom the largest was Flemings, who owned the biggest quarry on Tootle Heights. The other three, Marsden, Fletcher and Spencer, also had quarries there, of varying sizes. Between them, they employed, by 1871, around 25% of the Longridge male workforce. In addition, another 200-plus men came in from surrounding villages and as far away as Preston, making a total workforce employed in the quarries to a little over 400. Flemings also owned the Quarryman’s Arms, a pub just below his quarry, where he ran a ‘Tommy Shop’, or company store where his workmen could buy food and other necessities on credit at high prices. By the 1880s, trade was falling off, partly because of competition from quarries in Wales and Yorkshire, partly because bricks were much cheaper for building lower-priced housing and partly because the quarries had worked out their best stone. By 1881, only 164 workers were employed (Till, 1993).

The building housing the Quarryman's Arms was built in 1808 and was located at no.1 Delph House, as the 1861 census below confirms, but the landlords were first and foremost quarrymen and therefore tracking the pub's history is only possible through census returns on the location, as the occupations listed mostly do not confirm the occupations as beer sellers.

Marriage: 4 Jun 1838 St Lawrence, Longridge, Lancashire, England

Thomas Kenyon - (X), of full age, Stone Mason, Bachelor, Dilworth

Ann Sleddon - (X), Minor, Spinster, Alston

    Groom's Father: Thomas Kenyon, Stone Mason

    Bride's Father: William Sleddon, Blacksmith

    Witness: Richard Watson; Margaret Turner, (X)

    Married by Banns by: Frederick Maule, Minister

   

© Copyright M J Richardson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

1841 Census Thomas Kenyon

Landlords at the beer house were Thomas Kenyon (1841), Thurston Greenall or John Hutton(1851), Henry Robinson (1861), William Bleasdale (1871) and Charles Foster (1881).

1844 Map

1851 Census Thurston Greenall

c.2021 Residential Property

1861 Census Henry Robinson

1871 Census William Bleasdale

Marriage: 26 Jun 1871 St Bartholomew, Chipping, Lancs.

William Rigby - Full Age, Labourer, Bachelor, Higher House Thornley

Sarah Bleasdale - Full Age, Spinster, Quarryman's Arms Dilworth

    Groom's Father: Richard Rigby, Farmer

    Bride's Father: William Bleasdale, Inn Keeper

    Witness: William Bleasdale; Ann Bleasdale

    Married by Banns by: Rd. Robinson Vicar

    Register: Marriages 1837 - 1881 from the Bishop's Transcripts, Page 133, Entry 265

   

Whilst Delph House and the Quarryman's House are recorded on the 1881 census there is no mention of there being a beer house but the quarrymen are still living in the properties and I suspect the business was still going at this stage albeit trade had reduced.

1881 Delph House & Quarryman's House

1891 Map

1910 Map

Paul Heathcote puts flagship Longridge Restaurant up for sale

Heathcote first opened the Longridge Restaurant, formerly called Paul Heathcote's, in 1990 and the restaurant gained a Michelin star in 1992. In 1994 it became the North's first holder of two Michelin stars, an accolade the restaurant retained for four consecutive years. In 1998 it dropped back to one-Michelin-star-status before losing its star in 2003 and being relaunched as the Longridge Restaurant.

Heathcote said that after more than two decades it was time for a new chef to take the reins at Longridge. "Anybody who does the same thing for 22 years could become stale and that would be sad so reflecting on everything we have done and achieved at Longridge over a very long time is something I should feel proud of," he said.

"It is a small business and is great as a chef-proprietor for someone to make their mark, which is how I started. But there are many other larger projects I am looking to test myself with."

The Longridge Restaurant & Cookery School is being marketed by Christie & Co.

LONGRIDGE RESTAURANT TIMELINE

1990 Paul Heathcote's opens

1992 Michelin star and Newcomer of the Year Catey

1994 Second Michelin star and Egon Ronay Chef of the Year award

1997 Independent Restaurateur of the Year Catey

1998 Returns to one Michelin star

2003 Loses Michelin star and relaunches as Longridge Restaurant

2009 Heathcote puts restaurant up for sale, takes it off the market after four months and appoints former head chef and manager Chris and Kathy Bell to run it

2011 Appoints Hywel Griffith as head chef

2012 Puts restaurant up for sale

The Caterer - 15 May 2012 by Kerstin Kühn

c.2021