Chorley's Inns and Taverns: Goosnargh (Whittingham)

Name: The Alston Arms

Address: 2, Inglewhite Road, Whittingham

The Alston or Alston's Arms was built prior to 1833 by local businessman and namesake, Christopher Alston (see press cutting from the Preston Chronicle - Saturday 09 April 1870 below). It lies on the outskirts of Longridge but is actually in Whittingham in the parish of Goosnargh. The Alstons were a wealthy family from Ribchester and it appears from parish records that Christopher was a Cotton Manufacturer.

Preston Herald - Saturday 22 November 1890

A brief history of the property known today as the ‘Alston Arms’, reveals that the original conveyance for the estate dates back to 14th August 1841. It was purchased for the Water Works and Thomas Alston. The total price of £475 included 14 acres of land, 2 rods and 12 perches.
In 1842 the property was mortgaged for £300 by Christopher Ashworth of Dilworth Whittingham and was named the ‘Alston Arms’. Upon his death in 1862 it was bequeathed to Thomas Ashton who then sold to John Forest a year later priced £2600. In May 1903, the pub was sold by auction to George Duckworth Hale for the grand sum of £2700 realising a profit of £60 (after fees) in forty years.
(courtesy of The Alston, Longridge)

Listed landlords at the pub were Christopher Alston (1833-48), Margaret Hodgson (1841-), Christopher Ashworth (owner 1842-62), William Strickland (1851-61), Thomas Ashton or Alston (owner 1862), John Forest (owner 1863-), Edward Bamber (-1870), Ann Bamber (1870-), William Pomfret (1871-72), John Forrest (1879-81), John Rogerson (1885-1901), George Duckworth Hale (owner 1903-),William Holden (1911), Hugh Rhodes (1917), Margaret Rhodes (-1919), Charles Rhodes (1919-), Thomas Gibson (1934-1945) and Alex Coward (2013-).

1910 Map

1841 Census - Margaret Hodgson

Whilst owning the pub Christopher was not the landlord but his influence was clear to see where his son, John was working as a man servant at the Inn on the 1841 census above.

Slater's Directory 1848

Two months before Christopher Alston's death in 1848 the Alston Arms was put up for sale, shown on the newspaper cutting below and following its sale the Strickland family moved in to run the Inn.