LONG PRESTON

The leafy green with it's village cross and maypole.

Four miles south of Settle on the main road to Skipton is Long Preston. Straddling the Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary in the Ribble Valley, Long Preston has two pubs, the Boar's Head and the Maypole the latter of which overlooks the large village green with it's cross and maypole.

Listed at 'Prestune' meaning 'Priests Town' in the Domesday Book, the 'Long' was added to distinguish the village from the many other Prestons which includes England's newest city.

There was once a thriving cotton and livestock industry in Long Preston until the latter half of the 20th century and the railway brought prosperity to the village and today, travellers between Skipton and Settle can alight at Long Preston Station.

Rohan, the outdoor clothing specialists has a shop in the village. St. Mary's Church is a long, low 18th century building which serves the parish.

Please take care when driving through the village. A bypass was proposed and given the go-head in 1994 but was scrapped by the incoming Labour government in 1997.

Nearby is Hellifield and a road branches off to Gisburn in Lancashire.

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