Arkholme with Cawood One-Place Study

Arkholme, traditionally linked with Cawood in all statistics, is a small village situated in the Lune Valley in Lancashire. It is mentioned, under its old name of Ergune, in the Domesday Book, and there is evidence of a Norman motte within the grounds of St John the Baptist, the local church. It is one of only two Thankful Villages in Lancashire – those rare places that suffered no fatalities during the Great War. This small village sent one of the largest number of recruits from one village and parish: 59. Until 1959, Arkholme was known for its basketmakers, with families taking advantage of the natural willow resource along the banks of the Lune.

This study is in its infancy, although much is already known about the basketmaking families of Arkholme. Families are being reconstructed from the parish registers and census records and gradually histories of significant buildings will be undertaken.