Horelaw or Wholaw (ruin)

The ruins of a relatively large moorland farm originally known as Horelaw and later Wholaw, in the Crown Point area above Burnley.

Demolished and leaving low stone walls of the numerous buildings with rubble filled interiors the ruins are quite impressive, and unlike many of the moorland farms not immediately abandoned for the industrial mills. In fact surviving as Wholaw until the latter half of the 20th Century, there are a few relatively ‘modern’ looking bricks amongst the otherwise sandstone rubble.

One interesting feature that survives is a small section of vaulted cellar, now mostly filled with rubble, the hole for the stair access is easy to spot, and there’s also another, vertical hole at the other end, which is found in other examples. This cellar was probably used a storage for vegetables and other foods.

There are two other farm structures with vaulted cellars not too far away and in better condition. The very similar cellar at Binns Farm above the Piethorne Valley and the so-called cattle byre at Wheelton Plantation, Brinscall.

Created: 12  April  2025  Edited: 12  April  2025