TODAY we take an historic walk around the village of Ribchester in the heart of the picturesque Ribble Valley.

There has been a settlement here since Roman times and the land has unearthed many artefacts and ruins from that time, of around 70AD.

There was a fort, one of a network across northern Britannia, and an adjacent civilian settlement and the St Wilfrid's parish church and the village hall, stand on the site of the fort's main buildings.

The church, close to the banks of the River Ribble, dates back as far as the 13th century and is very similar to St Mary's in Whalley, built around the same time.

In the north chapel is an ancient tombstone with an inscription dated 1689, while some the 18th century square pews have initials carved into the wood from 1729 and 1761.

Although the area was principally a farming community, Ribchester, as many of East Lancashire's towns and villages grew significantly, thanks to cotton, when the industry moved out of the hand loom cottages and into the automated mills.