The history of the traders

Where is Mellor?

The attractive Ribble Valley village of Mellor lies three miles north-west of Blackburn, on a hill-top located betwen the A59 and the Blackburn-Preston New Road

Ribchester

The Traders Arms is a homely old 18th century inn situated in the oldest part of the village, just a stone's throw from the path which leads up onto Mellor Moor, the site of an old Roman outpost, which overlooks the historic village of Ribchester. A Roman altar once found on the moor is now in Ribchester museum, and the Ribchester-Manchester Roman Road lies just a mile to the east. However, the name of Mellor is an old Celtic name for a place on a rounded hilltop, suggesting a more ancient past and Neolithic artefacts have been found on the moor in the past.

Millennium viewpoint

Nowadays, the moor-top is the site of the Millennium viewpoint, where on clear days fantastic views can be had of the Yorkshire Dales and West Pennine Moors, the Lake District, Furness, the whole of the Fylde coast, the Isle of Man and Snowdonia. The Traders Arms with its ample car park is an ideal starting point for the many excellent walks on the moor and the fields and lanes around.

Handloom Weaving

Mellor developed as an important center for handloom weaving in the 18th century in the many cottages and farmhouses in the village, and the name of the Traders Arms dates from that period when hawkers and traders would meet to discuss their business in the village inn.

Daniel Thwaites

The manor of Mellor now belongs to the descendants of the Thwaites brewing family and the vaulted grave of Daniel Thwaites himself can be found in the village church graveyard of St Mary's. Much of Mellor's past is displayed in the Traders Arms, where many old photographs of village life are displayed on the walls.