Early Beginnings
Garstang Quaker Meeting House is nestled up a cobbled track off Calder House Lane. Quakers, also known as Friends, have been active in this part of Lancashire for well over 350 years. Quakerism was founded by George Fox after his arrival in Westmorland in 1652.
Quakers in this area originally worshipped in a Meeting House (now a private house) in Upper Wyresdale, in the fells above Abbeystead. But in 1829 this Meeting House was built, along with its burial ground, by Richard Jackson. He was a local Quaker, who had bought Calder House, in Bonds, and donated the land behind his house for the building.
The Jacksons were a large Quaker family in this area. John Jackson built the Mill at Oakenclough, which produced paper; Richard and Jonathan built the Mill just up the valley, spinning cotton, and the village of Calder Vale grew up around it.
You will see many Jackson headstones in the burial ground, together with Kelsalls and many other local families. The headstones are all simple and uniform, to reflect that we are all equal before God.
The Meeting House
The main part of the Meeting House is much as it was in the 19th century, and consists of a porch, (which was only recently glazed). This leads to two inner doors, the left one opens into a large room, where Meeting for Worship takes place. The room is panelled in wood and on the wall opposite the entrance is the bench where the Elders sat. The benches would have been in rows facing each other. The glass panel on the left as you entered would not have been there and the wooden hatches on the right could be Iifted up to accommodate more Friends. Another place for an overflow was up in the balcony.
You will have noticed there is no altar; this is because we have no priest, as we believe that we can all have direct experience of the divine. Anyone can speak, or minister and share their insights with the meeting, if they feel moved by the spirit.
If you look at the benches, you will see they have had a wedge fitted on the back, to make them less upright and more comfortable - they were made of sterner stuff in those days! And they would have had to sit for several hours in those days with little heating.
The room to the right of the porch would have had a fire and a place for rest and fellowship. Early Quakers would make a day of it: the main day of the week they could socialise. Today this room has electric heating and is still the Fellowship Room. (The door in the right hand corner of this room is where the original building ended.)
The Stables
Outside is a stable block where the horses were fed and watered and coaches left under cover at the end of the block. Many of the Friends were farmers and would have come down from the hills in their pony and traps. You can still see the stalls for the horses, as well as the mangers and saddle hooks. Until the 1990s, when the stables were made suitable for a Children's meeting, you could still see the drainage channels for mucking out.
The Meeting House today
In 2016 an extension to the Meeting House took place involving a new kitchen, improved toilets, and a link from the Meeting House to the stable block.
Garstang Quakers have met here every Sunday since 1829, and still enjoy the peace and tranquility of this place. If you are here in the Spring there is a wonderful succession of wild flowers. Do come and have a look.
Please help yourselves to any of the leaflets if you would like to know more about Quakerism, or the Society of Friends, as it is known.
The Meeting House is kept locked but visitors are welcome by appointment. Please telephone 07711 754201 to arrange a visit.
Our address is Calder House Lane, PR3 lZE.
The Meeting House is a grade II listed building, if you are interested you can find out more by clicking the button below,