The Remains of
Colonel William Assheton Cross' Observatory
On my travels along the Guild Wheel at the latter end of February 2023, I decided to wander off the path around Red Scar. I stumbled across something that I'd never seen before. It was a relatively large the stonework structure, which had once formed part of an observatory at Red Scar.
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| The Remains of an Observatory Built by William Assheton Cross |
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| The Remains of an Observatory Built by William Assheton Cross |
I subsequently found a little bit online about William Assheton Cross.
Colonel William Assheton Cross
William Assheton Cross was born on 19 May 1818. He was the son of William Cross and Ellen Chaffers. He married Katherine Matilda Winn, daughter of Charles Winn and Priscilla Strickland, on 19th August 1846. He died on 25 January 1883 at age 64.
The following passage comes from a JOURNAL ARTICLE in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society that were published in February 1884.
Colonel WILLIAM ASSHETON CROSS, of Red Scar, near Preston, was educated at Rugby, and Trinity College, Cambridge. He devoted himself from an early age to scientific pursuits, and had constructed a well-appointed Observatory at his residence even in his college days. Here he had mounted equatorially a celebrated 5-foot refractor by Dollond [Peter Dollond 1731 - 1820 : Astronomical instrument maker, Mathematical instrument maker, Optical instrument maker, Optician, Philosophical instrument maker], once the property of the Rev. W. R. Dawes, with which many of that well-known observer's early observations had been made. Later in life Colonel Cross became the friend and disciple of the late Mr. Lassell, and under his guidance succeeded admirably in grinding and polishing very excellent specula, one of which, a Newtonian of 15 in. diameter, he mounted equatorially, with all the best appliances, in a second Observatory with hemispherical dome. The figure of this speculum was wonderfully perfect, and elicited the warmest approval from Mr. Lassell. By a rude stroke of fate, one which denotes the rapid strides that have been made in the size of astronomical instruments in the course of one generation, Dawes's refractor mentioned above was degraded to become the finder of the new reflector. An excellent eye and remarkable mechanical skill were conspicuous in Col. Cross, and had not his time and powers been occupied by other matters, he would have earned for himself a high place among amateur astronomers. He died suddenly at the age of 64. He was elected a Fellow of the Society on April 14, 1848.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 44, Issue 4, February 1884,
Pages 131–132,
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/44.4.131a
William Assheton Cross was born on 19th May 1818. After the death of his mother, Ellen, in 1849, he became head of the family home. The 1871 Census records him as a “Magistrate and Landowner” residing at Red Scar with his wife, Katherine, and their six daughters. By the 1881 Census, he was a widower, living at Red Scar with a son, three daughters, and ten household staff. His occupations included Honorary Colonel of the Militia, and contemporary accounts frequently referred to him as “Colonel Cross.”
William Assheton Cross' father was William Cross, a landed gentleman and distinguished lawyer. William Cross was the driving force behind the development of Winckley Square. His vision of a Georgian square in Preston was inspired by the Georgian squares he had seen in London.
William Assheton Cross' mother was Ellen Cross (nee Chaffers), a remarkable woman. She was widowed at the age of 44 with six children, the eldest being 11. She had been married for 14 years to William Cross, an attorney and Deputy Prothonotary.
William Assheton Cross held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Lancashire and he also held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Lancashire. William Assheton Cross died in Preston in 1883.
Red Scar House
Red Scar House was demolished in 1939, partly to make way for Courtauld's works. The house was located near what is now the garden of remembrance of Preston Crematorium, south of Longridge Road. A large part of the former wooded grounds became the Red Scar Industrial Estate.
Looking at the footprint (plan) of the house on old maps, it doesn't appear that anything has ever been in the place where the house stood.
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| Red Scar House at Preston on a 1910 Ordnance Survey Map |
It would have once been accessed from Pope Lane, from the west, but this road has since been cut off by the construction on the M6 Motorway during the 1950s. The route of the eastern section of Pope Lane is now in Pope Lane Field, which is a now 37 Acre Local Nature Reserve.
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| Red Scar, Lancashire. The seat of Mrs. Cross by C.J. Greenwood |
RED SCAR, THE seat of MRS. CROSS, is delightfully situated on a rising ground on the banks of the Ribble, about six miles to the north-east of Preston, and in that parish.
It was altered and enlarged in the year 1798, by the late William Cross, Esq. and from its commanding situation and the beauty of the surrounding scenery, presents an attractive appearance. Grimsargh (in which Red Scar is situated) forms, with Brockholes, one township, and was originally held by William de Eton, under the first Duke of Lancaster. For a long time the manorial rights were vested in the family of Hoghton, and were purchased, together with Alston and other possessions, from Sir Henry Philip Hoghton, Bart. by the late proprietor of Red Scar.
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| View from Red Scar by Worthington & Co. Preston 1854 |
The remains of the observatory can be accessed just off the Guild Wheel. It can be found at the following location.
Grid Reference: SD 58148 32107
Grid Reference (6 figure): SD581321
X (Easting), Y (Northing): 358148, 432107
Latitude, Longitude (decimal): 53.783595, -2.63666
Latitude, Longitude (degs, mins, secs): 53°47′01″N, 002°38′12″W
What3Words: songs.study.myself
Address (near): Preston Crematorium, Longridge Road, Preston PR2 5BY
Roman Way, Roman Way Industrial Estate, Preston, Lancashire, England, PR2 5BB, United Kingdom
Postcode (nearest): PR2 5BY
This what3words address refers to a 3 metre square location.
Use the link or enter the 3 words into the free what3words app to find it.
///songs.study.myself
https://w3w.co/songs.study.myself
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| The Remains of an Observatory Built by William Assheton Cross |
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| The Remains of an Observatory Built by William Assheton Cross |
Further reading and sources of information
Pope Lane Field - Visit Preston
https://www.visitpreston.com/article/3743/Pope-Lane-Field
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Ellen Cross - Friends of Winckley Square
https://www.winckleysquarepreston.org/heritage/ellen-cross/
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William Cross - Friends of Winckley Square
https://www.winckleysquarepreston.org/heritage/william-cross/
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The 'View from Red Scar' illustration & the photograph of Red Scar House circa 1920 are from the Preston Digital Archive.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/4177252169
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Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 44, Issue 4, February 1884,
Pages 131–132,
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/44.4.131a
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Red Scar House and Observatory on 1910 OS Map - National Library of Scotland
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