Ormskirk ginnels are said to reflect medieval street patterns. Ormskirk Council recently announced a £100K project to restore them. But what exactly are ginnels, how long have they been there, and what do we know about their history?
What is a ginnel?
A ginnel is a narrow passage or alleyway, and Ormskirk’s historic ginnels form part of the town centre’s character.
Ormskirk Council says the ginnels are “believed to reflect medieval street patterns”. But establishing the age of the passages themselves is different from establishing that they follow routes or property divisions that may have much earlier origins.
A recent council press release announced a £100,000 project to restore ginnels in Ormskirk town centre, describing them as features “believed to reflect medieval street patterns”. The scheme, involving physical improvements and heritage interpretation, was framed as an opportunity to showcase the town’s historic character and engage the public with its past.
The important question is therefore not simply whether the ginnels are old, but how far their individual origins can be traced and what evidence exists for their connection with the medieval town.
Responses received from local heritage contributors do not confirm that the ginnels are of medieval origin. Instead, they indicate that research into the history of these spaces is still being developed, raising questions about the evidential basis of the claim.
Ormskirk ginnels and the ‘medieval street patterns’ claim
The central historical claim in the press release is that the ginnels are “believed to reflect medieval street patterns”. This is an interpretation rooted in historical understanding, but no supporting evidence is cited within the release itself. The wording is also significant because the local authority does not simply state that the existing ginnels are medieval. It says they are “believed to reflect” medieval street patterns. That leaves an important distinction between the age of the present-day passages and the possible age of the routes, boundaries or street patterns they may represent.
The same document outlines plans for repairs, enhanced lighting and interpretation boards to highlight Ormskirk’s history. It even links the project to local anniversaries, including the 150th anniversary of the town’s clock tower and the 740th anniversary of its market. While these contextual details reinforce the heritage framing, they do not provide direct evidence for the specific claim regarding the origin of the ginnels. The council’s press release does not identify a historical study, archaeological investigation, historic map or other source as the basis for the medieval street-pattern description.
Heritage Hub response: research is ongoing
A response from Ormskirk Heritage Hub provides further clarity on its role in the project. In their reply to my questions, representatives said that interpretation boards will be created using “original and in-depth research carried out by local historians” . They added that this work “will add significantly to our understanding of the development of Ormskirk through time and specifically Burscough Street” .
The response does not, however, state that the ginnels have been established as medieval in origin. Nor does it cite specific documentary, archaeological or other evidence demonstrating that the existing passages date from the medieval period.
Instead, the response focuses on the use of historical research to develop interpretation of Ormskirk’s history and encourage public engagement with it.
Folklore but no evidence
The distinction between folklore and evidence is central to understanding the historical question raised by the local authority’s description. The press release presents the ginnels as reflecting medieval street patterns, while the Heritage Hub says research will be needed to inform and interpret the development of Ormskirk through time.
This difference is important. The local authority’s wording identifies a belief about the relationship between the ginnels and the medieval street pattern, but the material reviewed does not set out the evidence on which that belief is based.
There is no direct contradiction between the two positions. However, the absence of cited evidence in the press release means that the claim is not substantiated within the available material. That does not mean that the claim is wrong. It means that no hard evidence to support the claim has been discovered so far.
The ginnel restoration project
Beyond the historical claim, the press release outlines a broader programme of works and objectives. These include:
- Physical restoration of ginnels
- Enhanced lighting
- Development of interpretation boards
- Engagement with local heritage groups.
The project was launched alongside local events, such as the annual Gingerbread Festival. It is also positioned as part of a wider cultural and heritage strategy for the borough. The Heritage Hub response aligns with this broader aim, highlighting the project’s potential to “encourage public engagement with the heritage of Ormskirk for the local community and visitors”
The project therefore has both a physical restoration element and a heritage interpretation element. The historical information ultimately used in that interpretation will be important in explaining the origins and development of the ginnels to the public.
What we do know
Based on the press release and the Heritage Hub response, several points can be stated with confidence:
- A £100,000 ginnel restoration project has been approved.
- The project includes physical improvements and heritage interpretation.
- Local historians are involved in developing interpretation materials.
- The Heritage Hub says original and in-depth research by local historians will be used to develop interpretation materials.
At the same time:
- No evidence is provided within the material reviewed to confirm a medieval origin
- The “medieval street pattern” claim is not substantiated within the materials reviewed
- The Heritage Hub does not explicitly confirm or deny that the ginnels themselves are medieval.
The Ormskirk ginnel restoration project is clearly positioned as a heritage-led initiative aimed at improving the town centre and engaging the public with local history. However, the specific claim that the ginnels reflect medieval street patterns is not supported by evidence within the press release itself, nor confirmed by the Heritage Hub response. Instead, the Heritage Hub says that original and in-depth research by local historians will inform interpretation of Ormskirk’s development. Even though people in Ormskirk, including the council, believe that ginnels reflect medieval street patterns, we can not independently establish the age or origin of the existing ginnels.
That distinction could be important, from a preservation point of view. A feature that is historically significant, deserves preservation and restoration, and should have a special place in a town.
Further historical and archaeological evidence would be needed to establish how far the existing ginnels can be traced back and precisely what aspects of Ormskirk’s medieval development they represent.
For now, the description of the ginnels as reflecting medieval street patterns remains a claim made by the council and local people that may not be substantiated by the evidence cited in the material reviewed for this article, but is nonetheless an interesting claim.
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