King Charles Connects with Rural Lancashire During Clitheroe Visit
King Charles received a warm welcome at Clitheroe Auction Mart in Lancashire on Monday, where his visit was marked by both poignant personal moments and substantive discussions about rural community welfare. The monarch toured the livestock area on a non-market day, engaging with local farmers who showcased rare breed sheep and cattle.
Historic Market and Rural Support Services
Livestock trading in Clitheroe boasts a remarkable history dating back to 1499, with the current market established since 1897 to serve the Ribble Valley and Forest of Bowland regions. During his tour, Charles explored the mart's rural business centre where farmers can access professional services including land agents, financial advisers, and legal support.
The King spoke extensively with representatives from the Field Nurses charity, which operates drop-in health sessions at auction marts across Lancashire and South Cumbria. This innovative initiative provides basic health checks and mental wellbeing support specifically tailored for rural community members who might otherwise struggle to access healthcare services.
Emotional Pony Encounter and Royal Address
In a particularly touching moment, Charles met Fell pony Pearl in the auction ring. Pearl is related on her sire's side to Emma, the black Fell pony who appeared at the late Queen's funeral carrying symbolic items including the monarch's sheepskin saddle cover and riding headscarf. The pony was bred by Rossendale farmers Andrew and Michelle Thorpe, who gifted Pearl as a wedding present to their nephew Ben and his wife Eleanor.
While unveiling a plaque to commemorate his visit, Charles delivered an impassioned address acknowledging the vital importance of the rural and farming sectors to the nation. He referenced founding the Countryside Fund nearly two decades ago and expressed hope that it continues contributing to farmer welfare and adaptability amid ongoing challenges.
"Thank God is all I can say for marts like this and all the people associated with it like the field nurses and everybody else," the King told the gathered crowd. "So I can only hope you have as successful a coming season as possible, weather permitting, climate change permitting and anything else. It is remarkable how you manage."
Addressing Rural Health Challenges
Field Nurses founder Richard Schofield explained to Charles how the charity was established ten years ago after he recognized significant health issues while working in mobile sheep dipping and shearing operations. A team of twelve nurses now visits eight auction marts in the region weekly, providing accessible healthcare without appointments.
"There are farmers that come into the auction and go out with an ambulance," Schofield revealed. "The nurse will pick up a situation and say 'look, I don't want you to go home. I want you to go straight to hospital'. And that has happened on more than one occasion."
Trustee Roger Dugdale emphasized the critical social function of auction marts for isolated farmers: "A lot of farmers are isolated and work on their own. They haven't time to go to the GP so they just keep going and getting on with it but they all go to the auction mart. It's a social occasion." He noted the particularly high suicide rate within the farming profession compared to other sectors.
Historic Hall Visit and Cheese Tasting
Later in the day, Charles made history as the first monarch to visit Samlesbury Hall, a 701-year-old medieval manor house near Preston now preserved by a trust. Outside the hall, he was greeted by two magnificent shire horses named Thunder and Regal pulling a dray for local family-run brewer Daniel Thwaites, established in 1807.
Inside the Grade I-listed building founded around 1325 by Gilbert de Southworth, Charles examined historical artefacts including original timber dating back to 1325. Trustee Jason Karl noted the King's particular interest in the Roman Catholic history of the house and the Southworth family who owned it for over three centuries.
The King also shared laughter with Ishwer Tailor and his wife Urhila from the Gujarat Hindu Society in Preston, reminiscing about photos from his 1981 visit as Prince Charles when he played snooker with local youths at their centre.
For his final engagement, Charles officially opened the new cheese campus of Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses in Inglewhite near Preston. He met with owner Gill Hall, whose business had rebuilt after a devastating November 2023 fire that destroyed 95% of their stock. The King sampled Lancashire cheese and received a wooden replica cheese gift presented by the fifth generation of the family business.
Head cheese grader Bill Yates, who has worked with the firm for 36 years, demonstrated cheese iron techniques to the monarch and later remarked: "Lovely fella. I didn't know what to expect but very sincere, very open, very engaged."
The visit concluded with Charles receiving rapturous applause from those gathered, having spent the day engaging deeply with Lancashire's rural community, its historical heritage, and its resilient agricultural businesses.
