Galgate

From Free net encyclopedia

Galgate is a small village south of Lancaster University, about half a mile south of Lancaster itself in the County of Lancashire in England. The name Galgate is from Old English 'Gal-gata', meaning 'the road to Scotland'.

Because of its close proximity to the university campus many students from Lancaster University choose to rent houses in the village, in spite of relatively few bus services. The A6 Preston to Lancaster road runs north-south through the centre of the village, and junction 33a of the M6 is nearby. A major railway from Preston to Lancaster passes nearby but there is not a station until Lancaster. The Lancaster Canal also runs through the village and has a marina for narrowboats. Galgate also features a SPAR store, which is the gathering point for the villages large chav population that stands at around 60. These usually poorly educated teenagers account to around 60% of crime in the area and have been known to steal wing mirrors and steal items from the local post office and SPAR store. Police presence in the area is low but it has been raised in recent months as the council attempts to battle the yob culture.

Galgate once had a thriving silk industry and many of the installations still stand. Because of the rhubarb grown locally for dyeing the silk, Galgate has been known as the 'Rhubarb City'; its parish newsletter is still known as 'Rhubarb City News'..

In July 2002 ten-year-old Jade Slack, who was staying in a house in the village, tragically died of a drug overdose. She became the UK's youngest ecstasy victim after having accidentally taken five of the tablets.