Van Hire Preston

In the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign in 2002, Preston was named the 50th city in England – why not drive there on a holiday or weekend away, in your van hire from Thrifty. Situated on the River Ribble, Preston boasts the tallest spire in England on a church that is not a cathedral (it is the fifth tallest church, after the cathedrals of Salisbury, Saint Paul’s, Liverpool and Norwich), in the 94 metre spire atop Saint Walburge’s Church. The church was designed by Joseph Hansom, from the famed Hansom’s Cabs. The church is dedicated to Saint Walpurga, and the steeple was the last to be worked on by famous steeplejack Fred Dibnah. The name Preston derives from ‘Priest’s Town’, and is testament to its long religious history. Be sure to stop in at Saint Walburge’s in your van hire from Thrifty, and admire the architecture.

In keeping with the strong religiosity of the town, the teetotalism movement began in Preston, with the start of the Temperance Movement by Joseph Livesey in the 1830s. Teetotallers believe in abstaining from any form of alcohol, and sometimes encourage others to do so. In Ireland, it is sometimes referred to as ‘tea-totaller’, meaning they prefer tea to alcohol or coffee, and it carries no stigma amongst those who do partake.

Preston was also the first town outside London to be lit using gas, and Preston was also the first town in the United Kingdom to have a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet. The first traffic cones to be used in England replaced paraffin was burners when the Preston bypass was built in the 1950s. Why not travel in your van hire from Thrifty to these places, and see history for yourself. Or, use your van hire to seek the home of English cricketer Andrew Flintoff, a resident of Preston. While you have your van hire from Thrifty, make good use of it and tour Preston today!