In 1970, building work of a family home began in a neighbouring town called Carleton. During the destruction of the bungalow, an incomplete 13,500 year old skeleton of an elk was discovered under the ground. Alongside the skeleton, the weapons used to kill the animal were also uncovered, these weapons had a particularly unusual shape and cut which helped identify the point in history they would have been formed and who may have made them. The discovery enthralled architects and they concluded that these findings produced evidence of the earliest confirmation of human habitation in the North West of England, this is a major part of history for the community as it shows how long inhabitants have been on the land. It is unknown as to why the Elk was bound and slaughtered, but an assumption can be made that it was likely to be for food due to the manner in which it was killed.
The elk, named Horace, now resides in the Harris Museum in Preston and has many visitors each year. As well as this, there is a pub in Poulton named after the discovered cervidae. Wetherspoon’s made the decision to build a pub in Poulton and they ended up naming it The Poulton Elk. This was major news in the community as it keeps the history of the town alive and stains the memory in everyone’s minds. The pub stands in the place of ‘Wheatsheaf Inn’ which is thought to have been around since the 1800’s.
