Park Hall's long and diverse history has seen more ups and downs than you could shake a stick at.

That's why it's ironic that the latest crisis to hit this historic site is centered around Camelot with its many roller coaster rides.

Mention Park Hall to some and they will remember the nights they enjoyed at the Cabaret lounge in the 1970s.

Others will speak of days enjoyed with their families at Camelot.

Few will know of Park Hall's rich history which dates back well over 1,000 years.

Some experts believe it was inhabited as far back as Roman times, although there's no evidence of this.

I first became interested in its history after reading that St Cuthbert's body had been taken there in a stone coffin after a seven-year journey.

The story concluded that after his body was removed three years later, some monks remained and built a monastery in 908.

The first record of a building on the site was when Sir Henry de Lea built his manor house there in 1086.

Two hundred years later, in 1284, another Sir Henry de Lea was granted a Royal Charter by King Edward I. This allowed him to hold fairs and a market on the site.

The centuries that followed saw lots of interesting events with armies raised and battles fought by some of the noblemen who ruled the lands.

One such man was Adam de Lea, a descendant of Sir Henry.

Sir Adam was a co-conspirator of the Banastre uprising of 1315.

They had mustered an army of 600 local men and marched on Preston to do battle with the Duke of Lancaster's men.

They were defeated. Sir Adam and William Banastre were captured on Leyland Moor and beheaded.

Some years after that and through marriage, Park Hall was owned by the Hoghton family – an off-shoot of the De Hoghtons of Hoghton Tower.

They were in residence for almost 400 years. They too had more than their fair share of trouble.

They were devout Catholics and their faith often brought problem, especially during the Tudor and Elizabethan periods when Catholics were being persecuted.

Towards the end of the 18th century, Park Hall became a calmer place to live and was subsequently owned by various local businessmen until, in 1933, George Few took it over.

It could be said that he was the first person to develop it into a leisure centre, opening it for picnics, fairs and later as a gentleman's club.

George Few sold it to John Rigby in 1971. It was when John was developing it into the wonderful centre it is today, that he unearthed foundations dating to before Norman times, giving credit to the 908 monastery theory.

He sold it in 1974. Then in 1978, along with Trevor Hemmings, he bought it back.

He developed it even further and was the creator of Camelot. In 1982 he sold it to Granada Leisure, who later sold it to its present owners, Prime Resorts.

There are also lots of tales of ghostly encounters attached to the site.

I was informed that there are six ghosts in residence at Park Hall, the most famous being the Lady of the Lake or the Grey Lady as she is sometimes known.