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Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider
Borough of Burnley The Borough of Burnley () is a local authority district, local government district with the Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lancashire, England. It has an area of and a population of (), and is named after its largest ...
in
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and
River Brun The River Brun is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area (not including the River Don) of . Course Thought to begin at the confluence of Hurstwood Brook (draining Wether Edge, Hameldon and supplyin ...
. The town is located near the countryside to the south and east, with the towns of
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Calder, Lancashire, River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, Lancashire, England. It is located north west of Burnley, and north ea ...
and Brierfield to the west and north respectively. It has a reputation as a regional centre of excellence for the manufacturing and aerospace industries. The town began to develop in the early
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
period as a number of farming
hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...
surrounded by manor houses and
royal forest A royal forest, occasionally known as a kingswood (), is an area of land with different definitions in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The term ''forest'' in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the ...
s, and has held a market for more than 700 years. During the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
it became one of Lancashire's most prominent
mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe ...
s; at its peak, it was one of the world's largest producers of cotton cloth and a major centre of engineering. Burnley has retained a strong manufacturing sector, and has strong economic links with the cities of Manchester and
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
, as well as neighbouring towns along the M65 corridor. In 2013, in recognition of its success, it received an Enterprising Britain award from the UK Government as the Most Enterprising Area in the UK. For the first time in more than 50 years, a direct train service now operates between the town's Manchester Road railway station and Manchester's
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
station and onward to Wigan Wallgate via the restored
Todmorden Curve The Calder Valley line (also previously known as the Caldervale line) is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool. It is the slower of the two main rail routes ...
, which opened in May 2015.


History


Toponymy

The name Burnley is believed to have been derived from Brun Lea, meaning "meadow by the River Brun". Various other spellings have been used: Bronley (1241), Brunley (1251) and commonly Brumleye (1294)


Origins

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...
flint tools Stone tools have been used throughout human history but are most closely associated with prehistory, prehistoric cultures and in particular those of the Stone Age. Stone tools may be made of either ground stone or Lithic reduction, knapped stone, ...
and weapons have been found on the
moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...
around the town, as have numerous
tumuli A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...
,
stone circles A stone circle is a ring of megalithic standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially Stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being bu ...
, and some
hill forts A hillfort is a type of fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late European Bronze Age and Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roman period. The fortific ...
(see:
Castercliff Castercliff is an Iron Age multivallate hillfort situated close to the towns of Nelson and Colne in Lancashire, Northern England. Setting It is located on a hilltop overlooking the valley system of the River Calder and its tributaries, on the ...
, which dates from around 600 BC). Modern-day Back Lane, Stump Hall Lane and Noggarth Road broadly follow the route of a classic ridgeway running east–west to the north of the town, suggesting that the area was populated during
pre-history Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins  million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
and probably controlled by the
Brigantes The Brigantes were Ancient Britons who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England. Their territory, often referred to as Brigantia, was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire. The Greek geog ...
. Limited coin finds indicate a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
presence, but no evidence of a settlement has been found in the town. Gorple Road (running east from
Worsthorne Worsthorne is a rural village on the eastern outskirts of Burnley in Lancashire, England. It is in the civil parish of Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood and the borough of Burnley. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census the village had a popu ...
) appears to follow the route of a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
road that may have crossed the present-day centre of town, on the way to the fort at
Ribchester Ribchester () is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Ribble, northwest of Blackburn and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The village has a long history w ...
. It has been claimed that the nearby
earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour *Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), mi ...
of Ring Stones Camp (), Twist Castle () and Beadle Hill () are of Roman origin, but little supporting
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
information has been published. Following the Roman period, the area became part of the kingdom of
Rheged Rheged () was one of the kingdoms of the ('Old North'), the Brittonic-speaking region of what is now Northern England and southern Scotland, during the post-Roman era and Early Middle Ages. It is recorded in several poetic and bardic sources, ...
, and then the kingdom of
Northumbria Northumbria () was an early medieval Heptarchy, kingdom in what is now Northern England and Scottish Lowlands, South Scotland. The name derives from the Old English meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to the Sout ...
. Local place-names
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Calder, Lancashire, River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, Lancashire, England. It is located north west of Burnley, and north ea ...
and Habergham show the influence of the
Angles Angles most commonly refers to: *Angles (tribe), a Germanic-speaking people that took their name from the Angeln cultural region in Germany *Angle, a geometric figure formed by two rays meeting at a common point Angles may also refer to: Places ...
, suggesting that some had settled in the area by the early 7th century; sometime later the land became part of the
hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...
of
Blackburnshire Blackburn Hundred (also known as Blackburnshire) is a historic sub-division of the county of Lancashire, in northern England. Its chief town was Blackburn, in the southwest of the hundred. It covered an area similar to modern East Lancashire, i ...
. There is no definitive record of a settlement until after the
Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
. In 1122, a
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...
granted the church of Burnley to the
monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
s of
Pontefract Abbey Pontefract Priory was a Cluniac monastery dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, founded about 1090 by Robert de Lacy, 2nd Baron of Pontefract, and located in Yorkshire, England. It existed until the dissolution of the monasteries. The Church an ...
. In its early days, Burnley was a small farming community, gaining a
corn mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...
in 1290, a market in 1294, and a
fulling mill Fulling, also known as tucking or walking ( Scots: ''waukin'', hence often spelt waulking in Scottish English), is a step in woollen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of woven cloth (particularly wool) to eliminate (lanolin) oils, dirt, ...
in 1296. At this point, it was within the manor of
Ightenhill Ightenhill is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of 1,975. Since its creation as Ightenhill Park in 1866 the parish has seen a number of boundary changes. The modern civil parish includes Gawth ...
, one of five that made up the Honor of Clitheroe, then a far more significant settlement, and consisted of no more than 50 families. Little survives of early Burnley apart from the
Market Cross A market cross, or in Scots, a mercat cross, is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, where historically the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by the monarch, a bishop or a baron. History Market crosses ...
, erected in 1295, which now stands in the grounds of the old grammar school. Over the next three centuries, Burnley grew in size to about 1,200 inhabitants by 1550, still centred around the church, St Peter's, in what is now known as "Top o' th' Town". Prosperous residents built larger houses, including
Gawthorpe Hall Gawthorpe Hall is an Elizabethan country house on the banks of the River Calder, in Ightenhill, a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, Lancashire, England. Its estate extends into Padiham, with the Stockbridge Drive entrance situated there. ...
in Padiham and
Towneley Hall Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, co ...
. In 1532, St Peter's Church was largely rebuilt. Burnley's
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
was founded in 1559, and moved into its own schoolhouse next to the church in 1602. Burnley began to develop in this period into a small
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
, with a population of not more than 2,000 by 1790. It is known that
weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
was established in the town by the middle of the 18th century, and in 1817 a new Market House was built. The town continued to be centred on St Peter's Church, until the market was moved to the bottom of what is today
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
Road, at the end of the 19th century.


Industrial Revolution

In the second half of the 18th century, the manufacture of
cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
began to replace
wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
. Burnley's earliest known factories – dating from the mid-century – stood on the banks of the River Calder, close to where it is joined by the
River Brun The River Brun is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area (not including the River Don) of . Course Thought to begin at the confluence of Hurstwood Brook (draining Wether Edge, Hameldon and supplyin ...
, and relied on
water power Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kin ...
to drive the spinning machines. The first turnpike road through the area now known as Burnley was begun in 1754, linking the town to
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...
and
Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. The town is northeast of Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, northeast of Burnley and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The ...
eventually leading to the area of Brun Lea developing into a town, and by the mid 19th century, there were daily stagecoach journeys to
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...
,
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Aire and the Leeds ...
and
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, the latter taking just over two hours. The 18th century also saw the rapid development of
coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
on the
Burnley Coalfield The Burnley Coalfield is the most northerly portion of the Lancashire Coalfield. Surrounding Burnley, Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, Blackburn and Accrington, it is separated from the larger southern part by an area of Millstone Grit that forms the ...
: the
drift mines Drift mining is either the mining of an ore deposit by underground methods, or the working of coal seams accessed by adits driven into the surface outcrop of the coal bed. A drift mine is an underground mine in which the entry or access is above ...
and shallow bell-pits of earlier centuries were replaced by deeper shafts, meeting industrial as well as domestic demand in Nelson, Colne and Padiham, and by 1800 there were over a dozen pits in the modern-day centre of the town alone. The arrival of the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
in 1796 made possible transportation of goods in bulk, bringing a huge boost to the area's economy and the town of Burnley was born. Dozens of new mills were constructed, along with many
foundries A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
and
ironworks An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloome ...
that supplied the
cotton mills Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a wikt:boll, boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almo ...
and coal mines with machinery and
cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...
and
wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
for construction. The town became renowned for its mill-engines, and the Burnley Loom was recognised as one of the best in the world. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Burnley Barracks in 1820. Disaster struck Burnley in 1824, when its only local bank, Holgate's Bank, collapsed, forcing the closure of some of the largest mills. This was followed by a summer drought, which caused serious problems for many of the other mills, leading to high levels of unemployment and possibly contributing to the national
Panic of 1825 The Panic of 1825 was a stock market crash that originated in the Bank of England, arising partly from speculative investments in Latin America, including the fictitious country of Poyais. The crisis was felt most acutely in Britain, where it led ...
. By 1830, there were 32
steam engines A steam engine is a heat engine that performs Work (physics), mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a Cylinder (locomotive), cyl ...
in cotton mills throughout the rapidly expanding town, an example of which, originally installed at Harle Syke Mill, is on display in the
Science Museum A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, Industry (manufacturing), industry and Outline of industrial ...
in London. Around 1840, a traveller described the town as ugly, stating that: "parts of it were so situated that good architectural effects might have been obtained had the disposition and the resources co-existed". The Great Famine of Ireland led to an influx of Irish families during the 1840s, who formed a community in one of the poorest districts. At one time, the Park District (modern-day town centre, around Parker St.) was known as Irish Park. In 1848, the East Lancashire Railway Company's extension from
Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
linked the town to the nation's nascent railway network for the first time. This was another significant boost to the local economy and, by 1851, the town's population had reached almost 21,000. The Burnley Building Society, incorporated in Burnley in 1850, was, by 1911, not only 'by far the largest in the County of Lancashire... but the sixth in magnitude in the kingdom'. The
Cotton Famine The Lancashire Cotton Famine, also known as the Cotton Famine or the Cotton Panic (1861–1865), was a depression in the textile industry of North West England, brought about by overproduction in a time of contracting world markets. It coincided ...
of 1861–1865, caused by the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, was again disastrous for the town. However, the resumption of trade led to a quick recovery and, by 1866, the town was the largest producer of cotton cloth in the world. By the 1880s, the town was manufacturing more looms than anywhere in the country. In 1871, the population was 44,320, and had grown to 87,016 by 1891.
Burnley Town Hall Burnley Town Hall is a municipal building in Manchester Road, Burnley, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Borough of Burnley, Burnley Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building. History In the mid 19th century ...
, designed by Holton and Fox of
Dewsbury Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder, West Yorkshire, River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, ...
, was built between 1885 and 1888. The Burnley Electric Lighting Order was granted in 1890, giving Burnley Corporation (which already controlled the supply of water and the making and sale of gas) a monopoly in the generation and sale of electricity in the town. The building of the coal-powered
Electricity Works A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many power s ...
, in Grimshaw Street, began in 1891, close to the canal (the site of the modern-day Tesco supermarket) and the first supply was achieved on 22 August 1893, initially generating electricity for street lighting. The start of the 20th century saw Burnley's textile industry at the height of its prosperity. By 1901 there were 700,000 spindles and 62,000 looms at work in the textile industry. Other industries at that time included: brass and iron foundries, rope works, calico printing works, tanneries, paper mills, collieries and corn mills and granaries. By 1910, there were approximately 99,000
power loom A power loom is a mechanized loom. Shuttle looms The main components of the loom are the warp beam, heddles, harnesses, shuttle, reed, and takeup roll. In the loom, yarn processing includes shedding, picking, battening and taking-up operations ...
s in the town, and it reached its peak population of over 100,000 in 1911. By 1920, the
Burnley and District Weavers', Winders' and Beamers' Association The Burnley and District Weavers', Winders' and Beamers' Association was a trade union representing workers in the cotton industry in the Burnley area of Lancashire, in England. As cotton manufacturing dominated the town's economy, the trade un ...
had more than 20,000 members. However, the First World War heralded the beginning of the collapse of the English textiles industry and the start of a steady decline in the town's population. The
Bank Parade drill hall The Bank Parade drill hall, also known as the Keighley Green Drill Hall, is a former military installation in Burnley, Lancashire. History The building was designed as the headquarters of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, The East Lancashire Regime ...
was completed in the early 20th century. There is a total of 191
listed buildings in Burnley Burnley is a town in Lancashire, England. Its unparished area contains 190 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of the t ...
 – one Grade I (Towneley Hall), two Grade II* (St Peter's Church and Burnley Mechanics) and 188 Grade II.


World Wars

Over 4000 men from Burnley were killed in the First World War, about 15 per cent of the male working-age population. 250 volunteers, known as the Burnley Pals, made up Z Company of 11th Battalion, the
East Lancashire Regiment The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59t ...
, a battalion that as a whole became known by the far more famous name of the
Accrington Pals The Accrington Pals, officially the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington), East Lancashire Regiment, was a pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Accrington during the First World War. History Recruiting was initiat ...
.
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
es were awarded to two soldiers from the town, Hugh Colvin and
Thomas Whitham Thomas Whitham VC (11 May 1888 – 22 October 1924) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. War servi ...
, along with a third to resident (and only son of the chief constable)
Alfred Victor Smith Second Lieutenant Alfred Victor Smith VC (22 July 1891 – 22 December 1915), known to his family as Victor, was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in ...
. In 1926 a memorial to the fallen was erected in
Towneley Park Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, c ...
, funded by Caleb Thornber, former mayor and alderman of the borough to ensure the sacrifice of the men lost was commemorated. The local school of art created pages of vellum with the names of the fallen inscribed. These were framed in a rotating carousel in Towneley Hall for visitors to see. There were 2000 names inscribed – less than half the number of actual casualties. The Burnley
Justices ''Justice'' (abbreviation: ame ''J.'' and other variations) is an honorific style and title traditionally used to describe a jurist who is currently serving or has served on a supreme court or some equal position. In some countries, a justice ma ...
had delegated their authority to determine which pictures could be shown in local cinemas to a panel of three justices. In a
judicial review Judicial review is a process under which a government's executive, legislative, or administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. In a judicial review, a court may invalidate laws, acts, or governmental actions that are in ...
in 1916 this was found to be an unlawful delegation of their authority. During the Second World War, Burnley largely escaped
the Blitz The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...
, with the only
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
bomb to known to have fallen within the town landing near the conservatory at Thompson Park on 27 October 1940. In early 1941 a network of five
Starfish site Starfish sites were large-scale night-time decoys created during the Blitz to simulate burning British cities. The aim was to divert German night bombers from their intended targets so they would drop their Aircraft ordnance, ordnance over the co ...
bombing decoys were established in the rural areas near Burnley, designed to protect
Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
. A site was located near Crown Point in
Habergham Eaves Habergham Eaves is a civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. The parish consists of a rural area south of Burnley, and suburban areas on the outskirts of the town, including a large industrial estate in the north-west co ...
with two on
Hameldon Hill Hameldon Hill is a Carboniferous sandstone hill with a summit elevation of , situated between the towns of Burnley and Accrington in Lancashire, England. It is listed as a "HuMP" or "Hundred Metre Prominence", its parent being Freeholds Top, a ...
, and others in
Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. Situated on the eastern outskirts of Burnley, in 2011 it had a population of 2,963. The parish contains part of the Pike Hill and Brownside suburbs ...
and near
Haslingden Haslingden is a town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels' or 'valley growing with hazels'. At the time of the 2011 census the town (including Helmshore) had a population of 15,9 ...
. On 6 May 1941, a stick of eight bombs straddled houses around Rossendale Avenue on the southern edge of town, causing only minor damage. On the night of 12 October the control shelter at the Starfish site near Crown Point suffered a direct hit, killing
Aircraftman Aircraftman (AC) or aircraftwoman (ACW) was formerly the lowest rank in the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and is still in use by the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries. In RAF slang, aircraftmen were sometimes called "erks". Air ...
L R Harwood, and severely injuring four other men. Although the
blackout Blackout(s), black out, or The Blackout may refer to: Loss of lighting or communication * Power outage, a loss of electric power * Blackout (broadcasting), a regulatory or contractual ban on the broadcasting of an event * Blackout (fabric), a t ...
was enforced, most of the aircraft in the sky above the town would have been friendly and on training missions, or returning to the factories for maintenance. Aircraft crashes did occur, however: In September 1942 a
P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
from the
14th Fighter Group 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 The Tyrrell 014 was a Formula One car, designed for Tyrrell Racing The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and F ...
USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
crashed near
Cliviger Cliviger is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated to the southeast of Burnley, and northwest of Todmorden. According to the 2011 census, the parish has a population of 2,238. Although the whole parish ...
, and Black Hameldon Hill claimed a Halifax from
No. 51 Squadron RAF Number 51 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Since 2014 it has operated the Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint, from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. It had previously flown the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R.1 from 1974 until 2011.
in January 1943, and also a
B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
from the
491st Bombardment Group The 491st Bombardment Group is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in October 1943 as a heavy bomber unit, drawing its cadre from the former 17th Antisubmarine Squadron. After training in the United States, the grou ...
USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
in February 1945.
Lucas Industries Lucas Industries plc, now known as Lucas Automotive, is one of the world’s oldest continuously trading automotive brands, tracing its origins to 1875 and the first patent issued to its founder, Joseph Lucas. Based originally in Birmingham, t ...
set up
shadow factories British shadow factories were the outcome of the Shadow Scheme, a plan devised in 1935 and developed by the British government in the buildup to World War II to try to meet the urgent need for more aircraft using technology transfer from the mot ...
, producing a wide range of electrical parts for the war effort. Notably they were involved with the
Rover Company The Rover Company Limited was a British car manufacturing company originally founded in 1878, beginning car manufacturing in 1904. It primarily operated from its base in Solihull, Warwickshire. Rover also manufactured the Land Rover series from ...
's failed attempts (and
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
's later successful ones) to produce
Frank Whittle Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with co-creating the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...
's pioneering
jet engine A jet engine is a type of reaction engine, discharging a fast-moving jet (fluid), jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition may include Rocket engine, rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and ...
design, the W.2 (
Rolls-Royce Welland The Rolls-Royce RB.23 Welland was Britain's first production jet engine.Janes 1989, p. 268. It entered production in 1943 for the Gloster Meteor. The name Welland is taken from the River Welland, in keeping with the Rolls-Royce policy of namin ...
) in
Barnoldswick Barnoldswick (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. It lies within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic West Riding of Yorkshire, West Ri ...
. Magnesium Elektron's factory in Lowerhouse became the largest magnesium production facility in Britain. An unexpected benefit of the conflict for the residents of Burnley occurred in 1940. The Old Vic Theatre Company and the Sadler's Wells Opera and Sadler's Wells Ballet, Ballet Companies moved from London to the town's Victoria Theatre. For their actions during the war, two Distinguished Service Orders and eight Distinguished Conduct Medals, along with a large number of lesser awards, were awarded to servicemen from the town. Burnley's main war memorial stands in Place de Vitry sur Seine next to the central library.


Post-Second World War

The Queen Elizabeth II, Queen, together with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, first visited the town as well as Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson and the Mullard valve factory at Simonstone, Lancashire, Simonstone near
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Calder, Lancashire, River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, Lancashire, England. It is located north west of Burnley, and north ea ...
in 1955. There were widespread celebrations in the town in the summer of 1960, when Burnley FC won the old Football League First Division, first division to become Football League champions. The Queen paid a second official visit to the town in summer 1961, marking the 100th anniversary of Burnley's borough status. The rest of the decade saw large-scale redevelopment in the town. Many buildings were demolished including the market hall, the cattle market, the Odeon cinema and thousands of mainly terraced houses. New construction projects included the Charter Walk shopping centre, Centenary Way and its overpass, flyover, the Keirby Hotel, a new central bus station, a large scale housing development known as Trafalgar Gardens, and a number of office blocks. The town's largest coal mine, Bank Hall Colliery, closed in April 1971 resulting in the loss of 571 jobs. The area of the mine has been restored as a park. In 1980 Burnley was connected to the motorway network, through the construction of the first and second sections of the M65. Although the route, next to the railway and over the former Clifton colliery site, was chosen to minimise the clearance of occupied land, Yatefield, Olive Mount and Whittlefield Mills, Burnley Barracks, and several hundred more terrace houses had to be demolished. Unusually this route passed close to the town centre and had a partitioning effect on the districts of Gannow,
Ightenhill Ightenhill is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of 1,975. Since its creation as Ightenhill Park in 1866 the parish has seen a number of boundary changes. The modern civil parish includes Gawth ...
, Whittlefield, Rose Grove and Lowerhouse to the north. The 1980s and 1990s saw massive expansion of
Ightenhill Ightenhill is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of 1,975. Since its creation as Ightenhill Park in 1866 the parish has seen a number of boundary changes. The modern civil parish includes Gawth ...
and Whittlefield. Developers such as Bovis Homes Group, Bovis, Barratt Developments, Barratt and Wainhomes built large housing estates, predominantly on greenfield land. In summer 1992, the town came to national attention following rioting on the Stoops and Hargher Clough council estates in the south west of the town. The millennium brought some improvement projects, notably the "Forest of Burnley" scheme, which planted approximately a million trees throughout the town and its outskirts, and the creation of the Lowerhouse Lodges local nature reserve. In June 2001, during the 2001 Oldham riots, 2001 England riots, the town again received national attention following a series of violent disturbances arising from Race (classification of human beings), racial tensions between some of its White and Asian residents.


Governance

Burnley was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1861, a Parliamentary Borough returning one member in 1867 and became, under the Local Government Act 1888, a county borough outside the administrative county of Lancashire. Under the Local Government Act 1972 Burnley's county borough status was abolished, and it was incorporated with neighbouring areas into the non-metropolitan district of Borough of Burnley, Burnley. Burnley has three tiers of government: Local government in England, Local government responsibilities are shared by Burnley (borough), Burnley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council; at a national level the town gives its name to a seat in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom parliament. While the town itself is unparished, the rest of the borough has one further, bottom tier of government, the Parish councils in England, parish or town council.


Borough Council

Burnley Borough Council is currently governed by a multi-party coalition. The role of mayor is a ceremonial post which rotates annually and for 2020-21 is Wajid Khan (British politician), Wajid Khan (Labour Party (UK), Labour Party). The borough comprises 15 Wards of the United Kingdom, wards, 12 of which – Bank Hall, Briercliffe, Brunshaw, Coal Clough with Deerplay, Daneshouse with Stoneyholme, Gannow, Lanehead, Queensgate, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burnley Wood, Trinity, and Whittlefield with Ightenhill – fall within the town itself. The remaining three – Cliviger with Worsthorne, Gawthorpe, and Hapton with Park, cover the neighbouring town of
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Calder, Lancashire, River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, Lancashire, England. It is located north west of Burnley, and north ea ...
and a number of villages.


County Council

Lancashire County Council is currently controlled by the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party and has been since 2017. They have had only one other term in power between 2009 – 2013, the rest of the time from 1981, the council has been under Labour Party (UK), Labour control. The borough is represented on the council in six County constituency, divisions: Burnley Central East, Burnley Central West, Burnley North East, Burnley Rural, Burnley South West, and Padiham & Burnley West.


National

The Burnley (UK Parliament constituency), constituency of Burnley elects a single member of Parliament (MP). In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, 2024 election Burnley elected Labour Party (UK), Labour MP Oliver Ryan (politician), Oliver Ryan. Previously, in the 2019 United Kingdom general election, general election in 2019, the town elected Antony Higginbotham, its first Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party MP in over 100 years. The constituency had been represented by MPs of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party since 1935 United Kingdom general election, 1935, apart from 2010 – 2015, when it was represented by Gordon Birtwistle, a Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat. Richard Shaw (Liberal politician), Richard Shaw was the town's first MP in 1868 United Kingdom general election, 1868. Arguably its most notable MP was former Leader of the Labour Party (UK), leader of the Labour Party and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Arthur Henderson.


Geography

The town lies in a natural three-forked valley at the confluence of the
River Brun The River Brun is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area (not including the River Don) of . Course Thought to begin at the confluence of Hurstwood Brook (draining Wether Edge, Hameldon and supplyin ...
and the River Calder, surrounded by open fields, with wild moorland at higher altitudes. To the west of Burnley lie the towns of
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Calder, Lancashire, River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, Lancashire, England. It is located north west of Burnley, and north ea ...
,
Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
and
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...
, with Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson and
Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. The town is northeast of Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, northeast of Burnley and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The ...
to the north. The centre of the town stands at approximately above sea level and east of the Irish Sea coast. Areas in the town include: Burnley Wood, Rose Hill, Lancashire, Rose Hill, Healey Wood, Harle Syke, Haggate, Daneshouse, Stoneyholme, Burnley Lane, Heasandford, Brunshaw, Pike Hill, Gannow,
Ightenhill Ightenhill is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of 1,975. Since its creation as Ightenhill Park in 1866 the parish has seen a number of boundary changes. The modern civil parish includes Gawth ...
, Whittlefield, Rose Grove, Habergham, and Lowerhouse. Although Reedley Hallows, Reedley is considered to be a suburb of the town, it is actually part of the neighbouring borough of Borough of Pendle, Pendle. To the north west of the town, and home of the Pendle Witches, is the imposing Pendle Hill, which rises to , beyond which lie Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley. To the south west,
Hameldon Hill Hameldon Hill is a Carboniferous sandstone hill with a summit elevation of , situated between the towns of Burnley and Accrington in Lancashire, England. It is listed as a "HuMP" or "Hundred Metre Prominence", its parent being Freeholds Top, a ...
rises to , on top of which are the Met Office north west England weather radar, a BBC radio transmitter, and a number of microwave communication towers. This site was the first place in the UK chosen for an unmanned weather radar, beginning operation in 1979; it is one of 18 that cover the British Isles. Also since 2007 the three turbines of the Hameldon Hill wind farm have stood on its northern flank. To the east of the town lie the Boulsworth Hill and the moors of the South Pennines, and to the south, the Forest of Rossendale. On the hills above the
Cliviger Cliviger is a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated to the southeast of Burnley, and northwest of Todmorden. According to the 2011 census, the parish has a population of 2,238. Although the whole parish ...
area to the south east of the town stands Coal Clough Wind Farm, Coal Clough wind farm, whose white turbines are visible from most of the town. Built in 1992 amidst local controversy, it was one of the first wind farm projects in the UK. Nearby, the landmark RIBA Award-winning Panopticons, Panopticon ''Singing Ringing Tree (Panopticons), Singing Ringing Tree'', overlooking the town from the hills at Crown Point, was installed in 2006. Due to its hilly terrain and mining history, rural areas of modern Burnley encroach on the urban ones to within a mile of the town centre on the south, north west and north east. The Pennine Way passes six miles (10 km) east of Burnley; the Mary Towneley Loop, part of the Pennine Bridleway, the Brontë Way and the Burnley Way offer riders and walkers clearly signed routes through the countryside immediately surrounding the town. Burnley has a temperate Oceanic climate, maritime climate, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. There is regular but generally light Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation throughout the year, contributing to a relatively high humidity level. While snowfall occasionally occurs during the winter months, the temperature is rarely low enough for it to build up on the ground in any quantity. The town is believed to be the first place in the UK where regular rainfall measurements were taken (by Richard Towneley, beginning in 1677).


Demography

The 2001 United Kingdom census showed a total resident population for the Burnley subdivision of the Burnley Built-up area of 73,021. The entire built-up area, which includes Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson,
Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. The town is northeast of Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, northeast of Burnley and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The ...
and Brierfield had a population of 149,796; for comparison purposes, this was about the same size as Oxford or Swindon in South England. At that time the racial composition of the wider Local authority district, local government district (the
Borough of Burnley The Borough of Burnley () is a local authority district, local government district with the Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lancashire, England. It has an area of and a population of (), and is named after its largest ...
) was 91.77% white and 7.16% South Asian or South Asian/British, predominantly from Bangladesh. The largest religious groups were Christian (74.46%) and Muslim (6.58%). 59.02% of adults between the ages of 16 and 74 were classed as economically active and in work.Office for National Statistics. 2001 census.
Accessed 6 September 2007.
In the 2011 United Kingdom census, these figures had changed to 87.4% white and 10.7% South Asian or South Asian/British, with 63.6% identifying as Christian and 9.9% Muslim. The Burnley Built-up area, had a population of 149,422 according to the 2011 census. The ONS annual population survey for the year Apr 2013–Mar 2014 showed that 63.1% of adults between the ages of 16 and 64 were classed as economically active. The majority of its Asian residents live in the neighbouring Daneshouse and Stoneyholme districts. In total, the size of its Asian community is much smaller than that in nearby towns such as Blackburn#Demography, Blackburn and Oldham#Demography, Oldham. In February 2010, the ''Lancashire Telegraph'' reported that Burnley topped Home Office figures for the highest number of burglaries per head in England and Wales between April 2008 – April 2009. This claim (minus the dates) was repeated during one of the questions in the first of the televised United Kingdom general election debates, 2010, 2010 general election debates. However, in May 2010, the NPIA Local Crime Mapping System (believed to be the source of the data in the report) listed a 49.5% drop in this rate on the previous year. Burnley has some of the lowest property prices in the country, with numerous streets appearing in the annual mouseprice.com most affordable streets in England and Wales report. These streets are concentrated in areas of terrace housing in poorer neighbourhoods adjacent to the town centre. Between 2005 and 2010, approximately £65m of UK government, government funds was invested into these areas through the Elevate East Lancashire housing market renewal company (replaced by Regenerate Pennine Lancashire in 2010).


Economy

In 2013, Burnley was awarded an Enterprising Britain award from the UK Government for being the 'Most Enterprising Area in the UK'. This accolade subsequently received praise from the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. A series of high-profile regeneration schemes, including: a direct rail link to Manchester, an aerospace supply village and multimillion-pound investment in the former Victorian industrial heartland through a project called 'On The Banks' are radically transforming the economy of the Lancashire town. Although traditional manufacturing has been in decline in the town for several decades, high end advanced manufacturing remains very strong in the town. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, said in 2013: "Burnley in the north of Lancashire is currently now booming economically on the back of manufacturing and proximity to the aerospace industry." Cable praised the town again in 2014 saying: "If every other part of Britain was like Burnley we wouldn't be talking about a recession". The last deep coal mine, Hapton Valley Colliery, closed in February 1981 and the last steam-powered mill, Queen Street Mill, in 1982. Over the next two decades, Burnley's three largest manufacturers closed their factories: BEP in 1992, Prestige in July 1997 and Michelin in 2002. The town has struggled to recover: its employment growth between 1995 and 2004 placed it 55th of England's 56 largest towns and cities, and as of 2007 it was the 21st most deprived local authority (out of 354) in the United Kingdom. In 2016, a study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation put Rochdale, Burnley and Bolton at top of a list of the 74 largest UK cities and towns faring worst compared with UK trends. 10.1% of its working age population currently claims incapacity benefit and ESA (national average 6.2%). The largest employment sector in the town is now Health (21%), followed by Manufacturing (16%). Home shopping firm Shop Direct announced in January 2010 that it was to close its Burnley call centre with the loss of 450 jobs. The company, which owns Littlewoods, Additions Direct, Very, Empire Stores and Marshall Ward, had been in the town for over 30 years, originally as Great Universal Stores but now known as GUS plc. Modern economic developments have been industrial estates and business parks with the following currently in Burnley: Heasandford, Rossendale Road, and Healeywood Industrial Estates; Network 65, Shuttleworth Mead, Smallshaw & Chestnut, Elm Street, and Gannow Business Parks; and Burnham Gate Trading Estate. A further large business park called Burnley Bridge, on a site near Hapton, Lancashire, Hapton formerly belonging to Hepworth Plastics has recently opened. Key manufacturing employers today are in highly specialised fields: SAFRAN, Safran Aircelle (aerospace), GE subsidiary Unison Engine Components (aerospace), AMS Neve (professional audio), and TRW Automotive and Futaba-Tenneco UK (automotive components). In 2011 Gardner Aerospace, which made parts for the Eurofighter Typhoon, closed its site, with the loss of 120 jobs. The town has also had a long association with Endsleigh Insurance Services, providing its main training facility and an important call centre. Endsleigh acquired a number of the former Burnley Building Society's properties in the town centre following its merger with the Provincial Building Society and subsequent merger with the Abbey National. It also hosts the head office of The Original Factory Shop chain. In 2004, the Lancashire Digital Technology Centre was opened by Sir Digby Jones on land formerly occupied by the Michelin factory, to provide support and incubation space for start-up technology companies. The rest of the Michelin site has recently been opened as Innovation Drive, a new business park aimed at businesses in the Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing supply chain. Continuing the town's historic association with fabric weaving is Ian Mankin Ltd, a company which manufactures high quality, natural woven fabrics and furnishings using only natural, recycled or certified organic fibres, at Ashfield Mill, Active Way, Burnley BB11 1BS, on the northern edge of the Weavers' Triangle. The company also supplies fabrics to the Landmark Trust for use in their restoration of historic buildings across the UK. Burnley's main shopping area is St James Street, along with the nearby Charter Walk Shopping Centre. The YMCA claimed to have opened the largest charity shop in the UK in 2009, when they temporarily took over the former Woolworths (United Kingdom), Woolworths store in the centre. The shopping centre was sold in 2001 by Great Portland Estates to Sapphire Retail Fund, which was 50% owned by David and Simon Reuben, the Reuben Brothers. The centre was bought in March 2011 by Addington Capital following the 2010 collapse of Sapphire Retail Fund. The centre incorporates the council-run market which is open four days a week. The town centre is home to a large number of high street multiples, along with other shops, including specialist food shops, independent record shops and an independent bookshop. On the edge of the town centre, there are four retail parks; there are also a number of Outlet store, mill shops. Plans have been in place since 2004 to construct a second town centre shopping centre, originally called 'The Oval'. By the time a sufficient number of tenants had signed up to begin construction, the effects of the Great Recession cast doubts over the viability of the project. In early 2011, fresh plans were released for a considerably smaller scheme involving a cluster of retail units. The site is now earmarked for a cinema and restaurants and is due to open in 2016 As well as Woolworths, the Great Recession led to the closure of T J Hughes, Miss Selfridge, and HMV but the project gained new high street names in large retail units including Next and River Island. The Market Square is currently under redevelopment with a number of retailers already moved in and more said to be 'signed up' to move in once the development is complete. The local brewery, Moorhouse's Brewery, Moorhouse's, which was founded in 1865, produces a range of award-winning beers and currently operates six pubs in the area. The Worsthorne Brewing Company produces a number of cask ales. The Moonstone Brewery is operated within the "Ministry of Ale", Burnley's first Brewpub. Reedley Hallows Brewery was launched in 2012 by the former Head Brewer at Moorhouses.


Religion

St Peter's Church, Burnley, St Peter's Church, around which the town developed, dates from the 15th century, and is designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage. St Andrew's Church, Burnley, St Andrew's Church on Colne Road was built in 1866–67, to a design by J. Medland Taylor, and was restored in 1898 by the Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster architects Austin and Paley. It is designated a Grade II listed building. There are many other places of worship including those for Roman Catholics, Baptists, United Reformed Church, Methodists, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Latter-Day Saints and Spiritualist church, Spiritualists. The chapel at Towneley Hall was the centre for Roman Catholic worship in Burnley until modern times. Well before the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
, the town saw the emergence of many Nonconformist (Protestantism), non-conformist churches and chapels. In 1891 the town was the location of the meeting which saw the creation of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland. Burnley has ten mosques, with the first purpose-built premises opening in 2009. A total of 17 religious buildings or structures are designated as listed buildings – all Grade II by English Heritage.


Landmarks


Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Along the Burnley section of the canal are a number of notable features. The long and up to high almost perfectly level embankment, known as Burnley Embankment, the Straight Mile, was built between 1796 and 1801 (before the invention of the steam shovel), to avoid the need for Locks (water transport), locks. It is regarded as one of the original seven wonders of the British waterways. The much more modern (1980) Whittlefield motorway aqueduct is believed to be the first time a canal aqueduct was constructed over a motorway in the UK.


Weavers' Triangle

The Weavers' Triangle is an area west of Burnley town centre, consisting mostly of 19th-century industrial buildings, clustered around the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
. The area has been identified as being of significant historical interest as the cotton mills and associated buildings encapsulate the social and economic development of the town and its weaving industry. From the 1980s, the area has been the focus of major redevelopment efforts.


Singing Ringing Tree

The Singing Ringing Tree (sculpture), Singing Ringing Tree is a wind powered sound sculpture resembling a tree, set in the landscape of the Pennines, south of Burnley town centre. Completed in 2006, it is part of the series of four sculptures within the Panopticons arts and regeneration project created by the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network (ELEAN). The project was set up to erect a series of 21st-century landmarks, or Panopticons (structures providing a comprehensive view), across East
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
as symbols of the renaissance of the area. Designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu, the ''Singing Ringing Tree'' is a tall construction comprising pipes of galvanised steel, which harness the energy of the wind to produce a slightly Consonance and dissonance, discordant and penetrating choral sound covering a range of several octaves. Some of the pipes are primarily structural and aesthetic elements, while others have been cut across their width enabling the sound. The Harmony, harmonic and singing qualities of the tree were produced by tuning the pipes according to their length by adding holes to the underside of each. In 2007 the sculpture was one of 14 winners of the National Award of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for architectural excellence.


Towneley Hall

Towneley Hall was the home of the Towneley family for more than 500 years. Various family members were influential in the scientific, technological and religious developments which took place in the 17th and 18th centuries. The male line of the family died out in 1878 and in 1901 one of the daughters, Lady O'Hagan, sold the house together with of land to Burnley Corporation. The hall contains the 15th-century Whalley Abbey vestments and has its own chapel, which contains a finely carved altarpiece made in Antwerp in about 1525.


Transport

Burnley is served by Junctions 9, 10 and 11 of the M65 motorway, which runs west to
Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
,
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...
and Preston (where it connects to the M6 motorway, M6), and northeast to Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson and
Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. The town is northeast of Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, northeast of Burnley and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The ...
. From the town centre, the A646 road, A646 runs to Todmorden, the A679 road, A679 to
Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
, the A671 road, A671 to Clitheroe, and the A682 road, A682 (a nearby rural section of which has been classified as Britain's most dangerous road) south to Rawtenstall and north east to Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson and the Yorkshire Dales. The A56 road, A56 dual carriageway skirts the western edge of the town, linking to the M66 motorway heading towards
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
and the M62 Motorway, M62. Rail services to and from Burnley are provided by Northern (train operating company), Northern. The town has four railway stations: Burnley Manchester Road railway station, Burnley Manchester Road, Burnley Central railway station, Burnley Central, Burnley Barracks railway station, Burnley Barracks and Rose Grove railway station, Rose Grove. A fifth station, Hapton railway station, Hapton, serves
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Calder, Lancashire, River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, Lancashire, England. It is located north west of Burnley, and north ea ...
and Hapton, Lancashire, Hapton to the west of the town, but inside the borough. Manchester Road station has an hourly semi-fast service west to Preston railway station, Preston (the nearest station on the West Coast Main Line) and Blackpool North railway station, Blackpool North, and east to Leeds railway station, Leeds and York railway station, York, whilst the Central and Barracks stations provide an hourly stopping service west to Blackpool South railway station, Blackpool South and Preston, and east to Nelson (Lancashire) railway station, Nelson and Colne railway station, Colne. In May 2015, a direct train service to Manchester and onwards to Wigan Wallgate was reinstated. This provides a direct route to Manchester Victoria station, Manchester Victoria for the first time in over fifty years with the construction of a short section of track at the Hall Royd Junction of the Caldervale Line (known as the Todmorden curve). This has reduced the journey time between Burnley and central Manchester from around 1 hour and 25 minutes via Blackburn and Bolton and 1 hour and 4 minutes via Hebden Bridge to approximately 45 minutes via Todmorden and Rochdale where Manchester Metrolink, Metrolink tram connections via Oldham are possible. In preparation for this new direct service a new Manchester Road station building including a ticket office and waiting rooms has recently been completed, which has made Manchester Road the new principal station for the town Burnley bus station, designed by Manchester-based SBS Architects, won the UK Bus Award for Infrastructure in 2003. The main bus operator is Burnley Bus Company, with Tyrer Bus operating some tendered town services. Other services are provided by First West Yorkshire (591/592 to Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax), Blackburn Bus Company (152 to Preston) and Rosso (bus company), Rosso (483 to Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury). National Express Coaches, National Express operates three coach services to London each day, and one to Birmingham. The X43 The Witch Way, Witch Way service (operated by Burnley Bus Company) runs from Burnley to
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
via Rawtenstall and Prestwich using a fleet of specially branded double-decker buses. The fastest journey takes about an hour. Burnley does not have an airport, but there are four international airports within an hour's travel of the town: Manchester Airport at , Liverpool John Lennon Airport at , Leeds Bradford Airport at , and Blackpool Airport at . Since 2009, the Reedley Marina has provided a 100-berth facility, on the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
on the northern edge of town.


Sport

The town's sporting scene is dominated by Burnley F.C., Burnley Football Club, nicknamed "The Clarets" and founded in 1882. They were one of the first to become Professionalism in association football, professional (in 1883), and subsequently put pressure on the Football Association to permit payments to players. In 1888, Burnley were one of the 12 founder members of English Football League, the Football League. From the 1950s until the 1970s, under chairman Bob Lord (football chairman), Bob Lord, the club became renowned for its youth policy and Scout (association football), scouting system, and was one of the first to set up a purpose-built Training ground (association football), training ground (Gawthorpe Hall, Gawthorpe). The team currently compete in the English Football League Championship, the second tier of Football in England, English football. The club has played its home matches at Turf Moor since 1883, with average attendances of 20,000 in the Premier League. The club is well supported in the town, and is one of the best supported sides in English football per capita. Burnley have been List of English football champions, champions of England twice, in 1920–21 Burnley F.C. season, 1920–21 and 1959–60 Burnley F.C. season, 1959–60, have won the FA Cup once, in 1913–14 FA Cup, 1913–14, and have won the FA Community Shield, FA Charity Shield twice, in 1960 FA Charity Shield, 1960 and 1973 FA Charity Shield, 1973. When the team won the 1959–60 Football League, the town of Burnley became one of the smallest to have an English first tier champion. It is one of only five English league clubs to have been champions of English football league system, all four professional league divisions (along with Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., Wolverhampton Wanderers, Preston North End F.C., Preston North End, Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United and Portsmouth F.C., Portsmouth). There are two members of the Lancashire League (cricket), Lancashire Cricket League in the town. Burnley Cricket Club play their home matches at Turf Moor, their ground being adjacent to the football ground, while Lowerhouse Cricket Club play at Liverpool Road. England Cricketer James Anderson (cricketer), James Anderson started his career at Burnley Cricket Club and TV Weather forecasting, weatherman John Kettley used to play for them. Burnley is also home to Burnley Rugby Club (formerly Calder Vale Rugby Club 1926–2001). They field three senior sides, with teams at most junior age groups, and play at Holden Road, the site of Belvedere and Calder Vale Sports Club. Rugby League is represented in the town by Burnley and Pendle Lions RLFC. They train and play their home games at Prairie Sports Village. They are in the North West Men's Merit League. Burnley Tornados is the American Football club in the town. Burnley held greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway, speedway at Burnley Greyhound Stadium, Towneley Stadium, that existed from 1927 until 1935. Burnley has good public sporting facilities for a town of its size. The £29m St Peter's Centre (opened in 2006) offers Swimming pool, swimming, Squash (sport), squash courts and a Gym, fitness suite, while the nearby Spirit of Sport complex includes a large sports hall, and several indoor courts and outdoor synthetic pitches. There is an outdoor athletics track at Barden Lane, where the Burnley Athletic Club meets. For golfers, there are both 9-hole and 18-hole municipal golf courses at
Towneley Park Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, c ...
, along with an 18-hole pitch and putt course. Burnley Golf Club have a private course, established in 1905 above the town in Habergham Eaves. There are tennis courts at Towneley Park, and at the Burnley Lawn Tennis Club, as well as eleven Bowls, bowling greens around the town, and a £235,000 skate park at Queens Park, which opened in 2003. There are also basketball, caving and judo clubs in the town. In 2001, the private Crow Wood Leisure Centre was established in countryside on the edge of the town, offering a combination of fitness facilities, racquet and equestrian sports. In 2013 Crow Wood opened its own day Spa, the Woodland Spa, which was named Day Spa of the Year at the Professional Beauty Awards 2014, just one year after opening.


Culture and entertainment


Museums and galleries

On the outskirts of the town there are galleries in two stately homes, the Burnley council-owned
Towneley Hall Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, co ...
and
Gawthorpe Hall Gawthorpe Hall is an Elizabethan country house on the banks of the River Calder, in Ightenhill, a civil parish in the Borough of Burnley, Lancashire, England. Its estate extends into Padiham, with the Stockbridge Drive entrance situated there. ...
in
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Calder, Lancashire, River Calder, in the Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, Lancashire, England. It is located north west of Burnley, and north ea ...
, which is owned by Lancashire County Council and managed by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, National Trust. There are also two local museums: the Weavers' Triangle Trust operates the Visitor Centre and Museum of Local History in the historic surroundings of the Weavers' Triangle, while the Queen Street Mill, Queen Street Mill Textile Museum is unique as the world's only surviving steam driven cotton weaving shed. Mid Pennine Arts were instrumental in the Panopticons project and run exhibitions and creative learning projects across the town and wider area.


Parks

There are several large parks in the town, including
Towneley Park Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, c ...
, once the Medieval deer park, deer park for the 15th century Towneley Hall, and three winners of the Green Flag Award, Queens Park, Burnley, Queens Park which hosts a summer season of brass band concerts each year, and Thompson Park which has a boating lake and Ridable miniature railway, miniature railway. The other parks include Scott Park, Ightenhill Park and Thursby Gardens. A greenway route linking Burnley Central Station along a former mineral line and incorporating the former Bank Hall colliery and reclaimed landfill site at Heasandford extends out of the town towards Worsthorne at Rowley Lake. The lake was constructed in the 1980s as a means to divert the river Brun away from former mine workings that were causing significant pollution of the river.


Activities

There is a modern 24-lane ten pin bowling centre on Finsley Gate, operated by 1st Bowl. A 9-screen Multiplex (movie theater), multiplex cinema opened in 1995 (with 3 3-D film, 3D screens as of 2010), operated by Reel Cinemas. The town's theatre, named after its former use as a Mechanics Institute, hosts touring comedians and musical acts and amateur dramatics. In 2005, Burnley Youth Theatre moved into a second, purpose-built £1.5 million performance space next to Queen's Park, one of only two purpose-built youth theatres in the UK.


Festivals

Each year Burnley hosts the two-day Burnley International Rock and Blues Festival, which started as the Burnley National Blues Festival in 1988. The renamed festival moved from Easter to the early Bank Holiday, May Bank Holiday. The festival introduced a new logo, website and branding in a bid to attract new and younger audiences, and to encourage cross-town participation with a 'Little America' theme. It is one of the largest blues festivals in the country, drawing fans from all over Britain and beyond to venues spread across the town. In the 1970s, the town was also an important venue for Northern soul and several local pubs still hold regular Northern soul nights. In recent years the town has also hosted the annual Burnley Balloon Festival in
Towneley Park Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council and is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre and the park extends to the south east, c ...
and a science festival at UCLan's local university campus. A travelling funfair, funfair is usually held around the second weekend in July at Fulledge Recreation Ground, which is also the venue for the town's main Guy Fawkes Night celebration. In July 2023, the town celebrated its first ever Pride parade. Local charities, organisations, youth groups and trade unions were in attendance at the parade which was led by RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestant, Elektra Fence.


Nightlife

Major bars and nightclubs in Burnley included Lava & Ignite, which was a leading nightclub, which closed in 2014. Curzon Street in Burnley was also the site of the legendary Angels (nightclub), Angels nightclub. Burnley has a small gay scene, centred on the Guys as Dolls showbar in St James Street. In 1971 the granting of a licence to the town's first gay club, The Esquire, caused considerable controversy, with Tory deputy council leader, Alderman Frank Bailey, suggesting that the building be bought by the corporation to stop the plan. A rainbow plaque was unveiled at Burnley Library on 30 July 2021 marking the 50th anniversary of a meeting organised by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality regarding the gay club. Bénédictine and hot water, known locally as "Bene 'n' Hot" is a popular drink in east Lancashire, after soldiers stationed in Normandy during the First World War brought back a taste for it. The Burnley Miners' Club is the world's largest consumer of the French liqueur, and has its own Bénédictine Lounge.


Media

Local radio for Burnley and its surrounding area is currently provided by Capital Manchester and Lancashire (formerly 2BR), 106.5 Central Radio, Central Radio North West and BBC Radio Lancashire. Local television news programmes are BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada Reports. There are two local newspapers: the ''Burnley Express'', published on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the daily ''Lancashire Telegraph'', which publishes a local edition for Burnley and Borough of Pendle, Pendle. Two free advertisement-supported newspapers, ''The Citizen'' and ''The Reporter'', are posted to homes throughout the town. Burnley was one of seven sites chosen to be part of Channel 4's The Big Art project in which a group of 15 young people from all over the town commissioned artist Greyworld to create a piece of public art. The artwork, named "Invisible", is a series of UV paintings placed all around the town centre displaying public heroes.


Appearance in television and cinema

Parts of the 1961 British film ''Whistle Down the Wind (film), Whistle Down the Wind'', and the two BBC television series ''All Quiet on the Preston Front'' and ''Juliet Bravo'', were filmed in the town. Burnley Fire Station was the location of Social Services in the first series of ''Juliet Bravo'', and Burnley Library was used for exterior shots of the magistrates' court (England and Wales), magistrates' court in the series. Numerous locations in the town were used in the 1996–1998 BBC comedy drama ''Hetty Wainthropp Investigates''. Ashfield Road, which runs between the Burnley College and DIY superstore, was used as a film location in the 1951 film ''The Man in the White Suit''. Queen Street Mill textile museum was used for a scene in the 83rd Academy Awards, 2010 Oscar-winning film The King's Speech, and for scenes in the 2004 BBC Adaptation (arts), dramatisation of Elizabeth Gaskell's ''North and South (1855 novel), North and South'', as well as ''Life on Mars (UK TV series), Life on Mars'' (S1 E3; 2006). It has also featured in the following BBC documentaries: Fred Dibnah's ''Industrial Age'' (E2; 1999), Adam Hart-Davies' ''What the Victorians Did for Us'' (E1; 2001), and Jeremy Paxman's ''The Victorians'' (2009), as well as ''Who Do You Think You Are? (British TV series), Who Do You Think You Are?'' (Bill Oddie episode), ''Flog It'' and UKTV History's ''The Re-Inventors'' (2006). Towneley Hall featured in the BBC comedy drama ''Casanova (2005 TV serial), Casanova'' (2005) and the BBC antiques quiz ''Antiques Master'' is currently filmed there. The canal embankment featured in the 2007 ITV (TV network), ITV documentary ''Locks and Quays'' (S2 E9) and two families in Burnley have been featured in the ITV series ''60 Minute Makeover'' (S6 E28 and S7 E70). In 2023, Netflix released the comedy film "Bank of Dave (film), Bank of Dave", billed as a true-ish story of Burnley businessman David Fishwick, who in 2011 opened Burnley Savings & Loans, trading under the slogan 'Bank of Dave'.


Education

Burnley Grammar School was first established in St Peter's Church in 1559, with its first headmaster a former chantry priest, Gilbert Fairbank. In 1602, one of the governors, John Towneley, paid for a new schoolhouse to be built in the churchyard; the school moved again in 1876 to a new building on Bank Parade, which can still be seen today. The first technical school, in Elizabeth Street, was erected in 1892. The equivalent school for girls, Burnley Girls' High School, was established in 1909 on a site in Ormerod Road (along with the Technical School and Art School) later moving to Kiddrow Lane in the 1960s. The Tripartite system of education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, tripartite system of Education established by the Education Act 1944 affected Burnley in the following ways: Heasandford Technical High School for Girls and Towneley Technical High School for Boys were established (Burnley Technical High School was formed in 1956 by the merger of the two), as were Barden, Burnley Wood, Rosegrove & St. Mary's (Roman Catholic) Secondary Modern Schools. The borough completed the move to Comprehensive school, comprehensive education in 1981. Secondary Schools: Habergham (mixed), Ivy Bank (mixed), Gawthorpe (mixed), Towneley (mixed), Barden (boys), Walshaw (girls), St Theodores RC (boys), St Hilda's RC (Girls). Further education: Habergham and St Theodores Sixth Forms and Burnley College (all mixed). In 2003 a plan was devised to replace all the secondary schools in the town as part of the first wave of a nationwide programme funded by the Department for Education and Skills (United Kingdom), Department for Education and Skills called Building Schools for the Future. Funding was secured in 2004 and in 2006 the new schools opened (in the buildings of their predecessors). Today there are still five 11–16 secondary schools:
Shuttleworth College moved into new buildings in 2008, Sir John Thursby in 2009, and Blessed Trinity, Hameldon and Unity in 2010. Thomas Whitham Sixth Form, which forms a sixth element of the BSF programme, offers sixth form provision at its Burnley campus (opened 2008) on Barden Lane. University Technical College Lancashire is a university technical college for 14- to 19-year-olds that opened in Burnley in September 2013. Burnley High School is a Free school (England), free school for 11- to 19-year-olds that opened in Burnley in September 2014. Burnley College has its heritage in the mid 19th century and is the borough's main tertiary education (post 16) provider, offering a comprehensive range of 40 A Levels, a range of advanced vocational courses and professional training. Apprenticeship courses provided over 1000 local apprenticeship places in 2013, within businesses across Pennine Lancashire. Burnley College in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan Burnley) also provides adult education and 70 degree courses. Burnley College moved to a new £80 million campus, (in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire), off Princess Way in 2009. It achieved 'outstanding' status in that year's OFSTED inspection. The inspection awarded the College 54 out of 54 areas grade one status. The Mohiuddin Trust charity subsequently purchased the former College site for £2m, and opened the Mohiuddin International Girls' College in October 2010.


Attainment

The town's educational attainment has continued to improve over the last few years. In 2012, 82% of children at the end of Key Stage 2 achieved Level 4 or above in English and 81% in Mathematics. In 2012 59% of students at the end of Key Stage 4 achieved A*-C grades or above at GCSE and in 2012 Burnley College reported a 99.8% A Level pass rate and a record number of A and A* grades.


People


Art

Keith Coventry, the winner of the 2010 John Moores Painting Prize, was born and educated in the town. The watercolourist Noel Leaver studied and also taught at the former Burnley School of Art, later attended by Greta Tomlinson. The poet Clare Shaw (poet), Clare Shaw was also born in Burnley.


Entertainment

Possibly the best-known Burnley figure in the field of entertainment is actor Ian McKellen, who was born in the town in 1939. There is a blue plaque on the house where he lived, but where he says he was not born. Other actors born in the town include J. Pat O'Malley, Mary Mackenzie, Irene Sutcliffe, Julia Haworth, Richard Moore (actor), Richard Moore, Jody Latham, Kathy Jamieson, Hannah Hobley, Natalie Gumede and Lee Ingleby. ''Coronation Street'' regular Malcolm Hebden grew up in the town. Screenwriter Paul Abbott, creator of ''Shameless (UK TV series), Shameless'', and television producer and executive Peter Salmon (producer), Peter Salmon were also born here. Musicians born in the town include Danbert Nobacon, Alice Nutter (writer), Alice Nutter, Lou Watts and Boff Whalley (all of Chumbawamba), Eric Haydock (bassist in The Hollies), classical composer John Pickard (composer), John Pickard, the DJ Anne Savage (DJ), Anne Savage, Record Producer Ady Hall of Sugar House, young soprano Hollie Steel. and singer Cody Frost. The 19th-century author and clergyman Silas K. Hocking wrote his most famous work, ''Her Benny'' (1879), while living in Burnley. Crime writer Stephen Booth (writer), Stephen Booth is another native of the town, as are journalist and broadcaster Tony Livesey and author and documentary maker Stewart Binns.


Politics and the church

David Waddington, Baron Waddington, David Waddington, Lord Waddington of Read, Lancashire, Read (former Conservative Home Secretary and former Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords), Phil Willis, Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough, and the diplomat Sir Vincent Fean were born in Burnley, as was the 16th-century Catholic martyr Robert Nutter, and the 17th-century Catholic martyr Thomas Whittaker (martyr), Thomas Whittaker. Suffragettes Margaret Aldersley was born in Burnley in 1852 while Ada Nield Chew died in the town in 1945. Sir John Stuttard, Lord Mayor of London from 2006 to 2007, was born in Burnley in 1945.


Military

James Yorke Scarlett, commander of the Heavy Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava, was married to a Hargreaves coal heiress and lived at Bank Hall.
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
winners 2nd Lieutenant Hugh Colvin and Private
Thomas Whitham Thomas Whitham VC (11 May 1888 – 22 October 1924) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. War servi ...
both served during World War I.


Science and industry

Engineer Sir Willis Jackson, Baron Jackson of Burnley, Willis Jackson was born and educated in the town. James Drake (engineer), James Drake, a pioneer of British motorways, was also born here. 17th-century mathematician Sir Jonas Moore was from Higham, Lancashire, Higham but is believed to have been educated at the Grammar School. Moore's contemporary, Richard Towneley, pioneered many scientific and technological developments at Towneley Hall. Scottish cardiology pioneer Sir James Mackenzie lived and practised medicine in the town for more than a quarter of a century. The Lasker Award-winning Molecular biology, molecular biologist Edwin Southern, inventor of the Southern blot, was born and raised in Burnley. The molecular biologist Joyce Taylor-Papadimitriou was born in Burnley in 1932.


Sport

Burnley's sporting figures include England and Lancashire cricketer James Anderson (cricketer), James Anderson, former England international footballers Jimmy Crabtree, Billy Bannister, and Jay Rodriguez, Northern Ireland national football team, Northern Ireland international Oliver Norwood, Pakistan international Adnan Ahmed, former England Women's goalkeeper Rachel Brown, ex-Manchester United F.C., Manchester United player Chris Casper, Commonwealth Games Gold Medal-winning gymnast Craig Heap. Supercars Championship driver Fabian Coulthard, second cousin of Formula One driver David Coulthard, was born in Burnley along with Neil Hodgson, 2003 Superbike World Championship, 2003 World Superbike champion. Also long-time Burnley F.C. chairman Bob Lord (football chairman), Bob Lord, football pioneer Jimmy Hogan (who grew up in the town), football manager Harry Bradshaw (football manager), Harry Bradshaw, handball player Holly Lam-Moores, middleweight boxer Jock McAvoy, World Rally Championship navigator Daniel Barritt, and hammer thrower Sophie Hitchon.


See also

* Pendelfin, a Burnley-based stoneware company named after Pendle Hill * List of collieries in Lancashire since 1854#Burnley area, Collieries in the Burnley area of Lancashire * List of mining disasters in Lancashire


References

Citations Bibliography * * Brian Hall & Ken Spencer, ''Burnley: A Pictorial History'', Phillimore, 1993, * Guy Rickards, "Icarus Soaring: The Music of John Pickard" in ''Tempo'', n.s., 201 (July 1997), pp. 2–5 * Kev Roberts, ''Northern Soul Top 500'', Goldmine Publications, 2000,


Further reading

* Walter Bennett, ''The History of Burnley'', 4 vols., Burnley Corporation, 1946–1951 * Ken Bolton & Roger Frost, ''Burnley'', Francis Frith, 2006 * Mike Townend, ''Burnley'', Tempus Publishing, 2004 * Mike Townend, ''Burnley Revisited'', Tempus Publishing, 2006


External links


General information


Burnley Borough Council
Official council site
Visit Burnley
Official tourism site


Maps and photographs


Ordnance Survey Map of Eastern Burnley in 1890

Ordnance Survey Map of Western Burnley in 1890

Ordnance Survey Map of Burnley in 1910

Ordnance Survey Map of Burnley in 1953–55

Photographs of Burnley at Geograph (UK)


* [http://www.imageburnley.co.uk Image Burnley] {{Authority control Burnley, Towns in Lancashire Market towns in Lancashire Unparished areas in Lancashire Former civil parishes in Lancashire