Blackburn
Blackburn shown within Lancashire
Population	105,085
OS grid reference	SD685277
Unitary authority	Blackburn with Darwen
Ceremonial county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BLACKBURN
Postcode district	BB1 - BB2
Dialling code	01254
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Blackburn
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Coordinates: 53°44′42″N 2°28′37″W / 53.7449, -2.4769 Blackburn is the name of a number of places in the world: United Kingdom Blackburn, Lancashire, North West England, United Kingdom Blackburn with Darwen (unitary authority), Lancashire, North West England, United Kingdom Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom Blackburn, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom Elsewhere Blackburn, Victoria, Australia Blackburn, New Zealand... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 504 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 714 pixel, file size: 423 KB, MIME type: image/png) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Red_pog2. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... This is a list of the largest cities and towns of England ordered by population. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... Blackburn with Darwen (Dwrgwyn) is a borough in Lancashire, North West England. ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping, concerning these countries; thus the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has used the phrase in reference to the parts of former Yugoslavia... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The BB postcode area, also known as the Blackburn postcode area[1], is a group of postal districts around Accrington, Barnoldswick, Blackburn, Burnley, Clitheroe, Colne, Darwen, Nelson and Rossendale in England. ... +44 redirects here. ... There are a number of policing agencies in the United Kingdom. ... Lancashire Constabulary is the police force responsible for policing the county of Lancashire in the North West of England. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... The Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide, statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the Shire county of Lancashire, England. ... The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 as part of Health Minister Lord Warners plans to reduce the number of NHS ambulance service trusts operating in the United Kingdom to 12. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... The constituency within England. ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... Location within the British Isles. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a list of settlements in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Blackburn (pronunciation (help·info)) is a large town in Lancashire, a county in the North West of England. With a population of 105,085, Blackburn is the largest and most populous settlement within the Blackburn with Darwen Local Authority area, which itself had a population of 137,470 at the time of the 2001 census.^[1] The town was a key centre for the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. Blackburn is situated to the north of the West Pennine Moors. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... In the United Kingdom a county is a historic type of subnational division; which by the Middle Ages had become established as a unit of local government. ... North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ... The figures are mid-year estimates for 2005, unless otherwise stated, from the Office for National Statistics [1]. See also: List of towns and cities in England by population - List of English counties by population - List of ceremonial counties of England by population - List of English districts by area - List... Blackburn with Darwen (Dwrgwyn) is a borough in Lancashire, North West England. ... For other uses, see Textile (disambiguation). ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ... Rivington Pike, a familiar local landmark The West Pennine Moors is an area of approximately 90 square miles of moorland and reservoir scenery, located in North West England, between the towns of Chorley, Bolton, Horwich and Blackburn. ...

History

Toponymy

Blackburn's old clock tower in 1906 with time ball at the top of its mast.

Blackburn means 'dark-coloured burn' (burn meaning 'stream') from Old English blæc "black" and burna "stream", recorded as Blacheburne in 1128. In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Blackburn like this: In Scotland, and to some extent in North East England, burn is a name for a stream which is less than a river. ...

Blackburn. parl. and mun. bor., par. and township, NE. Lancashire, 9 miles [14 km] E. of Preston and 210 miles [340 km] NW. of London by rail -- par., 48,281 ac., pop. 161,617; township, 3681 ac., pop. 91,958; bor., 6974 ac., pop. 104,014; 4 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. It is one of the chief seats of cotton manufacture, besides producing calico, muslin, &c., there being over 140 mills at work. There are also factories for making cotton machinery and steam-engines. B. has been associated with many improvements in the mfr. of cotton, among which was the invention (1767) of the "spinning jenny" which was invented in nearby Oswaldtwistle by James Hargreaves, who died in 1770. There are several fine churches and public buildings. A Corporation Park (50 ac. in area) is on the outskirts of the town. Several lines of railway converge here, and pass through one principal station belonging to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Ry. Co. B. returns 2 members to Parliament.[1] This article is about Preston, Lancashire. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ... Calico is a fabric made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. ... Muslin is a type of finely-woven cotton fabric, introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century. ... // The term steam engine may also refer to an entire railroad steam locomotive. ... For the magazine of the same name, see Spinning Jenny (magazine). ... , Oswaldtwistle (pronounced Oswald-twistle) is a town on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Lancashire, 3 miles east-south-east of Blackburn. ... James Hargreaves (also known as James Hargraves [1]) (1720 – 22 April 1778) was a weaver, carpenter and an inventor in Lancashire, England. ... Corporation Park is a 20 ha (50 acres) victorian park in Blackburn, Lancashire. ... This article is about the unit of measurement. ...

Prehistory

There is little evidence of settlement in the Blakewater valley (where Blackburn would later be situated) during the Prehistoric period. It is generally thought that most human activity in East Lancashire during this period occurred on hilltops. Evidence of such activity during the Bronze Age has been discovered in the form of urn burials, two examples of which have been found in the hills around Blackburn. The River Blakewater is a river running through Lancashire, giving its name to the town of Blackburn. ... A simplified map archaeological cultures of the late Bronze Age (c. ... Hydriotaphia or Urn Burial or a Brief Discourse of the Sepulchral Urns lately found in Norfolk, is a work published in 1658 by Sir Thomas Browne. ...

Workers producing shuttles for the textile industry, circa 1920. Rowland Baguley and Company, based on Addison Street, produced a wide range of shuttles for the home textile industry and for export before it closed in the early 1930s.

In 1879, a cinerary urn was discovered beneath a tumulus at Revidge, north of the town. Another was excavated at Pleasington Cemetery, west of the present town, by gravedigger Grant Higson in 1996.^[2] Image File history File links MakingShuttlesBlackburn. ... Image File history File links MakingShuttlesBlackburn. ... The simplest shuttle is a flat, narrow piece of wood with notches on the ends to hold the weft yarn. ... A tumulus (plural tumuli, from the Latin word for mound or small hill, from the root to bulge, swell also found in ) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. ...

That prehistoric man was active in the area now covered by the town centre is inferred from the presence of a possible sacred spring, perhaps in use during the Iron Age, at All Hallows Spring on Railway Road.^[3] Clootie wells are places of pilgrimage in Celtic areas; they are wells or springs where strips of cloth or rags have been left, usually as part of a healing ritual. ... In the British Isles, the Iron Age lasted from about the 7th century BC until the Roman conquest and until the 5th century in non-Romanised parts. ...

Roman Blackburn

Blackburn is thought to have originated as a small settlement along the Roman road between Bremetennacum Veteranorum and Mancunium which passed through the town to the east of the present Blackburn Cathedral, probably crossing the River Blakewater at Salford (not the present-day city so named)^[4] Not to be confused with Romans road. ... Portions of this article or section may be outdated. ... Blackburn Cathedral Blackburn Cathedral is officially known as the Cathedral Church of Blackburn Saint Mary the Virgin. ...

George C. Miller in his Blackburn - the Evolution of a Cotton Town says:

The ancient military way from Mamucium (Manchester) to (Bremetennacum) (Ribchester), passing over Blacksnape, plunges on its unswerving course through Blackamoor, over the scarp at Whinney Heights, to pass across the Blakewater in the vicinity of Salford. This fact alone presents a reasonable argument for the existence of a British oppidum or walled village on the site, it being customary for such primitive communities to cluster in the vicinity of a ford or bridge.^[5] This article or section needs to be updated. ...

The aforementioned All Hallows Spring was purportedly excavated in 1654^[6] and was found to contain an inscribed stone, allegedly commemorating the dedication of a temple of Serapis by Claudius Hieronymus, legate of Legio VI Victrix.^[7] Serapis can refer to: A series of British ships named HMS Serapis. ... A legatus (often anglicized as legate) was equivalent to a modern general officer in the Roman army. ... Legio VI Victrix (Victorious) was a Roman legion founded by Octavian in 41 BC. It was the twin legion of VI Ferrata and perhaps held veterans of that legion, and some soldiers kept to the traditions of the Caesarian legion. ...

Medieval Blackburn

Strike of cotton mill workers in 1920 in Cowell Street in the Nab Lane area.

The traditional date for the coming of Christianity to Blackburn is 596^[8] or 598 AD^[9] and the town was certainly important during the Anglo-Saxon era. It was during this period that Blackburnshire Hundred came into existence, probably as a territorial division of the kingdom of Northumbria.^[10] Image File history File links StrikingMillWorkersBlackburn. ... Image File history File links StrikingMillWorkersBlackburn. ... Lancashire cotton mill, 1914 A cotton mill is a factory housing spinning and weaving machinery. ... For other uses, see Anglo-Saxon. ... Blackburnshire was a former district of England around the town of Blackburn. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and...

The name of the town first appears in the Domesday Book as Blachebourne, a royal manor during the days of Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror. Archaeological evidence gleaned during the demolition of the medieval parish church on the site of the present Cathedral in 1820 suggests that a church was built during the late eleventh/early twelfth century.^[11] A market cross was also erected nearby in 1101^[12] A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... St Edward the Confessor or Eadweard III (c. ... William I ( 1027 – September 9, 1087), was King of England from 1066 to 1087. ...

The manor came into the possession of Henry de Blackburn, who divided it between his two sons. Later, one half was granted to the monks of Stanlow Abbey. This moiety was later granted to the monks of Whalley Abbey. Stanlow Abbey (or Stanlaw Abbey) was a Cistercian abbey situated on Stanlow Point on the Wirral. ... Look up moiety in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ruins of Whalley Abbey Whalley Abbey is a former abbey complex in Whalley, Lancashire, which is now used as a Retreat and Conference House.[1] Though there has been Christian activity in Whalley since at least Anglo-Saxon times, it was not until 1296 that the abbey came into existence. ...

However, during the twelfth century, the town's conjectured importance declined as Clitheroe became the regional centre.^[13] Arms of Clitheroe Town Council Clitheroe is a small civil parish of the borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. ...

In addition to the settlement in the town centre area, there were several other medieval domiciles located nearby.

Politics and governance

Blackburn is administered by Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority, which encompasses Blackburn and the small town of Darwen to the south. The town sends one MP to Westminster. Blackburn with Darwen (Dwrgwyn) is a borough in Lancashire, North West England. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... , Darwen is a small market town in Lancashire, which extends onto the West Pennine Moors. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin...

Westminster

See also Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency)

The historic constituency of Blackburn sent two MPs to Westminster, was created for the 1832 general election and abolished in 1950. It was replaced for one parliamentary term by two new single-member constituencies, Blackburn East and Blackburn West, before being replaced at the next general election when the two were merged into the modern-day constituency, returning a single MP. UKPollingReport characterises the constituency as "a mix of deprived inner-city wards dominated by Muslim voters, white working class areas and Conservative voting suburbs".^[14] Location within the British Isles. ... Blackburn was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Blackburn in Lancashire. ... The 1832 UK general election, the first after the Reform Act, saw the Whigs win a large majority, with the Tories winning less than 30% of the vote. ... The United Kingdom general election in 1950 was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. ... Blackburn East was a parliamentary constituency in the town of Blackburn in Lancashire. ... Blackburn West was a parliamentary constituency in the town of Blackburn in Lancashire. ... The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on May 26, 1955, four years after the previous general election. ... Location within the British Isles. ...

The sitting member is current Secretary of State for Justice and former Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw. Previous MPs for Blackburn include former Labour cabinet minister Barbara Castle, who represented the town in Westminster from 1945 to 1979. Straw was challenged in the 2005 general election by a former Foreign Office subordinate, the ex-British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray. Murray stood for election in Blackburn on a platform of opposition to the war in Iraq and electoral corruption. Murray described the constituency as a "Labour rotten borough" and said of the build up to the election, "I've been approached by several people in the Asian community who are under huge pressure from Labour activists to apply for a postal vote rather than a ballot vote and then hand their postal vote over to the Labour party." Over 50% more people used postal votes in the 2005 general election in Blackburn than in 2001.^[15] The anti-Straw vote was split, however, and the incumbent was returned with a comfortable majority of over 8,000. Although Murray's campaign piqued the interest of the national media, he was forced into fifth place by the British National Party, a result reflective of somewhat poor race relations in the town going back decades (see the section on the far right below). The Secretary of State for Justice is a United Kingdom cabinet position. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... For other uses, see Jack Straw (disambiguation). ... Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn PC (October 6, 1910 – May 3, 2002) was a British left-wing politician, born Barbara Anne Betts in Chesterfield, Derbyshire (and brought up in Pontefract and Bradford, Yorkshire), who adopted her familys politics, joining the Labour Party. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, seen from St. ... Craig Murray (born October, 1958)[1] is a British political activist, university rector and former ambassador to Uzbekistan. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... The term rotten borough referred to a parliamentary borough or constituency in Great Britain and Ireland which, due to size and population, was controlled and used by a patron to exercise undue and unrepresentative influence within parliament. ... The British National Party (BNP) is a white nationalist political party in the United Kingdom. ...

In October 2006, comments made by Jack Straw angered some in the Muslim community. Writing in the Lancashire Telegraph, the MP said that Muslim women who wear full veils make "better, positive relations" between communities more difficult and that failing to show the mouth and nose was "a visible statement of separation and of difference."^[16][17] The Lancashire Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ...

Local government

Main article: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen local elections

Blackburn council and its successor have been predominantly controlled by the Labour Party since 1945 and continuously for 24 years until May 2007 when it fell into no overall control.^[18] The council has been elected 'by thirds' since 1996, with one councillor from each of the three-member wards being elected every year, with those representing 2-member wards being elected in alternative years. Every four years there is a year with no elections, the next such period being 2009. The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is currently the largest majortiy opposition party in the United Knigdom. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... Blackburn with Darwen (Dwrgwyn) is a borough in Lancashire, North West England. ... One third of Blackburn with Darwen Council is elected each year, followed by one year without election. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ...

The council is rated by the Audit Commission as "improving well" and awareded its top "four star" commendation in a 2007 overall performance review. Although children’s services, adult social care and GCSE results were praised, the Commission did highlight "significant health problems" and levels of repeat victims of domestic violence as causes for concern.^[19] Despite generally good performance, overall user satisfaction levels with the Council are below average and not improving.^[19] The borough was awarded Beacon Council status and shares its best practice in education policy with other councils as part of the scheme. The Audit Commission is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which is responsible for auditing local government in England, National Health Service Trusts and other local agencies in England and Wales. ...

The council was shaken in 2004 when six Labour councillors quit the ruling group one month after an election, meaning 6,442 people who voted for a Labour councillor were left with independent representatives and the council temporarily fell into no overall control.^[20][21] The councillors, who eventually re-joined the party, left over an internal row reportedly sparked by the demotion of particular councillors in a post-election reshuffle.^[20] Like some other towns and cities with sizeable asian communities, allegations of vote-rigging and corruption have dogged the council with members of the muslim community reportedly being "strong-armed by mosque leaders and councillors to vote Labour" during elections.^[22] The possibility of corruption has been eased by reforms to postal voting which have made electoral fraud "childishly simple" in the UK according to a European watchdog.^[23] The number of postal votes registered in Blackburn in 2005 was 20,000, compared to 7,600 in 2001.^[22] In April 2005, local councillor Mohammed Hussain was jailed for three years for rigging the 2002 town hall election by stealing at least 230 postal vote ballots in his ward.^[24]

The local elections of May 2007 saw a coalition of parties take control of the council from Labour. The small For Darwen party and independents now hold the fine balance of power on the council in a partnership with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Like its predecessor, the ruling administration has also attracted controversy with one of its councillors being suspended following a conviction for benefit fraud^[25] and another following allegations of domestic abuse.^[26] Tensions over the presence of former England First Party member Michael Johnson within the coalition as part of For Darwen rose to the surface when Johnson was quoted in The Sun newspaper in October 2007 blaming his unemployment on "all the immigrants flooding this country." "These people take our jobs and it will only get worse", he said.^[27] Three weeks before local elections in May 2008, a Liberal Democrat candidate for Shear Brow ward caused a stir by defecting to Labour.^[28] For Darwen is a small political party with three seats on Blackburn with Darwen Council. ... Abuse is a general term for the misuse of a person or thing, causing harm to the person or thing, to the abuser, or to someone else. ... The England First Party (EFP) is a minor political party in England. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ...

The far right

Around 20% of the Blackburn's population come from ethnic minorities and in recent years the town has witnessed a resurgence in the fortunes of far-right political parties in local elections. The council until recently had two members for the England First party, Mark Cotterill for Meadowhead ward and Michael Johnson for Fernhurst. Mark Cotterill has since stood down and Michael Johnson joined the For Darwen party. Members of the British National Party (BNP) have previously won a council seat in the town in November 2002 following elections in May which saw three of their colleagues elected in nearby Burnley. The BNP's Robin Evans secured a 16-vote majority in Mill Hill ward with two recounts following a campaign using pub meetings and leafleting.^[29] The incumbent Liberal Democrats were pushed into third place behind Labour. Although plans had been blocked by the time of the poll, proposals to convert a nursing home in the ward into a centre for asylum seekers were seen as a key election issue.^[30] Developments in Burnley and Blackburn were regarded as something of a renaissance for the far right in British politics, no such councillors had been elected in the UK since victories in Tower Hamlets nearly ten years before.^[31] In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ... Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitive position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ... The England First Party (EFP) is a minor political party in England. ... Mark Adrian Cotterill is the founder and current chairman of the England First Party, a minor political party operating in Lancashire, England. ... For Darwen is a small political party with three seats on Blackburn with Darwen Council. ... The British National Party (BNP) is a white nationalist political party in the United Kingdom. ... For other meanings see Burnley (disambiguation) , Burnley is a large town in the borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of about 73,021. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, is a liberal political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had already been in an alliance for seven years prior to this, since not long... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Power lines leading to a trash dump hover just overhead in El Carpio, a Nicaraguan refugee camp in Costa Rica Under international law, a refugee is a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her... The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames in East London. ...

Commenting on the elections, Blackburn MP Jack Straw said: "It is very sad. We had the far right in Blackburn 26 years ago when they won two seats in Shadsworth. But there the whole community decided they wouldn't have it. You can never say they won't put candidates in Blackburn but we will work hard on community relations."^[32] Blackburn had two council members from the National Front in the 1970s. Although many towns in North West England suffered race riots in the summer of 2001, the streets of Blackburn remained quiet. John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The name National Front, is used by a number of political parties and coalitions. ... North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ...

Condoleezza Rice and Jack Straw in February 2006.

Image File history File linksMetadata RiceStraw. ... Image File history File linksMetadata RiceStraw. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. ... John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ...

Visit of Condoleezza Rice

The town was the subject of international media interest in 2006 when U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Blackburn from 31 March to 1 April during a tour of European capitals. The visit reciprocated a trip made by Jack Straw to Rice's home state of Alabama when he was UK Foreign Secretary. Rice's itinerary included Pleckgate School, Ewood Park football stadium, Blackburn Cathedral and the Town Hall in Blackburn while in Liverpool she attended a classical music concert. Rice's visit was met with protests from anti-war and human rights campaigners, although many local residents expressed support of the visit.^{[citation needed]} The committee at Masjid Al Hidayah Mosque on Millham Street, Blackburn, in conjunction with Muslim scholars from the region, withdrew an invitation to Ms Rice to visit the mosque due to safety issues.^{[citation needed]} The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (colloquially called the Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... Ewood Park is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire and the home of Blackburn Rovers football club. ...

Coat of Arms

Arms of the former Blackburn Borough Council on display in the town hall.

The coat of arms of the former Blackburn Borough Council has many distinctive emblems. The arms displays Argent a Fesse wavy Sable between three Bees volant proper on a Chief Vert a Bugle stringed Argent between two Fusils Or. On the crest, a Wreath of the Colours a Shuttle Or thereon a Dove wings elevated Argent and holding in the beak the Thread of the Shuttle reflexed over the back and an Olive Branch proper. The latin motto of the town is 'Arte et Labore', correctly translated as 'by art and by labour' but often translated as 'by skill and hardwork'. The motto, granted on 14 February 1852 to the former Borough of Blackburn, is poignant as Blackburn, once a small town, had risen to importance through the energy and enterprise of her spinners and manufacturers, combined with the skill and labour of her operatives. The Borough of Blackburn was formed by the amalgamation of the County Borough of Blackburn, the Borough of Darwen, part of the Turton Urban District and the parishes of Yate and Pickup Bank, Eccleshill, Livesey, Pleasington and Tockholes from the Blackburn Rural District. Other notable features include: City Hall is a 1996 film directed by Harold Becker. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... In heraldry, a crest is a component of a coat of arms. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ...

• Three bees in flight. The bee is an emblem of skill, perseverance and industry. "B" also stands for Blackburn; and further, as the Peel family sprang from this neighbourhood and bears a bee in flight on its shield, the idea naturally suggests itself that Sir Robert Peel had adopted the Blackburn bee.
• The shield is silver or white, and thus emblematical of calico, the product of the Blackburn bees during the industrial revolution.
• The broad wavy black line represents the Black Brook (the River Blakewater) on the banks of which the town is built.
• The silver bugle horn was the crest of the first Mayor of Blackburn, William Henry Hornby. It is also an emblem of strength.
• The gold lozenges, or fusils (diamond shaped), are the heraldic emblems of spinning, derived from the Latin "fusus" or "fusilium", meaning a spindle, and they refer to the invention of the spinning jenny in 1764 by James Hargreaves, a native of the district. They also denote the connection of Joseph Feilden with Blackburn, as Lord of the Manor, as he bore lozenges on his shield.
• The background of green is there to remind us of the time when Blackburn was one of the royal forests in the time of Edward the Confessor.
• The shuttle is the emblem of weaving, the trade which has contributed more than any other to the prosperity of the town.
• The dove taking wing with an olive branch in her beak (the emblem of peace) attached to the thread of the shuttle, represents the beneficial results emanating from the art of weaving.

For other uses, see Western honey bee and Bee (disambiguation). ... For other people named Robert Peel, see Robert Peel (disambiguation). ... Calico is a fabric made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ... The River Blakewater is a river running through Lancashire, giving its name to the town of Blackburn. ... Military bugle in B♭ The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments; it is essentially a small natural horn with no valves. ... William Henry Hornby (born Blackburn 1805 - 1884) was variously an industrialist, the Mayor of Blackburn in Lancashire and Chairman of the Conservative Party. ... For the magazine of the same name, see Spinning Jenny (magazine). ... James Hargreaves (also known as James Hargraves [1]) (1720 – 22 April 1778) was a weaver, carpenter and an inventor in Lancashire, England. ... The title of Lord of the Manor arose in the English medieval system of Manorialism following the Norman Conquest. ... A royal forest has been a concept of land management England since the late eleventh century. ... St Edward the Confessor or Eadweard III (c. ... The simplest shuttle is a flat, narrow piece of wood with notches on the ends to hold the weft yarn. ... Tweed loom, Harris, 2004 Woven sheet Weaving is an ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two sets of threads or yarn called the warp and weft of the loom and turning them into cloth. ... Subfamilies see article text Feral Rock Pigeon beside Weiming Lake, Peking University Dove redirects here. ...

Geography

Location and transport links

Blackburn railway station

Blackburn is situated in the county of Lancashire to the north of the West Pennine Moors. Although the city of Preston, the administrative centre for the county, is located around 14.8 kilometres (9.2 mi) to the west, Blackburn is the largest municipality in what is known as East Lancashire. The town is bounded on other sides by smaller towns, including Accrington to the east and Darwen to the south. Blackburn and Darwen together make up Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority. Around 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the north of the town centre, just within the boundary of the Ribble Valley, is the village/suburb of Wilpshire, with the village of Langho approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) further to the north west. A number of even smaller localities are sometimes considered extended suburbs of Blackburn, including Rishton to the east, Great Harwood to the north east and Mellor to the north west. Rishton, Great Harwood and Accrington are part of the local government district of Hyndburn. 17 kilometres (11 mi) further to the east lies the town of Burnley^[33] Blackburn railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire. ... “km” redirects here. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status in the administrative county of Lancashire, England. ... Wilpshire is a village/suburb to the north of Blackburn in the county of Lancashire. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Rishton is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, about 2 miles west of Clayton-le-Moors and 4 miles east of Blackburn. ... Location within the British Isles Great Harwood is an urban district in the Hyndburn parliamentary division of Lancashire, England, 4 1/2 miles north east of Blackburn. ... Mellor is a village situated in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. ... Non-metropolitan districts (usually known as just districts) are a type of local government district in England. ... Hyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. ... For other meanings see Burnley (disambiguation) , Burnley is a large town in the borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of about 73,021. ...

Blackburn is served by a newly redeveloped train station located in the town centre next to the bus station and served by Northern Rail. The nearest train station on the West Coast Main Line is Preston. Blackburn has four junctions with the M65 motorway. The town is less than an hour's drive from Manchester and Blackpool and just over an hour away from Liverpool, Leeds and Chester.^[34] Blackburn railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire. ... Northern Rail is a train operating company that has operated local services in the north of England since 2004. ... The WCML running alongside the M1 motorway at Watford Gap in Northamptonshire A Virgin Pendolino and freight train on the WCML The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important intercity railway lines in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. ... Preston Railway Station in Preston, Lancashire is on the West Coast Main Line. ... The M65 motorway is a major road in England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... This article is about the town in England. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation) and Leeds City (disambiguation). ... For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ...

Geology and terrain

Sketch of coal mining equipment on Coalpit Moor, formerly known as Blackburn Moor, from 1846.

Located in the midst of the East Lancashire Hills, some areas of the town are characterised by steep slopes. The town centre is located in a depression surrounded by a number of hills. The area of Revidge to the north can be reached via a steep climb up Montague Street and Dukes Brow to reach a peak of 218 metres (715 ft) above sea level. To the west, the wooded Billinge Hill in Witton Country Park is 245 metres (804 ft) high, while Royal Blackburn Hospital is situated to the east of the town at a vantage point of 202 metres (663 ft).^[35] These figures can be considered in the context of other hills and mountains in Lancashire, including Great Hill at 456 metres (1,496 ft), Winter Hill at 456 metres (1,496 ft), Pendle Hill at 557 metres (1,827 ft) and Green Hill 628 metres (2,060 ft). Image File history File links BlackburnCoalPit. ... Image File history File links BlackburnCoalPit. ... Surface coal mining in Wyoming in the United States of America. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Witton Country Park is a 480 acre (1. ... Great Hill is a hill in Lancashire on Anglezarke Moor, between the towns of Chorley and Darwen. ... Winter Hill, as seen from Parbold Hill in Lancashire Winter Hill is a hill in Lancashire, England, United Kingdom located on Rivington Moor between Chorley and Bolton. ... Pendle Hill (summit 557 m above mean sea level) is located in the north-east of Lancashire, England, near the towns of Burnley, Colne, Nelson and Clitheroe. ... Green Hill, is a mountain in north west England. ...

The River Blakewater, which gives its names to the town, flows down from the moors above Guide and then through the areas of Whitebirk, Little Harwood, Cob Wall and Brookhouse to the town centre. The river was culverted during the industrial revolution and runs underground in the town centre, under Ainsworth Street and between Blackburn Cathedral and Blackburn Bus Station. On the western side of the town centre the Blakewater continues under Whalley Banks and through the Redlam area before joining the River Darwen outside Witton Country Park and continuing on to join the River Ribble at Walton-le-Dale. The River Blakewater is a river running through Lancashire, giving its name to the town of Blackburn. ... Guide is a village near Blackburn in Lancashire. ... Whitebirk is a suburb in the east of Blackburn, England. ... A culvert is a flowing body of water which passes underneath a road, railway, or embankment, or the part thereof that does so. ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ... Blackburn Cathedral Blackburn Cathedral is officially known as the Cathedral Church of Blackburn Saint Mary the Virgin. ... The River Darwen is a river running through Darwen and Blackburn in Lancashire. ... The River Ribble at Ribchester The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England. ... Walton-Le-Dale is a primarily residential suburb of the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. ...

The geology of the Blackburn area yields numerous resources which underpinned its development as a centre of manufacturing during the industrial revolution. Mineable coal seams have been used since the mid-late 16th century.^[36] The coal measures in the area lie on a bed of millstone grit, which has been quarried in the past for millstones and, along with local limestone deposits, used as a construction material for roads and buildings. In addition, there were deposits of iron ore in the Furness and Ulverston districts.^[37] The Blackburn area was subjected to glaciation during the Pleistocene ice age, and the sandstone-and-shale bedrock is overlain in much of the area by glacial deposits called till (which is also called "boulder clay") of varying thickness up to several tens of feet. Glacial outwash (sand and gravel) also occur in small patches, including along Grimshaw Brook.^[38][39][40] This article is about mineral extractions. ... Wyoming coal mine Coal mining is the extraction of coal from the Earth for use as fuel. ... A coal measure (stratigraphic unit) is the name given to any rock sequence that occurs in the upper part of the Carboniferous System in Europe. ... Gritstone is a sedimentary rock composed of coarse sand grains and is a coarser version of sandstone. ... For other uses, see Quarry (disambiguation). ... The interior of a functional water mill The basic anatomy of a millstone. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... This heap of iron ore pellets will be used in steel production. ... Furness (IPA: ) is a peninsula in the southern part of Cumbria, in north-west England. ... , Ulverston is a market town in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. ... A glaciation (a created composite term meaning Glacial Period, referring to the Period or Era of, as well as the process of High Glacial Activity), often called an ice age, is a geological phenomenon in which massive ice sheets form in the Arctic and Antarctic and advance toward the equator. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... Shale Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. ... This article is about glacial sediments, for other uses see till (disambiguation). ... Glacial till with tufts of grass Till is an unsorted glacial sediment. ... A satellite image of the Skeiðarársandur in Iceland In geology, a sandur (plural sandar) is a plain formed by meltwater from glaciers, also known as glacial outwash or merely outwash. ...

Areas

Blackburn consists of a number of areas:

Demography

According to the UK Government's 2001 census, Blackburn has a population of 105,085.^[41] According to the same statistics, some of which include the small town of Darwen to the south, the town is 77.9% White British (national average for England and Wales 91.3%) with significant Indian (10.7%) and Pakistani (8.7%) ethnic minorities.^[42] 9.6% of the population was born outside the European Union. In terms of religion, 63.3% of residents are Christian (national average 71.7%), 19.4% Muslim (national average 3.0%) with 16.6% no religion or not stated. This gives the town the third highest proportion of Muslims in England and Wales and the highest outside London. The Politics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland takes place in the framework of a constitutional monarchy in which the Monarch is head of state and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government. ... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... , Darwen is a small market town in Lancashire, which extends onto the West Pennine Moors. ... White British is an ethnic classification used in the United Kingdom Census 2001, 92. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

55.1% of the town are in employment, with 4.1% unemployed and 1.2% long term unemployed. This compares unfavourably with respective national averages of 60.6%, 3.4% and 1.0%. 8.7% of residents are looking after a home and/or family, the fifth highest for any borough in England and Wales. Average household size is 2.54 people, the 9th highest in England and Wales. The town is slightly below the national averages on health indicators. Just over one in five (20.3%) of the population say they have a "limiting long term illness" compares with a national average of 18.2%. One in nine(11.1%) describe their general health as "not good" compared with an average of 9.2%.

Economy

The town centre is currently subject to a new multi-million pound investment, and Blackburn with Darwen Council have already made some refurbishments and renovations of key public places, notably the Church Street area with its Grade II listed^[43] art deco Waterloo Pavilions complemented by street furniture and sculptures. Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority in Lancashire, North West England. ... Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ... Asheville City Hall. ...

The Mall (formerly known as Blackburn Shopping Centre) is the main shopping centre in Blackburn with over 130 shops and 400 further outlets close by.^[44] The other side of Ainsworth Street is Blackburn Markets, first opened in 1964, comprising the 3-day market (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) and the Market Hall (Monday-Saturday). The town centre was expanded by construction of the Grimshaw Park retail development (including Blackburn Arena) in the 1990s, and more recently the adjacent Townsmoor Retail Park, and Peel Leisure and Retail Park. For the traditional meaning of the word mall, see mall. ... Look up Market in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Blackburn Arena is an Olympic size ice arena in Blackburn, Lancashire and the home of Blackburn Hawks ice hockey club. ... The Peel Group is a collection of property and transport companies based in the United Kingdom. ...

The markets continue to offer a wide range of local produce - Lancashire cheeses, tripe, Bowland beef and lamb can all be found. There is also Walsh's Sarsaparilla stall. The markets are expected to move into the Mall shopping centre in 2010, and to open six days a week.^[45] Tripe in an Italian market Look up tripe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Killip & Morton Sarsaparilla (Smilax regelii and other closely related species of Smilax) is a plant that comes in vine and, in the case of Aralia nudicaulis L., bush variants that bears roots with many useful properties. ...

Major employers in Blackburn include:

• BAE Systems (Samlesbury site, located at Balderstone, northwest of Blackburn);
• Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council;
• East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (Based at the Royal Blackburn Hospital).

, BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British defence and aerospace company headquartered at Farnborough, UK, which has worldwide interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. ... Samlesbury is a small village in the South Ribble area of Lancashire. ...

Popular culture

Blackburn is known to fans of The Beatles as the town featured in the song "A Day in the Life". An article in the Daily Mail about a plan to fill potholes in the town caught John Lennon's eye as he was writing the song, giving birth to the lyric: "I read the news today. Oh, boy. 4,000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire". Blackburn is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club - the title of the unofficial fanzine of Blackburn Rovers is 4,000 Holes. The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... For other uses, see A Day in the Life (disambiguation). ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ... A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ...

Landmarks

Blackburn Cathedral sits in the middle of the town centre

King George's Hall, Blackburn

Blackburn Cathedral is one of the main focal points of the town, and a symbol of Blackburn. An image of the Cathedral is used behind BBC interviews held in Blackburn, which are filmed at BBC Radio Lancashire on Darwen Street, opposite the Cathedral. The largest and most prominent buildings in the skyline of Blackburn are Blackburn Town Hall, located above the shopping centre, and Thwaites Brewery, situated on the edge of the town centre. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1733x2308, 642 KB) Summary Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, Lancashire. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1733x2308, 642 KB) Summary Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, Lancashire. ... Blackburn Cathedral Blackburn Cathedral is officially known as the Cathedral Church of Blackburn Saint Mary the Virgin. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 196 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Blackburns famous King Georges Hall in 2005. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 196 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Blackburns famous King Georges Hall in 2005. ... Blackburn Cathedral Blackburn Cathedral is officially known as the Cathedral Church of Blackburn Saint Mary the Virgin. ... BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Lancashire. ...

A landmark £10million bridge is currently under construction on Freckleton Street crossing the railway. The bowstring arch bridge will be completed in summer 2008 and is to be named after Alfred Wainwright following a vote by the townspeople. Alfred Wainwright c. ...

Sports landmarks include Ewood Park football stadium, which opened in 1890, and the Blackburn Arena, which opened in 1991 and is home to the Blackburn Hawks ice hockey team. Ewood Park is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire and the home of Blackburn Rovers football club. ... Blackburn Arena is an Olympic size ice arena in Blackburn, Lancashire and the home of Blackburn Hawks ice hockey club. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for an encyclopedia. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ...

Blackburn Railway Station features a 24 foot (7.3 m) mural by Stephen Charnock, which depicts eight famous faces associated with the town, including Mohandas Gandhi, who visited nearby Darwen in 1931. The station was renovated in 2000. BBC Radio Lancashire has its studios on Darwen Street in the town centre. Thwaites Brewery which produces cask ale has had a position in the centre of the town since 1870. There is also Thwaites Empire Theatre and King George's Hall , which is an arts and entertainment centre. Blackburn railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ... , Darwen is a small market town in Lancashire, which extends onto the West Pennine Moors. ... BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Lancashire. ... Daniel Thwaites is a regional brewery founded in 1807 by Daniel Thwaites in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. ... Cask ales on racks Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is conditioned and served from a cask, usually without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure. ... This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ...

A notable green space is Corporation Park which opened in 1856. A section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through the town. Witton Country Park is a 480 acres (1.9 km²) space to the west of the town. Corporation Park is a 20 ha (50 acres) victorian park in Blackburn, Lancashire. ... The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in the north of England running from Liverpool, Merseyside to Leeds, West Yorkshire. ... Witton Country Park is a 480 acre (1. ...

Education

See List of schools in Blackburn

There are numerous schools and colleges in Blackburn, including Blackburn College, St. Mary's College. Schools in Blackburn, Lancashire include: Audley Infant & Junior Schools Brookhouse Primary School Cedars Infant School Daisyfield Primary School Feniscowles Junior School Griffin Park Primary School Hawthorns Junior School Holy Souls RC Primary School Lammack Primary School Longshaw Infant & Junior Schools Lower Darwen County Primary School Meadowhead Infant & Junior Schools Our... Blackburn College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Carlinville, Illinois. ... St Marys College, Blackburn, Lancashire, UK was established by the Marist Fathers some time ago. ...

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School, in Blackburn, became the first Muslim state school in the North West. It was originally independent but its status changed in 2005.^[46] It has been a success in school league tables, with a high score for contextual value added.^[47] State school is an expression used in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to distinguish schools provided by the government from privately run schools. ...

Although the town's ethnic minority population is below 25%, in some schools the vast majority of pupils are from the ethnic minority population, whilst other schools are almost entirely white, and this segregation has been identified as a problem for racial integration within the town.^[48]

Independent school sector is represented in the town by Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (QEGS) and Westholme School. East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education (ELIHE) is for degree students over the age of 18. There are plans being developed for a university campus in the town.^[49] There are a number of schools called Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, including: Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Ashbourne Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Alford Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Barnet Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Blackburn Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Horncastle Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Wakefield This... Westholme School, is a single sex selective private school located in Blackburn, England. ... East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education (ELIHE) is based in Blackburn, Lancashire within Blackburn College. ...

Sports

Blackburn Rovers and Football

Main article: Blackburn Rovers F.C.

Premier League Football side Blackburn Rovers is based at the Ewood Park stadium. The club has done much to raise the profile of the town, winning the Premier League in 1995 and the League Cup in 2002. The club was established in 1875, and in 1888 became a founder member of The Football League. In 1890 Rovers moved to its permanent home at Ewood Park. Until the formation of the Premier League in 1992, the majority of Blackburn Rovers' success was pre-1930 when they won the league twice and FA Cup six times. Blackburn has had a particular strong history of football. Rovers weren't the town's only side in the 19th century; other rivals included Blackburn Olympic F.C. (1883 winners of the FA Cup against Rovers themselves) and Blackburn Park Road F.C., among others. Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... Soccer redirects here. ... Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ... Ewood Park is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire and the home of Blackburn Rovers football club. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... The Football League is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales, and is the oldest such competition in world football. ... Ewood Park is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire and the home of Blackburn Rovers football club. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... Blackburn Olympic were a football team which existed for about a decade in the 19th Century. ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... Blackburn Park Road were a soccer team formed in 1875. ...

In the early 1990s Jack Walker, a local boy and life-long supporter who made millions in the steel industry, invested heavily in the club. He lured former Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish as manager and a number of shrewd player purchases followed, most notably Alan Shearer. This lifted the club back into the first division, just before it became the F.A. Premier League – making Blackburn one of only a handful of clubs to be founders of both the Football League and the Premier League. After finishing runners-up to Manchester United in 1993/1994, Rovers won the championship the following year. A slump followed in the late 1990s, with relegation to League Division One. In 2001, the team secured promotion back into the Premier League, and in 2002 won the League Cup. For other people named Jack Walker, see Jack Walker (disambiguation). ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish MBE (born 4 March 1951 in Dalmarnock, Glasgow) is a former Scottish international football player. ... Alan Shearer OBE (born 13 August 1970 in Gosforth) is a retired professional English footballer who played as a striker for the England national team and Premiership clubs, Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. ... Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... From 1889 until 1992, this was the highest division overall of organized football in England. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ...

Notable people

People, involved in the arts, born in the town include: the actress Kathleen Harrison in 1892^[50]; the author of the Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells Alfred Wainwright in 1907; broadcaster Russell Harty in 1934; the writer Josephine Cox in 1941 who set many of her novels in Lancashire; the actor Anthony Valentine in 1939; the actor Michael Billington, star of UFO in 1941; actor Ian McShane in 1942^[51]; actor Jon Walmsley in 1956; film maker Michael Winterbottom in 1961^[52]; actor Steve Pemberton in 1967^[53]; actress Wendi Peters in 1968; and actor/comedian Lee Mack in 1968. Kathleen Harrison (February 23, 1892, Blackburn, Lancashire, England - December 7, 1995, was a prolific British character actress, best remembered for her roles as Mrs Huggett in a series of British post-war comedies (playing opposite Jack Warner). ... The Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells is a series of seven books detailing the fells of the English Lake District. ... Alfred Wainwright c. ... Frederic Russell Harty (5 September 1934 – 8 June 1988) was an English television presenter with a distinctly camp turn of phrase; his name has been used as Cockney rhyming slang for party. ... Josephine Cos is an author. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Anthony Valentine is a British actor. ... Michael Billington (born on December 24, 1941 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England; died on June 3, 2005 in the UK) was a popular British film and television actor. ... UFO is a British television science fiction series created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grades Century 21 Productions for Grades ITC Entertainment company. ... Ian McShane (born 29 September 1942) is a Golden Globe-winning English actor. ... Jon Walmsley (born February 6, 1956 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England) is an actor best known for his role of Jason Walton in the series The Waltons. ... Michael Winterbottom (b. ... Steve Pemberton Steve Pemberton (b. ... Wendi Peters (born February 28, 1968) is a British actress who is best known for playing the infamous Cilla in the hit TV soap opera Coronation Street. ... Lee Gordon McKillop (born c. ...

Notable sports personalities born in Blackburn include: rock climber John Sumner in 1936^[54]; and England rugby union player Will Greenwood in 1972. Additionally the motor racing engine designer Keith Duckworth was born here in 1933. Sumner dominated climbing in Mid Wales, including routes on the waterfalls of Maesglase. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... William John Heaton Greenwood MBE (born October 20, 1972 in Blackburn, Lancashire) is a former English rugby union player. ... A Ford Cosworth DFV on a Ligier JS11 Cosworth is an engine design and manufacture company founded in 1958, specialising in engines for automobile racing. ...

John Morley, British Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor, was born in Blackburn in 1838

In the political arena, John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, OM, PC, Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor was born in the town in 1838. The town is also closely linked to Barbara Castle who was an MP in Blackburn for 34 years (1945-1979) as well as holding the positions of Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Social Services during the Labour governments of the sixties and seventies. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn (1838 - 1923), known for the first part of his life simply as John Morley, was an English statesman and writer. ... This article is about the historic Liberal Party. ... Statesman is a respectful term used to refer to politicians, and other notable figures of state. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... The Right Honourable John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, OM, PC (1838 - 1923) was a British Liberal statesman and writer. ... For other Orders see Order of Merit (disambiguation). ... A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically in a monarchy. ... Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn PC (October 6, 1910 – May 3, 2002) was a British left-wing politician, born Barbara Anne Betts in Chesterfield, Derbyshire (and brought up in Pontefract and Bradford, Yorkshire), who adopted her familys politics, joining the Labour Party. ... The Secretary of State for Employment was a UK cabinet position. ... First Secretary of State is a title within the British government, principally regarded as purely honorific, currently held by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. ... The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a position in the UK cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. ...

References

Office for National Statistics logo The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the United Kingdom government executive agency charged with the collection and publication of statistics related to the economy, population and society of the United Kingdom at national and local levels. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lancashire Evening Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... Newsquest is the second largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lancashire County Council is the local authority for the county of Lancashire, England. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... The Lancashire Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... The Lancashire Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... The Audit Commission is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which is responsible for auditing local government in England, National Health Service Trusts and other local agencies in England and Wales. ... The Lancashire Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... The Lancashire Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... The Lancashire Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ... The Lancashire Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... Newsquest is the second largest publisher of regional or local newspapers in the United Kingdom. ... Google Maps (for a time named Google Local) is a free web mapping service application and technology provided by Google that powers many map-based services including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder and embedded maps on third-party websites via the Google Maps API. It offers street maps... Office for National Statistics logo The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the United Kingdom government executive agency charged with the collection and publication of statistics related to the economy, population and society of the United Kingdom at national and local levels. ... The Lancashire Evening Telegraph is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in Blackburn and East Lancashire. ... Newsquest is the second largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ...

Further reading

• W. A. Abram (1877). A History of Blackburn Town & Parish. ISBN 0-948494-10-7. 
• David Allin. Blackburn Since 1900. ISBN 0-948946-18-0. 
• M. Baggoley (1996). Blackburn in Old Photographs. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-1262-6. 
• Derek Beattie (1992). Blackburn: The Development of a Lancashire Cotton Town. Keele University Press. ISBN 1-85331-021-2. 
• Matthew Cole. Blackburn's Shops at the Turn of the Century. ISBN 1-872895-28-X. 
• Jim Halsall. Blackburn in Times Gone By. ISBN 1-872895-39-5. 
• Geo. C. Miller. Blackburn: the Evolution of a Cotton Town. ISBN 0-948494-18-2. 
• Jeremy Seabrook (1973). City Close-up: Blackburn. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-003721-7. 
• Geoffrey Timmins (1993). Blackburn: A Pictorial History. ISBN 0-85033-865-4. 
• William Woodruff (1993). Billy Boy: The Story of a Lancashire Weaver's Son. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 1-85331-047-6. 
• William Woodruff (2002). The Road to Nab End: A Lancashire Childhood. Abacus. ISBN 0-349-11521-4. (This is the same book retitled as the previous one Billy Boy)

It has been suggested that Penguin Modern Poets, Penguin Great Ideas be merged into this article or section. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Blackburn

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

General

• Blackburn Online
• Blackburn with Darwen council site
• Blackburn with Darwen council community portal
• Blackburn with Darwen council business portal
• Blackburn with Darwen council free community websites project
• It's BLACKBURN Local news and information portal
• Blackburn 247 A discussion forum for Blackburn people.
• Cotton Town, a website telling the story of the rapid social and economic changes that occurred as Blackburn and Darwen began to expand in line with the United Kingdom textile industry.
• Audit Commission Blackburn with Darwen page, government reports
• St Gabriel's Church Blackburn
• Blackburn with Darwen Teaching Primary Care Trust

Press

• Lancashire Telegraph The daily newspaper based in Blackburn.
• BBC Lancashire The BBC based in Blackburn for Lancashire.
• Blackburn.bz The site with the three bees.
• Blackburn Citizen The local weekly newspaper.
• Jeremy Seabrook, "No one asked Blackburn's people what they wanted", The Guardian, 30 December 2002 (Argues that the far right is feeding on the dislocation of the industrial north )

For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Multimedia

• Photographs of the Leeds Liverpool canal in Blackburn www.towpathtreks.co.uk
• Video of Blackburn orbital route hosted on YouTube
• Images Of Blackburn A photographic look at Blackburn, Lancashire.
• In and around Blackburn Various photographs from around Blackburn.
• Blacheburne Up to date photographs taken in Blackburn by local photographer John Harrison