103-675: 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". Their motto was By Service We Progress. The Burnley Building Society was founded as a permanent Building Society named the Burnley Benefit Building Society. The town had previously had "terminating societies" which were wound up once they had reached their goals. The earliest of these being
206-582: 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 1,677 feet (511 m) Boulsworth Hill and
309-511: A P-38 Lightning from the 14th Fighter Group USAAF crashed near Cliviger , and Black Hameldon Hill claimed a Halifax from No. 51 Squadron RAF in January 1943, and also a B-24 Liberator from the 491st Bombardment Group USAAF in February 1945. Lucas Industries set up shadow factories , producing a wide range of electrical parts for the war effort. Notably they were involved with
412-786: A Roman presence, but no evidence of a settlement has been found in the town. Gorple Road (running east from Worsthorne ) appears to follow the route of a Roman road that may have crossed the present-day centre of town, on the way to the fort at Ribchester . It has been claimed that the nearby earthworks of Ring Stones Camp ( 53°47′35″N 2°10′26″W / 53.793°N 2.174°W / 53.793; -2.174 ), Twist Castle ( 53°48′00″N 2°10′16″W / 53.800°N 2.171°W / 53.800; -2.171 ) and Beadle Hill ( 53°48′11″N 2°10′08″W / 53.803°N 2.169°W / 53.803; -2.169 ) are of Roman origin, but little supporting archaeological information has been published. Following
515-600: A bypass around the town centre, as well as a new bus station . On 6 April 2012 the city's residents performed the Preston Passion , a dramatised version of the Passion of Christ , which was broadcast live by BBC One . The unparished urban settlement of Preston is represented by 19 of the 22 council wards within Preston City Council which is based at Preston Town Hall on Lancaster Road. From
618-505: A charter granted the church of Burnley to the monks of Pontefract Abbey . In its early days, Burnley was a small farming community, gaining a corn mill in 1290, a market in 1294, and a fulling mill in 1296. At this point, it was within the manor of Ightenhill , 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
721-479: A "Proms In The Park", featuring José Carreras , Katherine Jenkins and the Manchester Camerata . In the mid-12th century, Preston was in the hundred of Amounderness , in the deanery of Amounderness and the archdeaconry of Richmond . The name "Amounderness" is more ancient than the name of any other "Wapentake" or hundred in the County of Lancashire, and the fort at Tulketh, strengthened by William
824-619: A Boots store and 2 Hanover Street W1. A branch was located on Bradshaw Gate, Bolton , Lancashire. “Build the world you want . . . with The Burnley” was used as a newspaper advert tagline in 1972. In the late 1970s the Burnley Building Society produced a promotional 7-inch single titled "The Best Things Begin With B" recorded at Good Earth Studios . It was performed by George Chandler and lyrics were written by Salman Rushdie . Blackpool Transport's illuminated rocket which
927-494: A large profile. Preston has places of worship for people of a wide variety of religions, including churches of many Christian denominations. There are also places of worship for Buddhists , Hindus , Muslims , the Jehovah's Witnesses , Latter-day Saints , Sikhs and The Salvation Army , amongst others. Preston was also home to an Ashkenazi Orthodox Jewish synagogue on Avenham Place, formed in 1882, but this closed during
1030-572: A modern-architecture Guild Hall opened in 1972, to replace the Public Hall. The town was by-passed by Britain's very first motorway , built and operated by engineer James Drake, which was opened by Harold Macmillan in December 1958. Within a decade, this formed part of the M6 – giving Preston a direct motorway link with Manchester and Birmingham . The late 1960s saw the completion of Ringway,
1133-512: A new record October high temperature of 26.9 °C was set. The absolute minimum is −13.3 °C (8.1 °F), recorded during February 1969. In a typical year the coldest night should fall to −6.8 °C (19.8 °F), and 40.2 nights should receive an air frost. The lowest temperature in recent years was −9.2 °C (15.4 °F) during December 2010. Annual rainfall totals just under 1000 mm per year, with over 1 mm of precipitation falling on 150 days. All averages refer to
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#17327798162161236-525: A private letter from Preston on 27 November 1745: "People here are beginning to join [us] very fast; we have got about sixty recruits today". From 10 to 12 December the Prince gave his retreating Army a rest in Preston on their long, last and fatal retreat from Derby through Lancaster and Carlisle to their dreadful day of destiny the following 16 April on Culloden Moor near Inverness . The 19th century saw
1339-477: A reputation as a regional centre of excellence for the manufacturing and aerospace industries. The town began to develop in the early medieval period as a number of farming hamlets surrounded by manor houses and royal forests , and has held a market for more than 700 years. During the Industrial Revolution it became one of Lancashire's most prominent mill towns ; at its peak, it was one of
1442-488: A series of violent disturbances arising from racial tensions between some of its White and Asian residents. 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
1545-456: A transformation in Preston from a small market town to a much larger industrial one, as the innovations of the latter half of the previous century such as Richard Arkwright 's water frame (invented in Preston) brought cotton mills to many northern English towns. With industrialisation came examples of both oppression and enlightenment. The town's forward-looking spirit is typified by it being
1648-467: Is approximately 27 miles (43 km) north west of Manchester , 26 miles (42 km) north east of Liverpool , and 15 miles (24 km) east of the coastal town Blackpool . The current borders came into effect on 1 April 1974, when the Local Government Act 1972 merged the existing County Borough of Preston with Fulwood Urban District as an unparished area within the Borough of Preston . Preston
1751-619: Is considered to be a suburb of the town, it is actually part of the neighbouring borough of Pendle . To the north west of the town, and home of the Pendle Witches , is the imposing Pendle Hill , which rises to 1,827 feet (557 m), beyond which lie Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley . To the south west, Hameldon Hill rises to 1,342 feet (409 m), on top of which are the Met Office north west England weather radar ,
1854-636: Is derived from the Old English words Presta and tun . The tun (enclosure, farmstead, village, manor, estate) of the Presta . During the Roman period, Roman roads passed close to what is now the centre of Preston. For example, the road from Luguvalium to Mamucium (now Carlisle to Manchester) crossed the River Ribble at Walton-le-Dale , 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1 km) southeast of
1957-511: Is represented on the council in six divisions : Burnley Central East, Burnley Central West, Burnley North East, Burnley Rural, Burnley South West, and Padiham & Burnley West. The constituency of Burnley elects a single member of Parliament (MP). In the 2024 election Burnley elected Labour MP Oliver Ryan . Previously, in the general election in 2019 , the town elected Antony Higginbotham , its first Conservative Party MP in over 100 years. The constituency had been represented by MPs of
2060-561: Is still in-situ above the entrance to a former branch, currently Cafe Nero at 16 Davy Gate in York , Yorkshire . The coat of arms shares several similarities with the former Burnley County Borough coat of arms; namely the red chevron representing the rivers Calder & Brun along with Bees and cotton plants representing the town's cotton industry. An edition of The Times newspaper from Friday November 7, 1969 shows an advert stating that London offices were located at 129 Kingsway WC2 presently
2163-579: Is supported by the similarity of the Paschal lamb on Preston's crest with that on St Wilfrid's. When first mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book , Preston was already the most important town in Amounderness (the area of Central Lancashire between the rivers Ribble and Cocker , including The Fylde and the Forest of Bowland ). When assessed for tax purposes in 1218 – 19 it was the wealthiest town in
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#17327798162162266-567: Is the seat of Lancashire County Council , houses the main campus of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and is home to Preston North End , a founder member of the Football League and the first English football champions in 1889 . In that season, the team also won the league and cup double and went unbeaten in the league. It took 115 years until another team went a full season unbeaten. After winning another league title
2369-528: The Battle of Preston (1648) , and then the first Jacobite rebellion, whose invasion of England was brought to a conclusion by the defeat of the pro-Catholic and pro-monarchial Jacobite army at the Battle of Preston (1715) . Letitia Elizabeth Landon alludes to this latter defeat in her poetical illustration, Preston , to an engraving of a painting by Thomas Allom , in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book 1834. In
2472-581: The Burnley Coalfield : the drift mines 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 in 1796 made possible transportation of goods in bulk, bringing a huge boost to
2575-528: The Freckleton district claimed the lives of 61 people in 1944. For some 20 years after 1948, Preston became home to a significant number of Asian and Caribbean Commonwealth immigrants, who mostly worked in the manufacturing industry. However, an economic decline hit the town once again in the 1970s, capped by the closure of the Courtaulds factory in 1979 (nearly 3,000 job losses) and the decline of
2678-724: The Labour Party since 1935 , apart from 2010 – 2015, when it was represented by Gordon Birtwistle , a Liberal Democrat . Richard Shaw was the town's first MP in 1868 . Arguably its most notable MP was former leader of the Labour Party and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Arthur Henderson . The town lies in a natural three-forked valley at the confluence of the River Brun and the River Calder , surrounded by open fields, with wild moorland at higher altitudes. To
2781-522: The Market Cross , 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 in Padiham and Towneley Hall . In 1532, St Peter's Church
2884-583: The Preston Power Loom Weavers' Association was founded, and by 1920 it had more than 13,000 members in the town. The Preston Temperance Society, led by Joseph Livesey pioneered the Temperance Movement in the 19th century. Indeed, the term teetotalism is believed to have been coined at one of its meetings. The website of the University of Central Lancashire library has a great deal of information on Joseph Livesey and
2987-659: The Rover Company 's failed attempts (and Rolls-Royce 's later successful ones) to produce Frank Whittle 's pioneering jet engine design, the W.2 ( Rolls-Royce Welland ) in Barnoldswick . 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
3090-554: The Sadler's Wells Opera and 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. The Queen , together with Prince Philip , first visited
3193-423: The docks on the River Ribble , which finally closed in 1981. Mass unemployment was firmly back in Preston by the early 1980s, although it was now very much a national crisis due to the recession of that time . The rehousing of families from town centre slums to new council houses continued after World War II, though it slowed down to a virtual standstill after 1975. The face of the town centre began to change in
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3296-488: The moors around the town, as have numerous tumuli , stone circles , and some hill forts (see: Castercliff , 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 and probably controlled by the Brigantes . Limited coin finds indicate
3399-438: The spinning machines . The first turnpike road through the area now known as Burnley was begun in 1754, linking the town to Blackburn and Colne 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 , Skipton and Manchester , the latter taking just over two hours. The 18th century also saw the rapid development of coal mining on
3502-744: 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 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
3605-592: The 1960s, with old developments being bulldozed and replaced by modern developments such as the St George's Shopping Centre , which opened in 1966, and the Fishergate Shopping Centre which was built nearly 20 years later. The remains of the Victorian town hall, designed by George Gilbert Scott and mostly destroyed by fire in 1947, were replaced by an office block (Crystal House) in 1962, and
3708-551: The 2024 General Election, Preston is divided between two Westminster constituencies, namely Preston and Ribble Valley . The County Hall is located on Fishergate and is the main office for Lancashire County Council . The River Ribble provides a southern border for the city. The Forest of Bowland forms a backdrop to Preston to the northeast while the Fylde lies to the west. At 53°45′N 2°42′W / 53.750°N 2.700°W / 53.750; -2.700 , Preston
3811-760: The 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II 's reign. Preston has a population of 114,300, the City of Preston district 132,000 and the Preston Built-up Area 313,322. The Preston Travel To Work Area, in 2011, had a population of 420,661, compared with 354,000 in the previous census. The south bank of the Ribble is part of the Preston urban area, although it forms the South Ribble borough that is administratively separate. Preston and its surrounding area have provided evidence of ancient Roman activity, largely in
3914-732: The Christian and Catholic faith is long and deep here in Preston." Preston lies in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster and the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn . There are at least 73 churches, chapels, missions and meeting houses, as well as 15 cemeteries and burial sites, for which records exist. Carey Baptist Church , on Pole Street, was built in 1826 for the Calvinistic Methodists of Lady Huntington . Formerly known as St Paul's Chapel, it
4017-771: The Church of St John the Evangelist and prior to the reformation; St Wilfrid's Parish Church, is located on Church Street, in the centre of the city. From its origin, it has been the parish church of Preston. The church of St George the Martyr , located on Georges Road, was founded in 1723. One of the many large active Roman Catholic parish churches is St Thomas of Canterbury and the English Martyrs , located on Garstang Road. St Walburge's Church , designed by Joseph Hansom of Hansom Cab fame, has, at 309 feet (94 m),
4120-585: The Conqueror , shows that the strategic importance of the area was appreciated even then. The location of the city, almost exactly midway between Glasgow and London, led to many confrontations with Scotland . Preston was burned by the Scots during The Great Raid of 1322 but two years later had quickly recovered. Decisive battles were also fought here, most notably during the English Civil War at
4223-554: 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 was completed in the early 20th century. There is a total of 191 listed buildings in Burnley – one Grade I (Towneley Hall), two Grade II* (St Peter's Church and Burnley Mechanics) and 188 Grade II. Over 4000 men from Burnley were killed in
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4326-632: 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 , a battalion that as a whole became known by the far more famous name of the Accrington Pals . Victoria Crosses were awarded to two soldiers from the town, Hugh Colvin and Thomas Whitham , along with a third to resident (and only son of
4429-594: The Guild Court, which since the 16th century has traditionally been on the first Monday after the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist celebrated on 29 August. As well as concerts and other exhibitions, the main events are a series of processions through the city. Numerous street parties are held in the locality. In 1952 the emphasis was on the bright new world emerging after the war. The major event, held in
4532-648: The Hall Union Club prior to 1800 and Burnley Benefit Society in 1815. In 1968 it merged with the Borough Land and Building Society, another Burnley Society which, in 1911, was described as "by far the largest Building Society registered under the Industrial and Friendly Societies Acts". In 1952 it had assets exceeding £32 million rising above £195 million by 1969 and it had surpassed £1,000 million by 1982. Burnley Building Society (which also included
4635-623: The Provincial Building Society after the transfer of engagements of the Burnley Building Society earlier that year. On 4 August 1996 Abbey National took over the National and Provincial Building Society and shortly afterwards began to make arrangements for the disposal of the records of that Society and its predecessors which were stored at its offices in Parker Lane, Burnley. The former headquarters were located on
4738-697: The River Ribble. Preston is home to the world's oldest continuous branch (a small congregation) of the church. An official memorial to the church pioneers may be found in the Japanese Garden in Avenham Park. In 1998 the church erected a large temple at Chorley , near Preston, described by The Telegraph newspaper as "spectacular". The temple is officially known as the Preston England Temple . St. John's Minster , formerly
4841-432: The Roman period, the area became part of the kingdom of Rheged , and then the kingdom of Northumbria . Local place-names Padiham and Habergham show the influence of the Angles , suggesting that some had settled in the area by the early 7th century; sometime later the land became part of the hundred of Blackburnshire . There is no definitive record of a settlement until after the Norman conquest of England . In 1122,
4944-426: 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 England riots , the town again received national attention following
5047-415: The Temperance Movement in Preston. Preston was one of only a few industrial towns in Lancashire to have a functioning corporation (local council) in 1835 (its charter dating to 1685), and was reformed as a municipal borough by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 . It became the County Borough of Preston under the Local Government Act 1888 . In 1974, county boroughs were abolished, and it became part of
5150-530: 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 station and onward to Wigan Wallgate via the restored Todmorden Curve , which opened in May 2015. 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) Stone Age flint tools and weapons have been found on
5253-522: The Whitehaven and Westmorland Building Societies) and Provincial Building Society merged in 1984 to become National & Provincial Building Society . Lord Charles Geoffrey Nicholas Kay-Shuttleworth, 5th Baron Shuttleworth KG , KCVO had been appointed as a director of Burnley Building Society in 1979 and subsequently became chairman of the newly formed National & Provincial and later deputy chairman of Abbey National. The National and Provincial had existed since 1982 following its change of name from
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#17327798162165356-414: The area's economy and the town of Burnley was born. Dozens of new mills were constructed, along with many foundries and ironworks that supplied the cotton mills and coal mines with machinery and cast and wrought iron 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
5459-568: The borough has one further, bottom tier of government, the parish or town 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 ( Labour Party ). The borough comprises 15 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
5562-406: The centre of Preston, and a Roman camp or station may also have been here. At Withy Trees, 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2 km) north of Preston, the road crossed another Roman road from Bremetennacum (the Roman fort at Ribchester ) to the coast. An explanation of the origin of the name is that the Priest's Town refers to a priory set up by St Wilfrid near the Ribble's lowest ford. This idea
5665-449: The chief constable) Alfred Victor Smith . In 1926 a memorial to the fallen was erected in Towneley Park , 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
5768-451: The city centre including the Miller Arcade , the Town Hall, the Harris Museum , the Minster Church of St. John the Evangelist (formerly Preston Parish Church, elevated to Minster church status in June 2003), the former Corn Exchange and Public Hall , St. Wilfrid's Catholic Church , Fishergate Baptist Church, and many beautiful Georgian buildings on Winckley Square . Many Catholic and Anglican parish churches are also to be found throughout
5871-437: The city centre, and surrounded by built-up areas, suggesting a degree of urban warming is likely, particularly during clear and calm nights. The absolute high recorded at the weather station was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) during July 2022. In a typical year the warmest day should reach 27.6 °C (81.7 °F) and 5.9 days in total should attain a maximum temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or more. In October 2011,
5974-488: The city including: Latin Church Catholics, Baptist , Christadelphian , Congregational , Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion , Evangelical , Methodist , Pentecostal , Presbyterian , Swedenborgian and Wesleyan Methodist . The Society of Friends meet at the Preston Friends Meeting House at 189 St George's Road. Preston has a strong Roman Catholic Christian history and tradition, recently noted by Archbishop Vincent Nichols in his Guild 2012 Mass Homily: "The history of
6077-480: The city's Avenham Park , had every school participating, and hundreds of children, from toddlers to teenagers, demonstrated different aspects of physical education in the natural amphitheatre of the park. The 2012 guild formally opened on 2 September with a mayoral proclamation and the return of "friendship scrolls" that had travelled the world. Highlights in the programme for the 2012 celebration included two concerts in Avenham Park – one by Human League and another,
6180-436: The city's patron saint who is historically linked to the city's establishment. The "PP" on the city shield stands for "Princeps Pacis" (Prince of Peace), another title for Christ invoking Him as protector of the city, though it is also often taken to stand for the city's nickname "Proud Preston". In fact, there were originally three letters "P" on the coat of arms , with one being lost over time. The 2001 Census recorded 72% of
6283-417: The corner of Parker Lane and Grimshaw Street, Burnley in a Grade II listed office block, built 1927–1930 to the designs of architects Briggs and Thornley . The former premises on Colne Road in Duke Bar, Burnley are now used by the St John Ambulance. The name of the building society can still be seen embossed above the windows on Extwistle Street. An example of a sculpted Burnley Building Society coat of arms
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#17327798162166386-414: The cotton industry. Electrical goods manufacturing and engineering arrived in the town, and the building sector enjoyed a boom with nearly 3,000 council houses being built between 1920 and 1939. Some 1,500 houses were built for private sale. Despite its heavy industry, Preston endured only a handful of Luftwaffe air raids in World War II and there were no fatalities in the town, although an air crash in
6489-402: The country. In 1871, the population was 44,320, and had grown to 87,016 by 1891. Burnley Town Hall , designed by Holton and Fox of Dewsbury , 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
6592-447: The first English town outside London to be lit by gas. The Preston Gas Company was established in 1815 by, amongst others, a Catholic priest: Rev. Joseph "Daddy" Dunn of the Society of Jesus . The Preston and Wigan Railway arrived in 1838, shortly afterwards renamed the North Union Railway . The Sheffield firm of Thos. W. Ward Ltd opened a ship breaking yard at Preston Dock in 1894. The more oppressive side of industrialisation
6695-443: The form of a Roman road that led to a camp at Walton-le-Dale . The Angles established Preston; its name is derived from the Old English meaning "priest's settlement" and in the Domesday Book is recorded as "Prestune". In the Middle Ages , Preston was a parish and township in the hundred of Amounderness and was granted a Guild Merchant charter in 1179, giving it the status of a market town . Textiles have been produced since
6798-459: The industrialisation and expansion of textile manufacturing . Preston was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution , becoming a densely populated engineering centre, with large industrial plants. The town's textile sector fell into terminal decline from the mid-20th century and Preston has subsequently faced similar challenges to other post-industrial northern towns, including deindustrialisation, economic deprivation and housing issues. Preston
6901-415: The larger part of the new non-metropolitan district, the Borough of Preston , which also included Fulwood Urban District and much of Preston Rural District . The borough acquired city status in 2002. By 1901, nearly 120,000 people were living in Preston, now a booming industrial town. New industries arrived in Preston during the interwar years which helped ease the pain felt through the sharp decline of
7004-399: The largest in the County of Lancashire... but the sixth in magnitude in the kingdom'. The Cotton Famine of 1861–1865, caused by the American Civil War , 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
7107-623: The last great Jacobite Rising, on 27 November 1745 the Jacobite Prince of Wales and Regent, Bonnie Prince Charlie passed through Preston with his Highland Army on the way south through Chorley and Manchester to Derby intending to take London and the Crown. Preston was the first of quite a few places in England where the Prince was cheered as he rode by and where he was joined by some English volunteers for his Army. One Jacobite eyewitness noted that from Preston onwards, "at every town we were received with ringing of bells, and at night we have bonfires, and illuminations". Another Jacobite eyewitness noted in
7210-505: 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
7313-403: The market was moved to the bottom of what is today Manchester Road, at the end of the 19th century. In the second half of the 18th century, the manufacture of cotton began to replace wool . 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 , and relied on water power to drive
7416-459: The mid-13th century when locally produced wool was woven in people's houses. Flemish weavers who settled in the area in the 14th century helped develop the industry. In the early-18th century, Edmund Calamy described Preston as "a pretty town with an abundance of gentry in it, commonly called Proud Preston". Sir Richard Arkwright , inventor of the spinning frame , was born in the town. The most rapid period of growth and development coincided with
7519-752: The mid-1980s. Preston has a significant Muslim ( Sunni Branch, particularly Hanafi school) population, the majority of which is of Gujarati Indian descent. The Muslim population is centred in the Deepdale, Riversway, Fishwick, Fulwood and Frenchwood areas. Preston has 12 mosques: five in Deepdale & St George's, one in Frenchwood, one in Riversway, two in Adelphi and three in Fishwick. A wide range of denominations are, or have been, represented in
7622-544: The moors of the South Pennines , and to the south, the Forest of Rossendale . On the hills above the Cliviger area to the south east of the town stands 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 Panopticon Singing Ringing Tree , overlooking
7725-503: The neighbouring city of Lancaster . On 10 August 1893, approximately 32 millimetres (1.3 in) of rain fell in Preston in 5 minutes, being a record for the most rainfall to fall in that time in the United Kingdom . One of the proposed derivations of the city's name coming from 'Priests' town'. The lamb on the city shield is a biblical image of Jesus Christ, and the same image that represented 7th-century bishop St Wilfrid ,
7828-524: The number of actual casualties. The Burnley Justices had delegated their authority to determine which pictures could be shown in local cinemas to a panel of three justices. In a judicial review in 1916 this was found to be an unlawful delegation of their authority. During the Second World War, Burnley largely escaped the Blitz , with the only Luftwaffe bomb to known to have fallen within
7931-459: The pattern for various reasons, but an unbroken series were held from 1542 to 1922. A full 400-year sequence was frustrated by the cancellation of the 1942 guild due to World War II , but the cycle resumed in 1952. The expression '(Once) every Preston Guild', meaning 'very infrequently', has passed into fairly common use, especially in Lancashire. Guild week is always started by the opening of
8034-589: The period 1971–2000. In October 2014 Preston was officially ranked "the wettest city in England", and third wettest in the UK behind Cardiff and Glasgow . It was also ranked "the gloomiest city in England", as it gets fewer hours of sunshine in a year than any other English city or town. However, in March 2018 the Lancashire Evening Post reported that Preston has lost its "soggy city status" to
8137-536: The population of the City of Preston as Christians, 10% as having no religion, and 8% as Muslims. The Hindu and Sikh populations are smaller at 3% and 0.6% respectively, but in both cases this represents the highest percentage of any local authority area in the North West. 2% of the city's population were born in other EU countries. Though still small in number in Preston, the Latter-day Saints maintain
8240-538: The rapidly expanding town, an example of which, originally installed at Harle Syke Mill, is on display in the Science Museum 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
8343-421: The soldiers and demonstrators represented are facing the wrong way). In the 1850s, Karl Marx visited Preston and later described the town as "the next St Petersburg ". Charles Dickens visited Preston in January 1854 during a strike by cotton workers that had by that stage lasted for 23 weeks. It is believed that the town of "Coketown" in the novel Hard Times was inspired by this visit to Preston. In 1858,
8446-532: 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 L R Harwood, and severely injuring four other men. Although the blackout 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
8549-670: The tallest spire in England on a church that is not a cathedral and the third tallest in the UK. In July 2016, St Ignatius Church in Preston, which had been gifted by the Catholic Diocese of Lancaster to the Syro-Malabar Catholic community, was raised to the status of a cathedral by Pope Francis . It now serves as the seat of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain . There are many notable buildings dotted in and around
8652-440: 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 looms 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 had more than 20,000 members. However,
8755-495: The town as well as Nelson and the Mullard valve factory at Simonstone near Padiham in 1955. There were widespread celebrations in the town in the summer of 1960, when Burnley FC won the old 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
8858-411: The town centre and had a partitioning effect on the districts of Gannow, Ightenhill , Whittlefield, Rose Grove and Lowerhouse to the north. The 1980s and 1990s saw massive expansion of Ightenhill and Whittlefield. Developers such as Bovis , Barratt and Wainhomes built large housing estates , predominantly on greenfield land . In summer 1992, the town came to national attention following rioting on
8961-513: The town from the hills at Crown Point, was installed in 2006. Preston, Lancashire Preston ( / ˈ p r ɛ s t ən / ) is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire , England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding district obtained city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in
9064-498: The town itself. The remaining three – Cliviger with Worsthorne, Gawthorpe, and Hapton with Park, cover the neighbouring town of Padiham and a number of villages. Lancashire County Council is currently controlled by the 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 control. The borough
9167-604: The town landing near the conservatory at Thompson Park on 27 October 1940. In early 1941 a network of five Starfish site bombing decoys were established in the rural areas near Burnley, designed to protect Accrington . A site was located near Crown Point in Habergham Eaves with two on Hameldon Hill , and others in Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood and near Haslingden . On 6 May 1941, a stick of eight bombs straddled houses around Rossendale Avenue on
9270-465: 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 . By 1830, there were 32 steam engines in cotton mills throughout
9373-698: 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 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
9476-497: The town. The building of the coal-powered Electricity Works , 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
9579-579: The west of Burnley lie the towns of Padiham , Accrington and Blackburn , with Nelson and Colne to the north. The centre of the town stands at approximately 387 feet (118 m) above sea level and 30 miles (48 km) east of the Irish Sea coast. Areas in the town include: Burnley Wood , Rose Hill , Healey Wood, Harle Syke , Haggate , Daneshouse, Stoneyholme , Burnley Lane, Heasandford, Brunshaw, Pike Hill, Gannow, Ightenhill , Whittlefield, Rose Grove, Habergham, and Lowerhouse. Although Reedley
9682-485: The whole county. The right to hold a Guild Merchant was conferred by King Henry II upon the burgesses of Preston in a charter of 1179; the associated Preston Guild is a civic celebration held every 20 years, the last being in 2012. It is the only guild still celebrated in the UK. Before 1328, celebrations were held at irregular intervals, but at the guild of that year it was decreed that subsequent guilds should be held every 20 years. After this, there were breaks in
9785-400: The wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire , England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is 21 miles (34 km) north of Manchester and 20 miles (32 km) east of Preston , at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun . The town is located near the countryside to the south and east, with the towns of Padiham and Brierfield to the west and north respectively. It has
9888-588: 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 , 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
9991-541: The year afterwards, the team has not won a championship since and their latest major trophy was the 1938 FA Cup . The demonym for residents of the city is "Prestonian". Preston was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Prestune . Various other spellings occur in early documents: Prestonam (1094), Prestone (1160), Prestona (1160), Presteton (1180), and Prestun (1226). The modern spelling occurs in 1094, 1176, 1196, 1212, and 1332. The town's name
10094-402: Was abolished, and it was incorporated with neighbouring areas into the non-metropolitan district of Burnley . Burnley has three tiers of government: Local government responsibilities are shared by Burnley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council ; at a national level the town gives its name to a seat in the United Kingdom parliament . While the town itself is unparished, the rest of
10197-540: Was designated as part of the Central Lancashire new town in 1970. The climate of Preston is of a temperate maritime type, with a narrow range of temperatures, similar to the rest of the British Isles. Being relatively close to the Irish sea, this is more pronounced than areas to the south and east of Preston. The official Met Office weather station is located at Moor Park, less than 1 mile (1.6 km) north of
10300-443: Was largely rebuilt. Burnley's grammar school 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 , with a population of not more than 2,000 by 1790. It is known that weaving 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
10403-401: Was launched in 1961 was sponsored by the Burnley Building Society around the late 1970s to early 1980s. The tram was emblazoned with an illuminated Burnley Building Society logo on the front and the side and carried a giant rocket that said "Go Up In The World With The Burnley." Attribution: Burnley Burnley ( / ˈ b ɜːr n l i / ) is a town and the administrative centre of
10506-597: Was purchased by the Baptists in 1855. It is a Grade II listed building. The church survives remains active in the community. Preston was the location of the world's first foreign mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormons). As early as 1837 the first Latter-day Saint missionaries to Great Britain began preaching in Preston and, in particular, other small towns situated along
10609-526: Was seen during the Preston Strike of 1842 on Saturday 13 August 1842, when a group of cotton workers demonstrated against the poor conditions in the town's mills. The Riot Act was read and armed troops corralled the demonstrators in front of the Corn Exchange on Lune Street. Shots were fired and four of the demonstrators were killed. A commemorative sculpture now stands on the spot (although
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