108-488: Haslingden / ˈ h æ z l ɪ ŋ d ə n / is a town in Rossendale , Lancashire, England. It is 16 miles (26 km) north of Manchester . The name means 'valley of the hazels' or 'valley growing with hazels'. At the time of the 2011 census the town (including Helmshore ) had a population of 15,969. The town is surrounded by high moorland; 370 m (1215 ft) to the north; 396 m (1300 ft) Cribden to
216-488: A cottage woollen industry developed during the reign of Henry VIII , but Rossendale's population only really expanded during the period of the Industrial Revolution . The population of the area that would become the modern borough of Rossendale was 24,136 in 1801; in 1901 it had grown to 89,540. Its wet and damp climate are ideally suited to the development of watermills, and later to the mechanisation of
324-480: A 'forestaller of the lords market of Haslyngden'. There are later references to markets and fairs in The Shuttleworth Accounts (1582-1621) and the map-maker Richard Blome writing in 1673 describes Haslingden as originally having 'a small Market-town on Wednesdays', and later, at the time of Charles I, the market had been moved to Saturday. The market continued to grow and Haslingden was designated
432-598: A 'free warren' was granted to the Earl of Lincoln in 1294. Work on fencing the Park was completed by 1304–05, with palings being erected. The park, with its 'herbage and agistments' was said to be worth 13s. 4d. in 1311. In 1329 and 1330 it is described as 'Queen Isabel's park of Musbury', and fines were being applied for trespass to, among others, the rector of Bury . Stretches of the ditch enclosure are clearly visible at Grane and Alden valleys, and deer are still occasionally seen in
540-467: A British Landlord. He began working in a cotton mill but at the age of 11 his right arm was entangled in a cogwheel and mangled so badly it had to be amputated. When he recovered from his operation a local benefactor, John Dean, helped to give him an education. He also started night classes at the Mechanics' Institute and used its library. Michael Davitt's family home from 1867 to 1870 on Wilkinson Street
648-431: A Market Town in 1676. It became a coaching station and a significant industrial borough during the Industrial Revolution . Haslingden benefited in particular with the mechanisation of the wool and cotton spinning and weaving industries from the 18th to the 19th centuries, and the development of watermills , and later steam power. By the latter half of the nineteenth century, the diversity and wealth of industry earned
756-524: A boy, GIs camped near the bullock sheds above Great House, just before D-Day , and the practicing with live ammunition in Alden Valley. Local historian Chris Aspin mentions a number of ghost stories relating to Helmshore. The 1860 rail accident (see above) has led to stories of a ghost train whose whistle has been heard in the Snig Hole area. There's another railway story, relating to a murder in
864-518: A community based radio station which broadcast its studios in Rawtenstall on 104.7 FM. The area is served by local newspaper, Lancashire Telegraph . Rossendale is the home to a large community of artists with several painters' studios, many of which are centred on the area around Waterfoot. Rossendale's only traditional theatre is in Bacup. The Royal Court Theatre first opened in 1893 and has
972-568: A considerable number of Asian grocers and other shops. In the 2011 census almost 4% of the Rossendale population identify as Muslim, with the majority of these living in Haslingden. A civil parish was created in 1866 from the township of Haslingden in the ancient parish of Whalley. A local board was formed for the town in 1875 and the district it governed was extended to cover parts of the townships of Henheads, Higher and Lower Booths in
1080-518: A design competition managed by RIBA Competitions which was launched in 2003. It is lit after dark using low-energy LEDs powered by an adjacent wind turbine . It is the fourth Panopticon in Lancashire . It, and the adjacent landscaped area at Top o'Slate, was opened to the public in September 2007, and was designed by John Kennedy of LandLab and engineered by Booth King Partnership. Rossendale
1188-605: A dye works, and the seven-storey, steam-powered Hollin Bank (or Middle Mill) which was built for power looms The area expanded with the opening of the railway in 1848, and new buildings included the Station Hotel and St Thomas's Church (1851/2). One of the new mill owners who contributed to this expansion was William John Porritt (1820-1896), who was born in Ramsbottom. Porritt worked as a young man at Dearden Clough Mill as
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#17328013605361296-469: A footnote to the industrial history of Haslingden. Both were born in Haslingden, and as a young man William showed great skill as an inventor of machinery. The Slubbing Billy, a roving or slubbing machine, which twists and draws out yarn, is named after him. Slubbing Billy is also the name of a North West Morris Team. Father and son eventually left Haslingden and settled in Belgium , where they built up one of
1404-479: A hand-loom weaver and eventually became a cotton merchant. By the standards of the day the Porritts were considered to be good employers. Porritt invested heavily in the new seaside resort of St. Annes , and some of the houses there were built using stone from his Helmshore quarries. He sent workers to see the opening of St. Anne's Pier, organising special trains that ran from Helmshore Station. Porritt mills included
1512-508: A minimum wage was introduced, and through the efforts of reformers, the churches and a few enlightened mill-owners, conditions for factory workers slowly improved. Conditions were still harsh, despite the whole Rossendale area being known as the 'Golden Valley'. No longer dependent on the rivers as a source of energy, the mill owners were freed to build elsewhere, and Haslingden began to find that successful mills, such as Hargreaves Street Mill, could be built on its higher land. The long decline of
1620-489: A relatively complex network of both local and long-distance old tracks crossing the area. The village is dominated by the spectacular flat-topped Musbury Tor , once the centre of the medieval hunting park, or Forest. Either side of the Tor are two valleys: Alden Valley in the south-west and Musbury Valley to the north-west. The 'whole land of Musbury' was granted to John de Lacy (before 1241) by Lewis de Bernavill. A licence for
1728-814: A service from Rawtenstall to Bury via Ramsbottom and Summerseat , and manned by volunteers. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood was opened. In March 2015, it was proposed to reintroduce a rail service between Rawtenstall, Bury and Manchester. This would use the current route of the East Lancashire Heritage Railway. The area is well served by public road transport, with bus services provided mainly by Rosso and Burnley Bus Company . These provide regular services to Burnley , Blackburn , Accrington , Bolton , Bury , Manchester and Rochdale as well as Todmorden and other local destinations. Rossendale contains multiple secondary schools, these are: In addition, there
1836-706: A small rugby union club playing in the lower leagues, but in recent years the club has gained two promotions to take them into Regional 1 North West . Notable players such as Daniel Collins, Dave Wood and Tim Fourie now play at the valley side. The area's only semi-pro non league football team are Bacup Borough F.C. who play their home games at West View and are members of the North West Counties League Division One. The area's other major non league side Rossendale United , who played their home games at nearby Newchurch near Rawtenstall , folded in 2011. The only other semi-pro team from
1944-502: A third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four year term of office. Lancashire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections. The council is based at The Business Centre on Futures Park in Bacup. It was built as commercial offices called the Kingfisher Business Centre in 2003. The council took some office space in
2052-455: A thriving Youth Theatre called The Rossendale Musical Theatre Academy. The theatre and arts centre known as 'The Boo' as well as being a regular venue for family theatre shows, music and a wide range of community arts events, is the home of the Horse and Bamboo Theatre Company who specialise in visual theatre, often using distinctive puppets and masks . The painters and other artists who make up
2160-467: A top secret propellent for aircraft as part of the World War II effort. It was situated at the north of the village, below the reservoirs, on a site that spread across both sides of Holcombe Road. It closed in 1997 and at the time of closure it manufactured cellulose paper, some of which was used in the production of bank notes. The factory was a major contributor to the pollution at that time entering
2268-471: A trackside hut on the disused line between Helmshore and Ramsbottom , close to Irwell Vale . The railway that ran through Helmshore was closed in 1966 as part of the Beeching Axe , but relics of the old railway routes remain in and around the village. The Helmshore viaduct, close to the textile museum, is now a footpath. The Ravenshore viaduct has been vandalised but remains a considerable monument to
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#17328013605362376-457: A young girl murdered by her lover – an event recorded in a Victorian ballad by John Fawcett Skelton but now known to be a murder of a wife by a husband in 1761 that has become replaced by a colourful, but fictional, story. The ballad was commemorated by Bob Frith and Horse and Bamboo Theatre by an event at the site in June 1978, during which a memorial stone carved by Liverpool artist Don McKinlay
2484-551: Is Accrington and Rossendale College , based in Accrington . In terms of television, the area is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada . Television signals are received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Lancashire on 95.5 FM, Heart North West on 105.4 FM, Capital Manchester and Lancashire on 107.0 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire on 96.5 FM, and Rossendale Radio ,
2592-440: Is a specialist arts, maths and computing college . Haslingden Primary School was last inspected by Ofsted on 11 March 2014 and received a grading of 'Good'. Originally Haslingden Mechanics' Institute and opened in 1860, it became the public library in 1905. A blue plaque commemorates Michael Davitt . The young Davitt migrated to Haslingden with his family in 1840 as a result of the family being evicted from their tenant farm by
2700-526: Is a water-powered fulling mill and a 19th-century condenser cotton spinning mill, with working machinery. Built by the Turners in 1789, and rescued from dereliction by Derek Pilkington and Chris Aspin in the 1960s, it is now managed by Lancashire County Council Museums Service and details the changes made in textile technology over the last three hundred years through the use of interactive displays. Mill ponds, weirs, sluice gates and an aqueduct are also part of
2808-449: Is also home to touring theatre company Hard Graft. Established in 1999 Hard Graft found notoriety in the UK touring non theatre venues. Their first tour was with their award-winning comedy Thick As Thieves , touring living rooms throughout the UK. They then toured 56 charity shops with Burt n Joyce turning each shop into a theatre for the evening. Three Rossendale towns have cricket clubs in
2916-575: Is also notable for its quarrying, and Rossendale Flagstone was used widely throughout the country in the 19th century. The flagstones in Trafalgar Square in London were quarried in Rossendale. Upland farming is still carried out, largely of sheep but also of cattle. The history of Rossendale is well documented, largely through the efforts of the historian Chris Aspin, a specialist on the textile industry, and Derek Pilkington, whose efforts led to
3024-485: Is based near Haslingden; a family-run business of specialist black pudding makers, using only traditional methods and with a recipe dating back to 1879. Rawtenstall has Fitzpatricks Herbal Health, this is the last remaining functioning temperance bar in England, that makes and sells its own non-alcoholic drinks, such as sarsaparilla , black beers and blood tonic. The modern district was created on 1 April 1974 under
3132-512: Is home to a unique dancing troupe, the Britannia Coconut Dancers , formed in the mid-19th century, and who traditionally dance along the local roads every Easter. There has been a long tradition of dialect poetry and writing in Rossendale. Local poets have included Andrew Houston ( The Rossendale Bard ), Walter Hargreaves ( Shepster ) and Clifford Heyworth ( Bill o' Bows ). Waugh's Well, above Edenfield and Cowpe , marks
3240-410: Is home to the famous Big Lamp originally erected in 1841 and from where all distances in Haslingden are measured, although the original lamp has been replaced by a replica, the original being lost after being taken to America. Cissy Green's Bakery can be found on Deardengate. People visit from across Lancashire to sample the handmade pies which are still made to the original 1920s recipe. To the north of
3348-510: Is locally known as the 'Top Church' by reason of its dominating position. Murray's 1955 Guide says "it stands well and is plain Georgian, dully Gothicised inside". In 1296 a deed of gift of the Earl of Lincoln to the monks of Stanlaw granted them the parish of Whalley. Haslingden was recorded as being one of Whalley's seven independent chapelries, and was served by two priests. St James's Church
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3456-476: Is now located well to the north of the present town centre, but until the 1930s it stood adjacent to the area known as the 'Top of the Town' - the area between Town Gate and Church Street, and the old centre of Haslingden. This location embraced several public house drinking places, along with the original market, the town stocks, and Marsden Square, where travelling shows pitched their tents. Clearance began in 1932 and
3564-591: Is now marked by a memorial plaque. Amongst the library's collection is an early photograph (c. 1892) of Thomas Frederick Worrall labelled Tom Worrall, artist , whose watercolours included a depiction of the Old White Horse Inn (long demolished). Haslingden was once connected to Accrington and Bury by railway (Rush, 1983). The East Lancashire Railway built a station here, which remained open to passengers under British Railways until 7 November 1960 and to goods until 2 November 1964. The withdrawal of
3672-601: Is part of the Forest of Rossendale , which consists of the steep-sided valleys of the River Irwell and its tributaries, which flow from the Pennines southwards to Manchester and cut through the moorland which is characteristic of the area. It was given the designation of "forest" in medieval times denoting a hunting reserve. The larger settlements grew into market towns, typically through the late Middle Ages . Farming and
3780-473: Is unique; two other, common types of flagstone ('rough rocks') are found throughout the Pennines, but a third type is found only in the local Haslingden Flags. Like much of East Lancashire, Haslingden has a long association with the textile industry. From the 16th century, after the old Forest of Rossendale was opened up to settlement, farmers raised sheep on the moorlands and made woollen cloth. Initially this
3888-698: The Lancashire League – Bacup, Haslingden and Rawtenstall. The overseas professionals who are associated with the League have therefore often lived in the Rossendale Valley. For example, Everton Weekes was long associated with Bacup; Clive Lloyd with Haslingden. Edenfield Cricket Club are also associated with the Lancashire League but only participate in the leagues T/20 competition. Rossendale rugby club for many years had been
3996-488: The Local Government Act 1972 , covering the whole area of four former districts and part of a fifth, which were abolished at the same time: The new district was named Rossendale, referring both to the Rossendale Valley and to the associated medieval Forest of Rossendale which had covered a similar area. The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take
4104-665: The Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (1859) and 'various other nonconformist churches', largely built in the early 19th century. St Stephen's, Grane, has a particularly interesting history. The construction of the Ogden Reservoir (which opened in 1912) led to almost total depopulation of the community of Grane. St Stephen's remained in use, with most of the villagers having moved to Haslingden town. In 1925 they decided to move
4212-550: The Rossendale Valley , the upper part of the River Irwell . The neighbouring districts are Burnley , Hyndburn , Blackburn with Darwen , Bury , Bolton and Calderdale . The name Rossendale is first recorded in 1292. A record of the name as Rocendal (1242) suggests Celtic ros "moor, heath", with Old Norse dalr "dale, valley ", hence moor valley i.e. the valley of the River Irwell . Rossendale
4320-545: The West Lancashire Football League (Haslingden St Mary's), East Lancashire League (Stacksteads St Joseph's, Water FC), Lancashire Amateur League (Rossendale FC, Whitworth Valley, Valley United). The popular comedy series, The League of Gentlemen , is apparently based upon Rossendale (and perhaps Bacup in particular), playing upon stereotypes and exaggerations of the area. Subsequently, the producers filmed in various northern towns, one of which
4428-552: The West Pennine Moors . Plans were made in 2007 to build a wind farm consisting of twelve wind turbines on the moors. This attracted both support and opposition, but the plan was approved by councillors in 2010. Further developments have yet to take place, and the plan remains controversial. The nearby Snighole ( eel-hole ) in Helmshore is a well-known beauty spot. The Grane Valley including three reservoirs to
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4536-515: The 1930s various eastern European refugees fleeing Nazi persecution settled in the area. Immediately after World War II young women from Germany were brought over to work in the mills, and a few came to Haslingden and stayed. From 1950 onwards migrants were encouraged to travel from Commonwealth countries to work in the post-war textile industry. Initially this tended to mean young men who travelled from Pakistan, and later Bangladesh , fully expecting to return home after building up their savings. But by
4644-667: The 1970s with the building of a large number of new estates, and infill, often for commuters to Manchester. Helmshore was the site of the 2016 murder of businesswoman Sadie Hartley . In 2001 the American musical group The Factory Incident released an EP entitled Helmshore . Karl Hill, one of the guitarists, named it as a tribute to his late mother, Joyce Bargh Hill, who was born in Haslingden and raised in Helmshore. Originally Higher Mill, Helmshore Mills Textile Museum
4752-548: The 1970s, many were joined by wives and families and settled permanently in Haslingden. As a result, the town is now home to a substantial and vibrant community of people with a South Asian heritage, mainly Bangladeshi and Pakistani. Many of the families come from just a few villages: from the Attock and Mirpur areas of north-west Pakistan, and from Patli Union in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The town now houses two mosques and
4860-481: The B6235, 16 miles (26 km) north of Manchester . The population at the 2011 census was 5,805. The housing in Helmshore is mixed, with some two-up, two-down terraces, top-and-bottom houses and a few surviving back-to-back cottages. Between the 1970s and 2020 new housing estates have proliferated. The area around Helmshore is moorland. Post- Ice Age this would have been forested, and bog oak can still be found on
4968-572: The BBC TV series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates during the 1990s. The 1980's BBC drama series Juliet Bravo was filmed in Rossendale with the exterior of Bacup police station serving as the fictional Hartley police station. During autumn 2008 areas around Rossendale were used in the filming of the BBC TV series Survivors including the Airtours site and other sites in Helmshore and Bank Street in Rawtenstall . In 2012 Rossendale featured on
5076-715: The Clitheroe court rolls of 1547, and the plague stone may have been placed at the base of the cross, which would date the stone to the 16th century at the latest. Beside the Memorial Gardens, the Manchester Road Methodist Church is a classic building with an Italian-inspired interior. Murray's Guide also mentions St Thomas, Helmshore (1851); St Stephen, Grane (1867); St John the Baptist, Stonefold (1885); St Peter, Laneside (1893) and
5184-600: The Commission's Comprehensive Performance Assessment it was listed as the worst performing district council in the country. By 2009 Rossendale Council was described as 'performing well' by the Audit Commission, with a rating of three out of four stars. Haslingden's Anglican parish church, dedicated to St James the Great , was rebuilt in 1780 on a site occupied by a church building since at least 1284. The church
5292-499: The Council introduced a 12-seater 'Whippet', which turned round at Woodbank. The driver issued the tickets, making it one of the world's earliest one-man operated bus services. On 25 September 1916 a 179m-long German military Zeppelin airship flew over Helmshore on a bombing mission. It was probably following the railway, attempting to inflict damage on the transport system. One bomb dropped near Clod Lane, Haslingden , where there
5400-524: The Haslingden Technical Instruction Committee. The test was set by Henry Holman, a schools inspector and educationalist, in 1903. It included questions like 'is there a good reason for making a pie crust ornamental instead of plan?'. Mather introduced apprentice schemes at his factories which used testing as part of the selection method. He also introduced a 48-hour working week for employees. Haslingden High School
5508-534: The ITV reality television series May the Best House Win featuring former Rossendale Radio DJ Si Carvell. Local radio station Rossendale Radio broadcast throughout the valley from 2010, before shutting down on 5 March 2012 due to financial difficulties. It then re-launched on 22 December 2018. The Rossendale Male Voice Choir formed in the valley in 1924. In the 2001 census the population of Rossendale
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#17328013605365616-641: The River Ogden. Despite this the area at the eastern end of the works was a wetland known as The Flash, and was a breeding area for Little Ringed Plover . There was a major railway accident in Helmshore in September 1860. There were eleven lives lost and 77 people were injured. The accident happened on the line between Snig Hole and the Ogden Viaduct, both local beauty spots, 400 yards from Helmshore station . About 3,000 people had gone from East Lancashire on three excursion trains to Salford to visit
5724-670: The Rossendale area are Ramsbottom United who play in the Northern Premier League Division One North . Previously there had been Haslingden F.C. , playing at Ewood Bridge, on the outskirts of Haslingden, until they folded in 1998. Their ground was later used briefly by Stand Athletic F.C. before they vacated and moved back to Whitefield in Greater Manchester. Other clubs around the Rossendale area are all from Step 7 (Level 11) and below, and so playing in various leagues at this level –
5832-408: The UK during the 1960s. The West Pennine Way guide mentions that American GIs set up camp on the flat top of Musbury Tor to practice paratroop drops and field exercises with live ammunition before D-Day. In 'The Helmshore Historian', published by Helmshore Local History Society during the 1960s, Aspin mentions American paratroopers landing on Bull Hill in the autumn of 1941. He also mentions seeing, as
5940-454: The age of 12. He was eventually offered a Chateau in Seraing which then became the heart of Belgium's iron, steel and machine-building industries. He is considered to be the founder of Belgian manufacturing and was known as a humanitarian employer. In the 19th century when the cotton industry was thriving, the town became a magnet for immigrants to Britain. In particular the port of Liverpool
6048-399: The area is now largely occupied by recently built housing. By the west side of the parish church entrance is a large plague stone , with two carved holes. There is some uncertainty about its exact purpose, but most opinion is that such stones were used in times of plague to enable food (or other alms) to be offered to plague victims while avoiding direct contact. A Saxon Cross is mentioned in
6156-551: The area of Haslingden. Thirteen Stones Hill is 2 km (1.2 mi) west of the town and probably dates from about 3000BC. There is now just one stone visible. Part of what is now Haslingden, along with the neighbouring towns of Rawtenstall and beyond that Bacup were part of the Forest of Rossendale , part of the Forest of Blackburnshire. The Forest was a hunting park during the late 13th and 14th centuries; 'Forest' referred to it being parkland rather than being heavily wooded, as
6264-423: The area the name 'The Golden Valley'. In the 20th century the population declined from 19,000 in the 1911 census to 15,000 in the 1971 census. The 2001 census recorded a population of 16,849 living in the town. Haslingden is notable for its stone quarrying, and Haslingden Flag (a quartz-based sandstone ) was distributed throughout the country in the 19th century with the opening up of the rail network. This stone
6372-549: The area. There are several current placenames identifying the Park. One of the main early tracks that passed through Helmshore was a route from the south (by the Pilgrim's Cross which was in existence in AD 1176) on Holcombe Moor, and then goes through Haslingden on its way to Whalley . This also connected with Watling Street at Affetside , and a well-established way from Bolton to Rossendale. In Anglo-Saxon times, Whalley church
6480-404: The attractions at Belle Vue Gardens. The second train with about 1,000 passengers and 31 carriages got to Helmshore Station where it stopped to let out some passengers. "When the guard released the brakes there was a jerk and 16 carriages broke away from the train and started sliding down the line between Helmshore and Ramsbottom . Mr Shaw, the superintendent, saw what had happened and unhooked
6588-519: The borough forms part of the Accrington/Rossendale built-up area which extends into the neighbouring borough of Hyndburn . The Accrington/Rossendale built-up area extends from the towns of Rawtenstall and Bacup to Accrington which takes in parts of the boroughs of Hyndburn and Rossendale. The urban area was recorded at having a population of 125,059. Whitworth is the only civil parish in Rossendale. The parish council has declared
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#17328013605366696-581: The building before creating a council chamber there in 2009 and consolidating its functions at the site. Prior to 2009 the council was based at Rawtenstall Town Hall at the corner of Bacup Road and Lord Street. It had been built in 1876 as the "Exchange Club" and was subsequently acquired in 1890 by the Rawtenstall Local Board (predecessor of the Rawtenstall Borough Council) for use as its offices. The building
6804-521: The centrepiece of a reclaimed landscape. It glows at night with an impressive viewpoint. Borough of Rossendale Rossendale ( / ˈ r ɒ z ən d eɪ l / ) is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire , England. Its council is based in Bacup and its largest town is Rawtenstall . It also includes the towns of Haslingden and Whitworth . The borough is named after
6912-546: The church stone by stone to a new site, two miles away at Three Lanes End, near Holden Cemetery. The church building is now an antiques centre and cafe. The Public Hall was opened in 1868 and built by a private company formed by 'gentlemen representing the working classes and temperance movement '. It was bought by the town council in 1898 but by the 1990s it was largely unused except for occasional entertainments. The hall had been used for 50 or more years by Rossendale Amateur Operatic Society and other local community groups, but it
7020-405: The community. Helmshore became a mill workers' settlement, comprising an extensive area of woollen and cotton mills and associated workers' housing built along the valley of the River Ogden. The Turner family first established the settlement, buying land in 1789 and building Higher Mill as a woollen fulling mill powered by two water wheels; later replaced by the one still in existence (now part of
7128-702: The cotton industry began in the early years of the 20th century. During the First World War, India and Japan were able to develop their own industries, and after the Second World War, immigration - mainly from Pakistan - was encouraged to help bolster a failing industry. But by the 1950s, mills were closing at an ever-faster rate. The old buildings often re-occupied by small businesses specialising in other occupations. William Cockerill (1759-1832) and his son John Cockerill (1790-1840), along with other family members, both sons and daughters, are worth
7236-511: The council has been as follows: The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Rossendale. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 2004 have been: Following the 2024 election the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2026. Since the last boundary changes in 2024 the council has comprised 30 councillors representing 10 wards , with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four with
7344-473: The east; 418 m (1372 ft) Bull Hill to the south. Haslingden is the birthplace of the industrialist John Cockerill (1790–1840) and the composer Alan Rawsthorne (1905–1971), and was the home for many years of the Irish Republican leader, Michael Davitt (1846–1906). Haslingden Cricket Club is a member of the Lancashire League . There is some evidence of Bronze Age human presence in
7452-445: The engine from the train in order to go down the other line to warn the third train, but unfortunately he was too late. The carriages had already run 400 yards down the line and collided with the oncoming train." One of the world's first municipal bus services linked Helmshore to Haslingden in 1907. The 18-seat Leyland bus was operated by Haslingden Council. It made 14 daily trips with a top speed of 16 mph (26 km/h). In 1919
7560-462: The farming areas – indeed most mill-owners were also farmers. But by the latter half of the 19th century these mills became redundant and industry expanded enormously as mill owners such as the Turner family built terraced dwellings to house the workforce necessary to run their cotton mills close to the roads and railways. During this period Helmshore gradually superseded Musbury as the main name for
7668-655: The flat peatland tops over 250 metres high. The forest declined in the Neolithic period, and largely disappeared during the Bronze Age , mainly as a result of climatic change although hastened by human activity. There is some evidence of human habitation in the area during the Neolithic period: stone implements found on Bull Hill and in the Musbury valley, and the stones at Thirteen Stone Hill near Grane , and there are
7776-403: The forest declined much earlier, during the Neolithic period. The Forest of Rossendale contained eleven vaccaries (cow-pastures) and was poorly populated, with Haslingden being the only town of significance and with a church. Haslingden appears to have held markets during the sixteenth century, with the first reference in a Court Roll of 1555 where it records a John Radcliffe being fined for being
7884-550: The historian Mark Fletcher, in an article 'So Who Were the Medieval Pilgrims?' questioned this theory, and suggested the perhaps rather more plausible alternative that these 'pilgrims routes' were actually used by drovers, moving livestock from grazing areas to markets. To the south on the old pilgrim road is Robin Hood's Well, and above that is a cairn and memorial stone in memory of Ellen Strange, generally believed to be
7992-680: The largest industrial and machinery complexes in mainland Europe . It is said that they instituted the spread of the Industrial Revolution in continental Europe. See John Cockerill (company) . William's beginning are obscure, although it is likely that he worked as a blacksmith in Haslingden before travelling to St. Petersburg , Sweden , and finally to Verviers , near Liège in Belgium. Here he set up spinning and carding machines with his sons Willam, Charles James, and John. John had also been born in Haslingden but moved to Vervier at
8100-675: The major studios within the valley – Globe Arts, Prospect Studio, Valley Artists – along with the Boo, the Whitaker, Apna Rossendale, and individual artists now work together to open their studios and premises each year at the Rossendale Art Trail Open Studios weekend in late summer. The first part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail runs from Deerplay, above Bacup, to Stubbins. The actress Jane Horrocks
8208-466: The mill-owning classes. There was large-scale immigration from Ireland to find work building the railways and in the mills, which led to several instances of serious civil disturbances between the two communities. Michael Davitt , the Irish republican leader was among these immigrants, settling in Haslingden, where he received his education after losing an arm at the age of 11 in a mill accident. The area
8316-400: The museum as well as a 19th-century working waterwheel, fulling stocks and other machinery associated with the finishing of woollen cloth, an original Arkwright water frame , and a Hargreaves Spinning Jenny . It also houses a museum and bookshop selling, among other things, books on local textile history. In 1856 Joseph Porritt established Sunnybank Mill, an enormous mill that once housed
8424-437: The museum). One of the next generation of the family, William Turner (1793-1852) added a larger wool carding and spinning mill, which was steam-powered, in the 1820s. Its chimney is still standing on the opposite hill-side. After a fire in the 1860s the mill was rebuilt, and was later sold to Lawrence Whitaker and his sons in the 1920s. Flaxmoss House on Campion Drive was built as the Turners' residence. Turners also built Tan Pits,
8532-505: The parish of Whalley, and Musbury and part of Tottington in the ancient parish of Bury. Subsequently, Haslingden was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1891 and in 1894 the civil parish was extended to match the borders of the borough. Following the local government reorganisation in 1974 Haslingden became part of the Borough of Rossendale . In 2005 the Audit Commission rated Rossendale District Council performance as 'poor', and in
8640-459: The parish to be a town, allowing it to take the style "town council". The rest of the borough is an unparished area . For notable past residents see individual towns and villages Rossendale Borough Council is twinned with: Helmshore Helmshore ( / h ɛ l m ˈ ʃ ɔːr / ) is a village in the Rossendale Valley , Lancashire , England, south of Haslingden between the A56 and
8748-445: The passenger service was therefore not a victim of Dr. Beeching . The Bury – Accrington line itself remained in use until December 1966. Much of the trackbed of the railway is no longer visible, with the A56 by-pass built over it between Grane Road and Blackburn Road, however, the line can still be traced through Helmshore towards Stubbins where several magnificent viaducts still remain. The East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society
8856-483: The power-looms that were seen to be the cause of the decline in status of the workforce. In 1826 almost 3,000 people were reported as 'attacking machinery' in Haslingden. A troop of cavalry was stationed in the vicinity, and ring-leaders were arrested. It was reported from Haslingden in the same year, 1826, that 'a great majority of the unemployed must literally perish from extreme want'. By the 1850 steam power began to supersede water power, and mills grew in size. Grudgingly
8964-444: The preservation of Higher Mill in Helmshore, now Helmshore Mills Textile Museum . The Whitworth Doctors were local surgeons and bone setters in the late 1700s and early 1800s whose reputation spread far and wide, so that they treated patients from throughout the country. In 1819 William Hewitt described them as "the most remarkable men of their class that ever appeared in England". R.S. Ireland (The Real Lancashire Black Pudding Co.)
9072-569: The railway heritage. Remedial work has been done during 2018/19 to the viaducts relating to Sustrans cycle route, known as 'The Scenic Route Branch Line', part the National Cycle Network Route 6. It links Accrington down through Rossendale via Haslingden and Helmshore to Ramsbottom . As part of this work the Snig Hole/Ravenshore footpath has been upgraded. Helmshore has had a second major expansion since
9180-447: The river valleys, such as at nearby Helmshore . The long association with wool meant that Haslingden and the other Rossendale towns had expertise with the processes of cloth production, and so were able to switch easily to cotton weaving. Cotton was better suited than wool to industrialised spinning as its fibres were less likely to break than wool. Cotton cloth manufacture quickly became a highly successful industry, and its development
9288-517: The spot where Edwin Waugh wrote many of his poems, and is a favourite spot for walkers – a popular activity in Rossendale that does not appear to be in decline. The Halo is an artwork in the form of an 18m-diameter steel lattice structure supported on a tripod overlooking Haslingden, positioned to be clearly visible from the M66 and A56 approach to Lancashire. Designed by John Kennedy and selected as part of
9396-475: The title of mayor. Rossendale Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council . Whitworth is also a civil parish , which forms a third tier of local government in that part of the borough. The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of
9504-478: The town is the Holland's Pies factory, and Winfield's, a large warehouse-style retail development selling footwear and clothing, and promoting itself as a family day out. Haslingden's War Memorial is unusual in that it has no names recorded on it. To the northeast there is a 2 kW digital television transmitter serving a wide area. Chris Aspin writes of the haunting of Tor View, a house no longer standing that
9612-481: The water-powered Bridge End Mill and the huge Sunnybank Mill, which at one time was reputed to have the longest loom in the world. Their mills were famous for industrial felts, some of which were used in the production of bank notes. In 1922 Porritt donated the Memorial Gardens with its clock-tower to the village. Holden Wood Manufacturing Company, know locally as the Bleach Works, and earlier as Nobels, produced
9720-472: The west of the town is popular with walkers. Victoria Park has a bowling green , children's playground , skateboard park and ball court. The top of the park affords views of Musbury Hill. The Panopticons competition was launched in May 2003 by RIBA Competitions organised by Mid-Pennine Arts. The Halo artwork designed by John Kennedy was selected and opened in 2007 and is sited in the hills above Haslingden as
9828-457: The wool and cotton spinning and weaving industries in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the middle of the 19th century a felt industry developed, and from this the manufacturing of slippers so that footwear also became a major employer in the area. The area became one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution , and was known as 'The Golden Valley'. There was great hardship among working people during this time, but many fortunes were made among
9936-534: The world's largest spinning mules. The other main Helmshore mill dynasty were the Whittakers, one of whose mills makes up part of the Textile Museum. Every year, an athletics race takes place in Helmshore – The Musbury Tor Mile. The race was first run in 1911, and may have an even older ancestry. Originally the runners ran to, and around, Big Nor, a large stone at the tip of Musbury Tor, and back, but it
10044-416: Was 65,652, spread between the towns of Bacup , Haslingden , Whitworth and Rawtenstall ; the villages of Crawshawbooth , Edenfield , Helmshore and Waterfoot ; and as well as Britannia , Broadclough , Chatterton , Cloughfold , Cowpe , Irwell Vale , Loveclough , Newchurch , Shawforth , Stacksteads , Stubbins , Turn and Weir . The population at the 2011 Census had risen to 67,922. Much of
10152-409: Was Bacup itself, which Jeremy Dyson (writer) and Steve Pemberton (actor) proclaimed, "Bacup was the furthest we went into Lancashire. Bacup was our hot favourite, but it was too frightening – when we arrived there was this cartoon drunk with a bottle shaking his fist at us. Bacup in real life was worse than Royston Vasey ". Various towns within the Rossendale Valley were used for filming scenes of
10260-546: Was a gateway for waves of immigrants, and many of these were attracted by work in the mills. From the late 1840s a large influx of Irish immigrants forced out of Ireland by the Great Famine of 1846–1852, came to Lancashire and some ended up in Haslingden. At almost the same time, as a result of the political instability in Italy, Italians came to Liverpool and Manchester and a few families moved on to Haslingden. Similarly, in
10368-570: Was a gun cotton factory. Ewood Bridge station was destroyed by bombs and, after passing over Helmshore, the Zeppelin flew on to Holcombe where it did further damage. The biggest poultry supplier in Britain during the war was Rodwells, who had a large poultry operation between Irongate and Kenyon Clough off Holcombe Road, to the south of Helmshore. By post-war standards it was fairly small, but large-scale poultry production only started elsewhere in
10476-487: Was a temporary hospital for the survivors of the Accrington Pals who were sent home for treatment. The Wesleyan School, formerly on the site of the current health centre , was the site of the first experiment in the world at a standardised intelligence test . It followed from a suggestion by the industrialist and Liberal politician Sir William Mather in 1900, given after a prize-giving to students to members of
10584-518: Was an important Minster and the mother church of an enormous parish. Later, in the medieval period, several chapels-of-ease were attached to Whalley church for the 'ease' of the scattered population providing access to the Mass and the sacraments. After the move made by the Cistercian monks of Stanlow to Whalley at the end of the 13th century, traffic would have increased along this route. In April 2020
10692-674: Was born in Rawtenstall, Rossendale, and the composer Alan Rawsthorne was born in Haslingden. Betty Jackson , the fashion designer, is a native of Bacup. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Larks of Dean were an unusual group of working class musicians whose music-making at the Baptist Chapel in Goodshaw Fold became an important local feature. There is also a brass band tradition as well as an amateur theatre scene. There
10800-525: Was closely associated with its role in the expansion of the slave trade . African slaves being bartered for cotton goods, and cotton being picked by slaves in the Deep South of the U.S. The growth of mills also had an enormous impact on the landscape, and on the lives of its work force. Cotton weaving in the new factories was largely unregulated, and the workforce kept almost at starvation levels. Hunger drove men and women to fight back, and mobs attacked
10908-568: Was finally closed by Rossendale Council in 2005. The hall has since been sold by the council to a group representing the Asian heritage community and is in the process of being turned into a mosque . The hall was once a venue of Winston Churchill during his early political career. Emmeline Pankhurst once addressed the people of Haslingden from the stage and, after the Battle of the Somme in 1916, it
11016-602: Was later extended into the offices of an adjoining tramway depot. The borough is linked by the motorway network to Manchester, Burnley and Blackburn via the A56 / M65 and M66 motorways. There was once a rail link south to Manchester via Bury, but this was closed in 1966 as part of cuts following the Beeching Report . Part of the old railway reopened in 1991 as the East Lancashire Railway operating
11124-570: Was once over 40 bands in and around Rossendale, including the Irwell Springs Band whose fame was at a peak at the turn of the 19th century. There are currently the Haslingden and Helmshore Band, Rossendale Encore Concert Band, Goodshaw Band, Stacksteads Band, Water Band, 2nd Rossendale Scout Group Band, Whitworth Vale & Healey Band, Whitworth Youth Band, Haslingden Concert Band and the Whitworth Veterans' Band. Rossendale
11232-617: Was originally established at Helmshore Station in the mid 1960s with the aim of reopening the railway line to Stubbins, the project was abandoned with the organisation relocating to Bury in the 1970s and eventually reopening the Rawtenstall to Bury line. The nearest National Rail station is 4 miles away, in Accrington. A regular service from Rawtenstall to Manchester has been proposed, using the Heritage East Lancashire Railway terminus station. The town centre
11340-498: Was situated behind the Rose & Crown pub on Manchester Road. Young Emma Walton died in the 1840s after a tragic love affair. This story was reported in 1956 by Joseph Braddock in his book Haunted Houses , where the author claimed to have had first-hand experiences of the ghost. There is an extensive area of moorland to the west of Haslingden. These moors are divided into Oswaldtwistle Moor and Haslingden Moor. The area forms part of
11448-426: Was small-scale and local but towards the end of the 18th century cloth workers came together to work in small groups of houses. At the same time advances in technology meant that the first mills were appearing in the area. Most of these were small, water-powered buildings; and Haslingden, with its elevated situation, was not a natural place for the development of these early mills. Locally they were situated lower down in
11556-457: Was unveiled. These routes fell into disuse for anything other than foot traffic after the turnpike improvements of the 19th century. Helmshore owes its development to a damp climate that was ideally suited to the development of the wool , cotton and linen industries. During the early part of the Industrial Revolution , from the 1790s on, small mills were built on the river valleys, such as Alden Valley where there are still ruins, close to
11664-412: Was used in the paving of London, including Trafalgar Square . Flagstone is a type of sedimentary rock, relatively easy to split or quarry in slabs, and hence ideal for paving. Locally it is also used for making fences and roofing. Geologists have found that it has a hardness and silica content not unlike granite, and its presence was the main reason for the growth of quarrying in Rossendale. Haslingden Flag
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