Travel Burnley Map

Travel to Burnley Map

Burnley tourist guide map of landmarks & destinations by Walkfo

Burnley history

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Toponomy

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) and Brunleye (1294)

Origins

Stone Age flint tools and weapons have been found on the moors around the town, as have numerous tumuli, stone circles, and some hill forts . Limited coin finds indicate a Roman presence, but no evidence of a settlement has been found in the town . In 1122, a charter granted the church of Burnley to the monks of Pontefract Abbey .

Industrial Revolution

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 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 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 & 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 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 the town with the completion of Burnley Barracks in 1820. Disaster struck the town in 1824, when first its only local bank (known as Holgate’s) 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 others, leading to high levels of unemployment and possibly contributing to the national financial crisis of 1825. By 1830, there were 32 steam engines in cotton mills throughout the rapidly expanding town, an example of which, originally installed at Harle Syke Mill, is on display in the Science Museum in London. Around 1840, a traveller described the town as ugly, stating that: “parts of it were so situated that good architectural effects might have been obtained had the disposition and the resources co-existed”. The Great Famine of Ireland led to an influx of Irish families during the 1840s, who formed a community in one of the poorest districts. At one time, the Park District (modern-day town centre, around Parker St.) was known as Irish Park. In 1848, the East Lancashire Railway Company’s extension from Accrington linked the town to the nation’s nascent railway network for the first time. This was another significant boost to the local economy and, by 1851, the town’s population had reached almost 21,000. The Burnley Building Society, incorporated in Burnley in 1850, was, by 1911, not only ‘by far the largest in the County of Lancashire… but the sixth in magnitude in the kingdom’. The Cotton Famine 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 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 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 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, 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.

World Wars

Over 4000 men from Burnley were killed in the First World War, about 15 per cent of the male working-age population . 250 volunteers, known as the Burnley Pals, made up Z Company of 11th Battalion, the East Lancashire Regiment . 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 chief constable) Alfred Victor Smith .

Post-Second World War

The Queen, together with Prince Philip, first visited 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 town’s largest coal mine, Bank Hall Colliery, closed in April 1971 resulting in the loss of 571 jobs . In the 1980s and 1990s saw massive expansion of Ightenhill and Whittlefield .

  

Burnley map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore

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Tourist Guide to Burnley Map

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