Visit Burnley Places

Welcome to Visit Burnley Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Burnley

  

Burnley Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Burnley

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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 landmarks

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

The Straight Mile was built between 1796 and 1801 (before the invention of the steam shovel) to avoid the need for locks . It is regarded as one of the original seven wonders of the British waterways . The much more modern (1980) Whittlefield motorway aqueduct is believed to be the first .

Weavers’ Triangle

The Weavers’ Triangle is mostly of 19th-century industrial buildings, clustered around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal . The area has been identified as being of significant historical interest as the cotton mills and associated buildings encapsulate the social and economic development of Burnley .

Singing Ringing Tree

The Singing Ringing Tree is a wind powered sound sculpture set in the landscape of the Pennines, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Burnley town centre . It is part of the Panopticons arts and regeneration project created by the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network .

Towneley Hall

Towneley Hall was the home of the Towneleys family for more than 500 years . Various family members were influential in scientific, technological and religious developments . The hall contains the 15th-century Whalley Abbey vestments and has its own chapel .

Burnley geography / climate

The town lies in a natural three-forked valley at the confluence of the River Brun and the River Calder. The centre of the town stands at approximately 387 feet (118 m) above sea level. To the west of Burnley lie the towns of Padiham, Accrington and Blackburn, with Nelson and Colne to the north.

You can visit Burnley places with Walkfo Burnley to hear history at Burnley’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Burnley has 48 places to visit in our interactive Burnley map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Burnley, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Burnley places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Burnley & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 48 audio facts unique to Burnley places in an interactive Burnley map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Burnley Places Map
48 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Burnley historic spots	Burnley tourist destinations	Burnley plaques	Burnley geographic features
Walkfo Burnley tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Burnley

  

Best Burnley places to visit

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Burnley has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Burnley’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Burnley’s information audio spots:

Church of St Mary of the Assumption, Burnley The Church of St Mary of the Assumption is in Yorkshire Street, Burnley, Lancashire . It was built between 1846 and 1849 to replace a smaller chapel on a different site . The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building .

Burnley Embankment The Burnley Embankment carries the Leeds and Liverpool Canal across the Calder and Brun valleys in Burnley, Lancashire . Also known as the Straight Mile, the embankment is 1,256 yards (0.714 mi; 1.148 km) long .

Burnley power station Burnley power station supplied electricity to the town of Burnley, Lancashire from 1893 to 1958 . The electricity station was owned and operated by Burnley Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948 .

St Peter’s Church, Burnley St Peter’s Church is an Anglican church in Burnley, Lancashire . It is an active parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn and the archdeaconry of Blackburn . The oldest part of the church dates from the 15th century, and there are several later additions and restorations .

Burnley Town Hall Burnley Town Hall is a municipal building in Manchester Road, Burnley, Lancashire . It is the headquarters of Burnley Borough Council . The town hall is a Grade II listed building .

Towneley Park Towneley Park is owned and managed by Burnley Borough Council . It is the largest and most popular park in Burnley, Lancashire . The main entrance to the park is within a mile of the town centre . The park extends to the south east, covering an area of some 180 hectares .

Towneley Colliery Towneley Colliery was a coal mine on the Burnley Coalfield in Burnley, Lancashire, England . Sunk in the late 1860s, it was linked by a tramway to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal . The colliery was nationalised in 1947 and closed in 1949 .

St Andrew’s Church, Burnley St Andrew’s Church is in Colne Road, Burnley, Lancashire, England . It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Burnley and archdeaconry of Blackburn . The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building .

Holy Trinity Church, Burnley Holy Trinity Church is in Accrington Road, Burnley, Lancashire . It is a redundant Anglican parish church . The church was extended in 1871–72, but closed in 1990, and has been converted into flats .

Burnley Barracks Burnley Barracks was a military installation at Burnley in Lancashire . Built for cavalry, but later used for infantry and storage . Military activities at the barracks declined in the late 19th century .

Visit Burnley plaques