Discover Blackburn, Lancashire

Blackburn, Lancashire: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blackburn_Lancashire_Townscape.jpg
Author: Beejaypii


Blackburn is a major town in Lancashire, England. It is 43 km (27 mi) to the northwest of downtown Manchester, on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, and to the north of the West Pennine Moors. The town has a population of 110,000 people (2012 estimate). It is the administrative center for the unitary authority area of Blackburn with Darwen.

The history of Blackburn goes back to at least the Anglo-Saxon period. It was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Blacheborne. Archaeological excavation reveals that the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and Roman presence is also noted. Christianity arrived in Blackburn at the end of the 6th century.

Blackburn is renowned through the medieval period as a center for producing textile. In the early stage, wool was woven into cloth as a form of cottage industry. A style of cloth in blue and white became known as Blackburn checks. The production of textile was industrialized in the 18th century, and by the 19th, Blackburn was developing into the weaving capital of the world.

Daisyfield Cornmill, Blackburn: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daisyfield_cornmill,_Blackburn_-_geograph.org.uk_-_963066.jpg
Author: Chris Allen
Warning signs that Blackburn was becoming overdependent on the cotton industry was sounded as early as 1890. Nonetheless the 20th century saw a decline of the industry, pulling the town along with it. This was particularly acute during the First World War, when the local cotton industry suffered from cheaper cotton from India. The downward slide was briefly checked during the post World War II years, from 1948 to 1950, after which the industry continued to decline and mills faced closures.

Today the character of Blackburn has been altered by a wave of Asian immigrants, the first influx arriving in 1948. It has a modern town center. The main shopping mall is The Mall Blackburn, formerly known as Blackburn Shopping Centre.

The Postal Order, formerly a post office but today a pub: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Postal_Order,_Blackburn_-_geograph.org.uk_-_630923.jpg
Author: Alexander P Kapp

Visiting Blackburn

From Manchester, take the M60 motorway to Junction 15, then continue a short distance on the M61 motorway till Exit 2. Head north on the A666 road till you arrive in Blackburn.

Places of Interest in Blackburn

Blackburn Town Hall: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blackburn_Town_Hall_(old).jpg
Author: Alexander P Kapp


Blackburn Technical School: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blackburn_Technical_School_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1443956.jpg
Author: robert wade


Blackburn Cathedral, interior: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior,_The_Cathedral_Church_of_St_Mary_the_Virgin,_Blackburn_-_geograph.org.uk_-_452380.jpg
Author: Alexander P Kapp

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.