Accrington is a town in the

Hyndburn Hyndburn is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington and covers the outlying towns of Clayton-le-Moors, Great Ha ...

borough of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, England. It lies about east of

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...

, west of

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston, at the confluence of the River C ...

, east of Preston, north of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

and is situated on the culverted

River Hyndburn The River Hyndburn is a minor river in Lancashire, England. Beginning as Woodnook Water on the slopes of Goodshaw Hill, it passes through Stone Fold, Rising Bridge and Baxenden where it is augmented by streams from Thirteen Stone Hill and conti ...

. Commonly abbreviated by locals to "Accy", the town has a population of 35,456 according to the 2011 census. Accrington is a former centre of the cotton and textile machinery industries. The town is famed for manufacturing the hardest and densest building bricks in the world, "The Accrington NORI" (iron), which were used in the construction of the Empire State Building and for the foundations of

Blackpool Tower Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in ...

; famous for

Accrington Stanley F.C. Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete histor ...

and the

Haworth Art Gallery The Haworth Art Gallery is a public art gallery"Haworth Art Gallery"
on the website of the

Tiffany glass Tiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios in New York City, by Louis Comfort Tiffany and a team of other designers, including Clara Driscoll, Agnes F. Northrop, an ...

History

Origin of the name

The name Accrington appears to be Anglo-Saxon in origin. The earliest citing appears in the Parish of Whalley records of 850; where it is written ''Akeringastun''. In later records, the name variously appears as ''Akarinton'' in 1194; ''Akerunton'', ''Akerinton'' and ''Akerynton'' in 1258; ''Acrinton'' in 1292; ''Ackryngton'' in 1311 and ''Acryngton'' in 1324. The name may mean ''acorn farmstead'' from Anglo-Saxon ''æcern'' meaning ''acorn'' and ''tun'' meaning ''farmstead'' or ''village''. The southern part of Accrington, the township of New Accrington, was formerly in the Forest of Blackburnshire and the presence of oak trees may be inferred from local place names like Broad Oak and Oak Hill. The products of oak trees were once an important food for swine and a farmstead may have been named for such produce. Anglo-Saxon ''Æcerntun'' might become

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

''Akerenton'', ''Akerinton'' and the like. Also worth considering is that in the

Lancashire dialect The Lancashire dialect or (colloquially, Lanky) refers to the Northern English vernacular speech of the English county of Lancashire. The region is notable for its tradition of poetry written in the dialect. Scope of Lancashire dialect La ...

''acorn'' was ''akran''. There is no known Old English personal name from which the first element can be derived. But if the Frisian names ''Akkrum'', ''Akkeringa'' and

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

name ''Akkerghem'', are derived from the personal name ''Akker'' there may be a corresponding Old English name from which ''Accrington'' may be derived. ''Ingas'' being the Danish old Norse word for 'Tribe'.

Early history

There appears to be no mention of Accrington from the Roman period. The area typically appears to be heavily forested, with very few established settlements. According to folklore, a tall Danish tribal leader named Wada invaded the area between 760 and 798; who seems to have founded Waddington, Paddington (Padiham) and Akeringastun (Accrington). Descendants of the Wada held much of the lands until the sixteenth century. In 1442, the Waddingtons hold leases on Berefeld (Bellfield), and in 1517 it is recorded that Thomas Waddington transferred the lands Scaytcliff (Scaitcliffe) and Peneworth to Nicholas Rishton and to his Son Geoffrey. Accrington covers two

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

which were established in 1507 following disafforestation; those of Old Accrington and New Accrington; which were merged in 1878 with the incorporation of the borough council. The William Yates map of The county Palatine of Lancaster printed in 1786 shows Old Accrington included the area of Oaklea and also the intersection of the Winburn River (now the River Hyndburn) and Warmden Brook. New Accrington included the area of Green Haworth and Broadfield. There have been settlements there since the medieval period, likely in the Grange Lane and Black Abbey area, and the King's Highway which passes above the town was at one time used by the kings and queens of England when they used the area for hunting when the Forest of Accrington was one of the four forests of the

hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...

Blackburnshire Blackburn Hundred (also known as Blackburnshire) is a historic sub-division of the county of Lancashire, in northern England. Its chief town was Blackburn, in the southwest of the hundred. It covered an area similar to modern East Lancashire, in ...

Robert de Lacy The honour of Pontefract, also known as the feudal barony of Pontefract, was an English feudal barony. Its origins lie in the grant of a large, compact set of landholdings in Yorkshire, made between the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and the co ...

gave the manor of Accrington to the monks of

Kirkstall Kirkstall is a north-western suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, on the eastern side of the River Aire. The area sits in the Kirkstall ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds West parliamentary constituency, represented by Rachel Reeves. T ...

in the 12th century. The monks built a grange there; removing the inhabitants to make room for it. The locals got their revenge by setting fire to the new building, destroying its contents and in the process killing the three lay brothers who occupied it. An area of the town is named 'Black Abbey', a possible reference to the murders. Regardless of whatever happened, Accrington did not remain under monastic control for long before reverting to the de Lacys. It is thought the monks of Kirkstall may have built a small chapel there during their tenure for the convenience of those in charge residing there and their tenants, but the records are uncertain. What is known is that there was a chapel in Accrington prior to 1553 where the vicar of Whalley was responsible for the maintenance of divine worship. However it did not have its own minister and it was served, when at all, by the curate of one of the adjacent chapels. In 1717 Accrington was served by the curate of Church, who preached there only once a month. St. James's Church was built in 1763, replacing the old chapel however it did not achieve parochial status until as late as 1870.

Industrial Revolution

Until around 1830, visitors considered Accrington to be just a "considerable village". The

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

, however, resulted in large changes and Accrington's location on the confluence of a number of streams made it attractive to industry and a number of mills were built in the town in the mid-18th century. Further industrialisation then followed in the late-18th century and local landowners began building mansions in the area on the outskirts of the settlement where their mills were located while their employees lived in overcrowded unsanitary conditions in the centre. Industrialisation resulted in rapid population growth during the 19th century, as people moved from over North West England to Accrington, with the population increasing from 3,266 in 1811 to 10,376 in 1851 to 43,211 in 1901 to its peak in 1911 at 45,029. This fast population growth and slow response from the established church allowed non-conformism to flourish in the town. By the mid-19th century, there were Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist, United Free Methodist, Congregationalist, Baptist, Swedenborgian, Unitarian, Roman Catholic and Catholic Apostolic churches in the town. The Swedenborgian church was so grand that it was considered to be the ‘Cathedral' of that denomination. For many decades the textiles industry, the engineering industry and coal mining were the central activities of the town.

Cotton mills A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

and dye works provided work for the inhabitants, but often in very difficult conditions. There was a regular conflict with employers over wages and working conditions. On 24 April 1826 over 1,000 men and women, many armed, gathered at Whinney Hill in

Clayton-le-Moors Clayton-le-Moors is an industrial town in the borough of Hyndburn in the county of Lancashire, England. located two miles north of Accrington. The town has a population of 8,522 according to the 2011 census. To the west lies Rishton, to the ...

to listen to a speaker from where they marched on Sykes's Mill at Higher Grange Lane, near the site of the modern police station and

magistrates' court A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) * Magistrate's Cou ...

s, and smashed over 60 looms. These riots spread from Accrington through Oswaldtwistle, Blackburn, Darwen, Rossendale, Bury and Chorley. In the end, after three days of riots 1,139 looms were destroyed, 4 rioters and 2 bystanders shot dead by the authorities in Rossendale and 41 rioters sentenced to death (all of whose sentences were commuted). In 1842 'plug riots' a general strike spread from town to town due to conditions in the town. In a population of 9,000 people as few as 100 were fully employed. From 15 August 1842 the situation boiled over and bands of men entered the mills which were running and stopped the machinery by knocking out the boiler plugs. This allowed the water and steam to escape shutting down the mill machinery. Thousands of strikers walked over the hills from one town to another to persuade people to join the strike in civil disturbances that lasted about a week. The strike was associated with the Chartist movement but eventually proved unsuccessful in its aims. In the early 1860s the

Lancashire cotton famine The Lancashire Cotton Famine, also known as the Cotton Famine or the Cotton Panic (1861–65), was a depression in the textile industry of North West England, brought about by overproduction in a time of contracting world markets. It coincided wi ...

badly affected Accrington, although less so than the wider area due to its more diverse economy, with as many as half of the town's mill employees out of work at one time. Conditions were such that a Local Board of Health was constituted in 1853 and the town itself incorporated in 1878 allowing the enforcement of local laws to improve the town.

Accrington Pals

One well-known association the town has is with the ' Accrington Pals', the nickname given to the smallest home town

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

of volunteers formed to fight in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The

Pals battalion The Pals battalions of World War I were specially constituted battalions of the British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbour ...

s were a peculiarity of the 1914-18 war: Lord Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, believed that it would help recruitment if friends and work-mates from the same town were able to join up and fight together. Strictly speaking, the 'Accrington Pals' battalion is properly known as the '11th

East Lancashire Regiment The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th (2nd Nottingh ...

': the nickname is a little misleading, since of the four 250-strong companies that made up the original battalion only one was composed of men from Accrington. The rest volunteered from other east

towns such as

and Chorley. The Pals' first day of action, 1 July 1916, took place in Serre, near

Montauban Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...

in the north of France. It was part of the 'Big Push' (later known as the Battle of the Somme) that was intended to force the German Army into a retreat from the Western Front, a line they had held since late 1914. The German defences in Serre were supposed to have been obliterated by sustained, heavy, British shelling during the preceding week; however, as the battalion advanced it met with fierce resistance. 235 men were killed and a further 350 wounded — more than half of the battalion — within half an hour. Similarly, desperate losses were suffered elsewhere on the front, in a disastrous day for the British Army (approximately 19,000 British soldiers were killed in a single day). Later in the year, the East Lancashire Regiment was rebuilt with new volunteers — in all, 865 Accrington men were killed during World War I. All of these names are recorded on a war memorial, an imposing white stone cenotaph, which stands in Oak Hill Park in the south of the town. The

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

also lists the names of 173 local fatalities from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The trenches from which the Accrington Pals advanced on 1 July 1916 are still visible in John Copse west of the village of Serre, and there is a memorial there made of Accrington brick. After the war and until 1986, Accrington Corporation buses were painted in the regimental colours of red and blue with gold lining. The mudguards were painted black as a sign of mourning. The current Mayor of Accrington is Lance Sergeant Gary Archer of the Scots Guards.

Demography

The 2001 census gave the population of Accrington town as 35,200. The figure for the urban area was 71,220,Lancashire Profile
lancashire.gov.uk increased from 70,442 in 1991. This total includes Accrington,

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

Great Harwood Great Harwood is a town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, located north east of Blackburn and adjacent to the Ribble Valley. Great Harwood is the major conurbation of the 'Three Towns'; the three towns being Great Harwood, Clayton- ...

and

Oswaldtwistle Oswaldtwistle ( "ozzel twizzel") is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England, southeast of Blackburn, contiguous with Accrington and Church. The town has a rich industrial heritage, being home to James Hargreaves, inventor of the ...

. For comparison purposes that is approximately the same size as Aylesbury, Carlisle and Guildford urban areas. The 2011 census gave a population of 35,456 for the Accrington built-up area subdivision (which includes

Huncoat Huncoat is a village in Lancashire, England; situated in the North West. It is located to the east of Accrington. It is a ward of Hyndburn where the population taken at the 2011 census was 4,418. Huncoat railway station is on the East Lanc ...

Baxenden Baxenden is a village and ward in the Borough of Hyndburn in Lancashire, North-West England. The ward population taken at the 2011 census was 4,042. Baxenden is sometimes known to locals as Bash. History Whilst people have inhabited the s ...

and Rising Bridge in Rossendale) and a population of 125,000 for the wider Accrington/Rossendale Built-up area. The area in 2001 was listed as , whereas in 2011 it was . The borough of

as a whole has a population of 80,734. This includes Accrington Urban Area and other outlying towns and villages such as; Altham,

Rishton Rishton is a town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, about west of Clayton-le-Moors and north east of Blackburn. It was an urban district from about 1894 to 1974. The population at the census of 2011 was 6,625. History Its ...

, part of Belthorn, and Knuzden and

Whitebirk Whitebirk is a suburb in the east of Blackburn, in Lancashire, England. Most of the suburb is in Blackburn with Darwen, a unitary area, with the east of the suburb being in the borough of Hyndburn. Whitebirk is part of the Blackburn urban are ...

(considered suburbs of

Economy

Formerly cotton and textile machinery were important industries in the town.

NORI Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, made from species of the red algae genus '' Pyropia'', including ''P. yezonesis'' and '' P. tenera''. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is often used to wrap rolls of sushi or ...

s, a type of iron-hard engineering brick, were produced nearby in

which was closed in 2013, but later reopened in 2015. Mills and factories are Accrington's past but there a few factories and garages which now occupy the old buildings.

Accrington power station Accrington power station was a coal and refuse fired electricity generating station located in the centre of Accrington, Lancashire. The station supplied electricity to Accrington and to Haslingden and the Altham and Clayton-le-Moors areas be ...

was coal and refuse fired

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...

generating station located in Argyle Street adjacent to the gasworks. It supplied electricity to Accrington, Haslingden and the Altham and Clayton-le-Moors areas between 1900 and 1958.

Regeneration and investment

The council has a regeneration plan in place, which will, according to the council, boost the local economy. The plan is to upgrade many old shops and to build a bus station. A memorial for the Accrington Pals may be built outside the town hall. The Hyndburn Borough Council plans to spend £10 million to refurbish the town centre, which includes: *Revitalizing the town square to attract visitors. *Building a new bus station. Plans for the new bus station, which was later named '

George Slynn George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Preside ...

' in honour of the former Hyndburn Council leader, were put forward in January 2013 and approved in October 2014. The bus station was completed during and officially opened on 11 July 2016. The new station came under heavy criticism with traders of Accrington's Market and town hall, as it would see the old station discontinued, which was situated much closer and provided ease of access for regular customers. Half of Blackburn Road is being refurbished and is now being made into a more attractive shopping street, upgrading shops, adding more trees, and repaving the pavements. As of 2014, two new phases were being built: the first one called the Acorn Park, where new houses were being built with balconies and greener spaces, and Project Phoenix, which will also include new housing.

Geography

Accrington is a hill town located at between the Pennines and the

West Pennine Moors The West Pennine Moors is an area of the Pennines covering approximately of moorland and reservoirs in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The West Pennine Moors are separated from the main ...

, within a bowl and largely encircled by surrounding hills to rising to a height of in the case of

Hameldon Hill Hameldon Hill is a Carboniferous sandstone hill with a summit elevation of , situated between the towns of Burnley and Accrington in Lancashire, England. It is listed as a "HuMP" or "Hundred Metre Prominence", its parent being Freeholds Top, a ...

to the east. The

or Accrington Brook flows through the centre of the town. Hill settlements origins were as the economic foci of the district engaging in the spinning and weaving of woollen cloth. Wool, lead and coal were other local industries. Geographical coordinates: 53° 46' 0" North, 2° 21' 0" West. Height above sea level: there is a

spot height A spot height is an exact point on a map with an elevation recorded beside it that represents its height above a given datum.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 506. . In the UK this is the Ordna ...

outside the Market Hall which is the

benchmark Benchmark may refer to: Business and economics * Benchmarking, evaluating performance within organizations * Benchmark price * Benchmark (crude oil), oil-specific practices Science and technology * Benchmark (surveying), a point of known elevati ...

on the side of the neighbouring Town Hall is . The highest height in the town is which is in

and the lowest at the town hall which is at .

Transport

The town has strong local travel links as

Accrington railway station Accrington railway station serves the town of Accrington in Lancashire, England. It is a station on the East Lancashire line east of Blackburn railway station operated by Northern. It is also served by Caldervale Line express services between ...

lies on the

East Lancashire Line The East Lancashire line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley (Barracks and Central) and Nelson. The line formerly ran onto Skipton but this closed i ...

serving trains running locally and trains running from Blackpool to

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. However, recent changes to the train timetables have been a disservice to Accrington, increasing the journey time to Preston (a vital link to London or Scotland) by up to 1.5 hours. However, there are still buses to Manchester every thirty minutes as well as more frequent services to other towns in East Lancashire. The main road running through the town centre is the A680 running from

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

to Whalley. The town is served by junction seven of the M65 and is linked from the A680 and the A56 dual carriageway which briefly merge; linking to the M66 motorway heading towards Manchester. The closest airports are Manchester Airport at ,

Blackpool Airport Blackpool Airport is an airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport and Blackpool International Airport. Ownership of the ai ...

at and Leeds Bradford Airport at . There was once a rail link south to Manchester via

Haslingden Haslingden is a town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is 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 15,96 ...

and

Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...

, but this was closed in the 1960s as part of cuts following the

Beeching Report Beeching is an English surname. Either a derivative of the old English ''bece'', ''bæce'' "stream", hence "dweller by the stream" or of the old English ''bece'' "beech-tree" hence "dweller by the beech tree".''Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames' ...

. The trackbed from Accrington to

is now a linear treelined cycleway/footpath. A train service to Manchester via the

Todmorden Curve The Calder Valley line (also previously known as the Caldervale line) is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool. It is the slower of the two main rail routes ...

opened in 2015. A new bus station is being built in Accrington too. Bus operator Pilkington Bus are based in Accrington, and Holmeswood Coaches,

Rosso Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of the river zone allowing year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott. The Ar ...

and

Transdev Blazefield Transdev Blazefield is a bus group, which operates local and regional bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. Formed in August 1991, the group has been a subsidiary of French-based operat ...

subsidiaries

Blackburn Bus Company The Blackburn Bus Company operates both local and regional bus services in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield, which operates bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire ...

and

Burnley Bus Company The Burnley Bus Company operates both local and regional bus services in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield, which operates bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire ...

also provide bus services in the town; routes serve places such as

and

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists visiting the area. In 2018, the Cl ...

. However M&M Coaches ceased business suddenly on 21 September 2016

Public services

Accrington Library, on St James Street, is a Carnegie library that opened in 1908. It is noted for its stained glass window designed by Gustav Hiller and as a place of inspiration for the young

Jeanette Winterson Jeanette Winterson (born 27 August 1959) is an English writer. Her first book, '' Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'', was a semi-autobiographical novel about a sensitive teenage girl rebelling against convention. Other novels explore gender pola ...

. Near the

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...

supermarket, there is Accrington Skate Park which is popular during the school holidays. On Broadway, Accrington Police Station serves the Borough of

. In April 2003, Hyndburn Community Fire Station opened, also serving the Borough of Hyndburn.

Law enforcement

The town is served by the Lancashire Constabulary Police station on Broadway after moving into town from its previous location on Manchester Road as an effort to save money due to rising expenses and decreasing funding by the government. Crime is very low in Accrington compared to nearby towns. Policing of the Railway station and railway-owned properties are served by the British Transport Police, nearest post in Preston.

Social

Governance

Accrington is represented in parliament as a part of the constituency of Hyndburn. The constituency boundaries do not align exactly with those of the district of the same name. Accrington was first represented nationally after the

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict., c. 23) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equal ...

after the 1885 general election by Accrington (UK Parliament constituency). This seat was abolished in the 1983 general election and replaced with the present constituency of

Hyndburn (UK Parliament constituency) Hyndburn is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Sara Britcliffe of the Conservative Party. History and profile The seat was created in 1983, from parts of the former seats of Accrington and Cli ...

. Accrington became incorporated as a

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

in 1878. Under the Local Government Act 1972, since 1974, the town has formed part of the larger Borough of

including the former

Urban District Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...

s of

and

. Hyndburn consists of 16 wards, electing a total of 35 councillors. Due to its size Accrington is represented by a number of wards in the Borough of Hyndburn. The town largely consists of the Milnshaw, Peel, Central, Barnfield and Spring Hill wards, although some parts of those wards are in other towns in the borough.

Health

The local hospital is Accrington Victoria Hospital however, as it only deals with minor issues,

Accident and Emergency An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pa ...

is provided by the Royal Blackburn Hospital. Other services are provided at the Accrington Pals Primary Health Care Centre and the Accrington Acorn Primary Health Care Centre.

Media

The chief publications in the area are the weekly ''

Accrington Observer The ''Accrington Observer'' is a weekly paper featuring the town of Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester a ...

'', part of

MEN media The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 201 ...

, and the ''

Lancashire Telegraph The ''Lancashire Telegraph'', formerly the ''Lancashire Evening Telegraph'', is a local tabloid newspaper distributed in East Lancashire, England. It is edited by Karl Holbrook. There are around twenty towns in the area, including Blackburn, B ...

''. Accrington Observer is currently stationed within the Market Hall.

Sport

Football team

, entered the Football League in 1921 with the formation of the old Third Division (North); after haunting the lower reaches of English football for forty years, they eventually resigned from the League in 1962, due to financial problems, and folded in 1965. The club was reformed three years later and then worked its way through the non-league divisions to reach the Nationwide Conference in 2003. In the 2005–06 season, Stanley, after winning against Woking with three matches to spare, secured a place back in the Football League and the town celebrated with a small parade and honours placed on senior executives of the team. One of the teams relegated— and thus being replaced by Stanley—were

Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...

, who was voted into the Football League to replace the previous Accrington Stanley. The football stadium is called the Crown Ground. Until the 2012–13 season, when

Fleetwood Town Fleetwood Town Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Fleetwood, Lancashire. Established in 1997, the current Fleetwood Town F.C. is the fourth incarnation of the club; it was originally formed in ...

entered the league, Accrington was the smallest town in England and Wales with a Football League club. Accrington Stanley Football Club has had its own

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

in the town, the Crown, since July 2007.

Team history

An earlier club,

Accrington F.C. Accrington Football Club was an English football club from Accrington, Lancashire, who were one of the founder members of The Football League. History Accrington F.C. was formed following a meeting at a local public house in 1876. The '' ...

, was one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888. However, their time in league football was even less successful and considerably briefer than that of Accrington Stanley: they dropped out of the league in 1893 and folded shortly afterwards due to financial problems. The town of Accrington thus has the unique "distinction" of having lost two separate clubs from league football. They are currently placed in EFL League One after winning the EFL League Two title in the 2017/18 season.

Cricket

Accrington Cricket Club plays at

Thorneyholme Road Thorneyholme Road is a cricket and former football ground in Accrington, England. It is the home ground of Accrington Cricket Club, and was the home ground of Accrington F.C. from 1878 until 1896 when they dissolved. History Thorneyholme Ro ...

in the Lancashire League. Cricket is also played in parks. Schools nearby have shown major interest in cricket and have held cricket training and tournaments.

Other sports

There are two sports centres, the main one being the Hyndburn Sports Centre, which recently renovated its swimming pool area and is situated near

Lidl Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG (; ) is a German international discount retailer chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, the company belongs to the Schwarz Group, whi ...

Education

Accrington has the following

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

s: * St Mary's RC Primary School, Clayton le Moors * Hyndburn Park Primary School, * Peel Park Primary School, * Sacred Heart Primary School, * Benjamin Hargreaves CE Primary School, * Springhill County Primary School, * Accrington Huncoat Primary School, * St Johns and St Augustines CE Primary School, * St Mary Magdalen's CE Primary School, * St Nicholas' CE Primary School, * Woodnook Primary School, * St James CE Primary School, Altham, * St Johns CE Primary School, Baxenden, * All Saints CE Primary School, * Mount Pleasant Primary School, * Green Haworth CE Primary School, * Stonefold CE Primary School, * St Peters CE Primary School. * St Mary's RC Primary School, Oswaldtwistle. * St Anne's and St Joseph's RC Primary School * St Oswald's RC Primary School * Hippings Methodist Primary School Oswaldtwistle * St Andrews CoE Primary School Oswaldtwistle * St Oswalds CoE Primary School Knuzden * West End Primary School Oswaldtwistle * Moor End Community Primary School Oswaldtwistle * St Paul's CoE Primary School Oswaldtwistle The secondary schools serving Accrington are: *

Accrington Academy Accrington Academy is a mixed 11-18 Academy in Accrington, Lancashire. It has designated specialisms in Sports and Mathematics. It is situated in the centre of Accrington. Accrington St Christopher's C of E High is nearby to the west. History Th ...

* Heathland School *

The Hollins The Hollins (formerly known as The Hollins Technology College until 2017) is a coeducational secondary school located in Accrington in the English county of Lancashire. History In 2015, the school took part in a Channel 4 programme, ''Sex in Cl ...

The Hyndburn Academy The Hyndburn Academy, previously known as Norden High School and Sports College, is the United Learning, united learning academy school situated in the town of Rishton, Lancashire, United Kingdom. The current headteacher is Nicola Palmer, who wa ...

Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school located in Accrington, a town located in the county of Lancashire, England. A Roman Catholic school - “A family of faith and learning”. It is a volun ...

* Rhyddings * St Christopher's Church of England High School The college in the town centre is

Accrington and Rossendale College Accrington and Rossendale College is a further education college based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The College Accrington & Rossendale College ('Accross') is a further education college that specialises in vocational education. The ...

; nearby universities include University Centre at Blackburn College, and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.

Landmarks

Haworth Art Gallery

The Haworth Art Gallery was previously a mansion named as Hollins Hill Mansion. The museum houses a collection of

ware presented to the town by Joseph Briggs, an Accrington man who had joined

Tiffany's Tiffany & Co. (colloquially known as Tiffany's) is a high-end luxury jewelry and specialty retailer, headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It sells jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, crystal, stationery, fragrances, water bottles, watc ...

in the late 19th century and eventually became art director and assistant manager. It is situated in Haworth Park on Manchester Road.

The Viaduct

The Viaduct is a bridge which has a railway line on it, it goes through the town and has many storage units and shop on sale by

National Rail National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the ...

. The Viaduct ends at the Accrington Eco Station.

Town Hall

Accrington Town Hall Accrington Town Hall is a municipal building in Blackburn Road, Accrington, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Accrington Borough Council, is a grade II* listed building. History The building was originally commis ...

was built in memory of

Sir Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...

and opened as the Peel Institute in 1858; it is also listed.

The Arcade

The Arcade is a Victorian shopping Centre with about 10-15 outlets and has many restaurants there. It is on Church street near the town hall. The arcade has hardware shops and shops like

Argos Argos most often refers to: * Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece ** Ancient Argos, the ancient city * Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland Argos or ARGOS may also refer to: Businesses ...

. There are some restaurants in there too. Sadly most outlets are closing since the year 2013. In 2016, there was a revamp of the Arcade which saw specialist shops such as Darts, Vinyl and Knitted Wear added into the Arcade.

Oakhill Park

Oakhill Park is a large and old park with a sceneric view of Accrington. It has won many awards such as the best park in

. It has also been awarded an Eco Award. The Haworth Art Gallery is in the park. It is on Manchester Road.

The Coppice and Peel Park

Peel Park is a park in Accrington which was opened by William Peel on 29 September 1909. The Coppice is a hill within the park, and provides a 2.2 mile scenic walk around the park. There was a centenary celebration marking 100 years from the Coppice being handed over to the people of Accrington on 26 September 2009. There was also a refurbishment of the paths and monument at the top of the Coppice at this time. Since then there has been several revamps to the Playground area of the park.

Notable residents

* Alan Ramsbottom, professional cyclist * Andy Hargreaves, academic *

Andy Kanavan Andy Kanavan (born 23 May 1961) is an English classical musician and multi-instrumentalist. He was best known for his work with post-punk bands Level 9, Foreign Playground and German band Styffe. Kanavan also played briefly with Killing Joke, ...

, rock drummer with Dire Straits and Level 9 a.k.a. Andy Canavan was born in the town *

Jenny (Jane) Kenney Jane "Jenny" Kenney (1884–1961) also known as Jennie, was a British suffragette and Montessori teacher, who supported her sisters Annie Kenney and Jessie Kenney in the Women's Social and Political Union. She later became joint principal of an ...

, sister of suffragette

Annie Kenney Ann "Annie" Kenney (13 September 1879 – 9 July 1953) was an English working-class suffragette and socialist feminist who became a leading figure in the Women's Social and Political Union. She co-founded its first branch in London with Minnie ...

who taught at Montessori school in the 1900s * Anthony Rushton, tech entrepreneur *

Barry Stanton (actor) Barry Stanton (born 18 February 1940) is a British stage, film and television actor.Brand p.80 Selected filmography Film * ''Robbery'' (1967) * ''King Lear'' (1971) * ''Demons of the Mind'' (1972) * ''Hamlet'' (1977) * ''Sweeney 2'' (1977) * '' ...

, actor for RSC and films such as

The Madness of King George ''The Madness of King George'' is a 1994 British biographical historical comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his own 1991 play '' The Madness of George III''. It tells the true story of George III of G ...

* David Lloyd, cricketer, now a pundit for

Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...

Diana Vickers Diana Vickers (born 30 July 1991) is an English singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer, who initially came to public attention as a semi-finalist on ''The X Factor'' in 2008. Vickers signed a record deal with RCA Records and, after to ...

, singer-songwriter, stage actress and fashion designer *

Edward Ormerod Edward Ormerod (2 May 1834 – 26 May 1894) was an English mining engineer. Edward Ormerod (sometimes Ormrod) was born on 2 May 1834 in the village of Church, near Accrington, in Lancashire, England. He worked as a mining engineer at Fletcher ...

, mining engineer and inventor of the Ormerod safety link for use in coal mines * Frederick Higginbottom, journalist and newspaper editor *

Graeme Fowler Graeme "Foxy" Fowler (born 20 April 1957) is an English former professional cricketer and cricket coach, who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, England, and later for Durham. He appeared in 21 Test matches and 26 One Day Internationa ...

, cricketer, former England batsman, cricket coach and occasional pundit on BBC Radio's Test Match Special *

Harrison Birtwistle Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include '' T ...

, composer *

Hollie Steel Hollie Steel (born 1 July 1998) is a performer originally from Burnley, Lancashire, England. In 2009 at the age of ten she was one of ten finalists on the third series of the ITV reality show ''Britain's Got Talent''. Her first audition stunn ...

, ''

Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...

'' finalist of 2009 *

, author; ''

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'' is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985 by Pandora Press. It is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian girl who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Key themes of the book include transition ...

'' is an account of her childhood in the town *

John Rex Whinfield John Rex Whinfield CBE (16 February 1901 in Sutton, Surrey, England – 6 July 1966 in Dorking, Surrey) was a British chemist. Together with James Tennant Dickson, Whinfield investigated polyesters and produced and patented the first polyeste ...

, chemist, inventor of

Terylene Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foo ...

(polyester), the first completely synthetic fibre invented in UK * John Virtue, artist * Jon Anderson, singer with rock band Yes, was born in the town * Jonathan Slinger,

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Se ...

trained actor * Julie Hesmondhalgh, actor,

Hayley Cropper Hayley Cropper (also Hayley Patterson) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Julie Hesmondhalgh. The character first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 26 January 1998. Hayley was the ...

in the TV Soap '' Coronation Street'' * Mick O'Shea, author and scriptwriter *

Mike Duxbury Michael Duxbury (born 1 September 1959) is a former footballer who won ten caps for England. At club level, he played in the Football League for Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City, and in the Hong Kong First Division League ...

, footballer, was born in the town * Mystic Meg, astrologer, was born in the town as Margaret Anne Lake in 1942 *

Netherwood Hughes Netherwood "Ned" Hughes (12 June 1900 – 4 April 2009) was one of the last two Tommy Atkins, Tommies who served the United Kingdom during the First World War, along with Harry Patch, although Patch was the only one to have seen action. Hughes wa ...

, World War I veteran, died in 2009, aged 108 *

Nicholas Freeston Nicholas Freeston (28 August 1907 – 6 February 1978) was an English poet who spent most of his working life as a weaver in cotton mills near his home in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire. He published five books of poetry, occasionally writing in L ...

(1907-1978), Award-winning Lancashire poet *

Pauline Aitken Pauline Aitken (30 June 1893 –1958) was a British artist and sculptor. Biography Aitken was born in Accrington in Lancashire where her father was the town clerk and a solicitor for the Corporation of Accrington. Aitken attended the Manch ...

, artist * Paul Manning, undercover police officer and whistleblower *

Reece Bibby New Hope Club is a British pop trio formed in 2015, consisting of Reece Bibby, Blake Richardson, and George Smith. Their debut EP, ''Welcome to the Club'', was released through Steady Records/Hollywood Records on 5 May 2017; the band release ...

, member of Stereo Kicks and 2014 finalist of

The X Factor (UK TV series) ''The X Factor'' is a British reality television music competition, created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's Thames and Cowell's production company Syco Entertainment for ITV, as well as simu ...

. Now a member of the band

New Hope Club New Hope Club is a British pop trio formed in 2015, consisting of Reece Bibby, Blake Richardson, and George Smith. Their debut EP, ''Welcome to the Club'', was released through Steady Records/ Hollywood Records on 5 May 2017; the band relea ...

Ron Hill Ronald Hill MBE (25 September 1938 – 23 May 2021) was a British runner and clothing entrepreneur. He was the second man to break 2:10 in the marathon; he set world records at four other distances, and laid claim to the marathon world reco ...

, long-distance and marathon runner *

Thomas Birtwistle Thomas Birtwistle (16 October 1833 – 22 March 1912) was an English trade unionist and factory inspector. Born in Great Harwood, Lancashire, he worked in a cotton mill from the age of six, becoming a power-loom weaver at the age of fourteen. In s ...

, trade unionist *

Vicky Entwistle Victoria Entwistle (born 15 September 1968) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Janice Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Early life Entwistle grew up in Accrington; her father owned a newsagen ...

, actor,

Janice Battersby Janice Battersby (also Lee) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Vicky Entwistle, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 6 January 1997. On 2 August 2010, i ...

in the TV Soap '' Coronation Street'' * William Macrorie bishop of Maritzburg *

Stephen Heys Stephen Heys (1879 – after 1909) was an English professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in Accrington, Lancashire, he played non-league football with Colne before joining Football League Second Division side Burnley in May 190 ...

, footballer * Val Robinson, footballer and field hockey player

References

External links

Hyndburn Borough Council
{{authority control Towns in Lancashire Unparished areas in Lancashire Geography of Hyndburn English royal forests