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Colne () is a market town and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in the
Borough of Pendle Pendle is a local government district and borough of Lancashire, England. It adjoins the Lancashire boroughs of Burnley and Ribble Valley, the North Yorkshire district of Craven and the West Yorkshire boroughs of Calderdale and Bradford. It ha ...
in
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 Lancashi ...
, England. Located northeast of
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
, north-east 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 and west of
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
. The town should not be confused with the unrelated
Colne Valley The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward towards Huddersfield. ...
around the River Colne near
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
in
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
. Colne is close to the southern entrance to the
Aire Gap Aire Gap is a pass through the Pennines in England formed by geologic faults and carved out by glaciers. The term is used to describe a geological division, a travel route, or a location that is an entry into the Aire river valley. Geology Ge ...
, the lowest crossing of the Pennine watershed. The M65 terminates west of the town and from here two main roads take traffic onwards towards the
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
towns of
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...
(A56) and
Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford city centre, north-west of Bi ...
(A6068).
Colne railway station Colne railway station serves the town of Colne, in Lancashire, England, which is situated close to Pendle Hill. The station, which is managed by Northern, is the eastern terminus of the East Lancashire Line. Trains from Blackpool South run thr ...
is the terminus of the East Lancashire railway line. Colne adjoins the Pendle parishes of
Foulridge Foulridge (pronounced ) is a village and civil parish in Pendle, Lancashire, close to the border with North Yorkshire in England. It is situated just beyond Colne, on the route from the M65 to Skipton, and is an important stopping point on sum ...
,
Laneshaw Bridge Laneshawbridge (otherwise Laneshaw Bridge) is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 918. It is to the east of Colne in Lancashire and is the easternmost settlem ...
,
Trawden Forest Trawden Forest is a civil parish in the Pendle district of Lancashire, England. It has a population of 2,765, and contains the village of Trawden (formerly called Beardshaw) and the hamlets of Cottontree, Winewall and Wycoller. Boulswo ...
,
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
,
Barrowford Barrowford () is a large village and civil parish in the Pendle district of Lancashire, England. It is situated to the north of Nelson on the other side of the M65 motorway, and forms part of the Nelson conurbation. It also comprises the area ...
and
Blacko Blacko is a village and civil parish in the Pendle district of Lancashire, England. Before local government reorganisation in 1974 the village lay on the border with the West Riding of Yorkshire. The parish has a population of 672. The villa ...
.


History

Settlement in the area can be traced back to the
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
. A
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
camp site, a
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
burial site and stone tools from the Bronze and Stone Ages have been discovered at nearby
Trawden Trawden is a village in the Trawden Forest parish of Pendle, at the foot of Boulsworth Hill, in Lancashire, England. The village co-operatively owns and runs its library, shop, community centre and pub. Activities As a way of encouraging pe ...
. There are also the remains of an
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, dating from the 6th century BC, above Colne at
Castercliff Castercliff is an Iron Age multivallate hillfort situated close to the towns of Nelson and Colne in Lancashire, Northern England. __TOC__ It is located on a hilltop overlooking the valley system of the River Calder and its tributaries, on the ...
. Although a Roman road passes through nearby
Barnoldswick Barnoldswick (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, Barnoldswick and the surrounding areas of West Craven have be ...
, and some Roman coins have been discovered, there is no conclusive evidence of the
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
having occupied the area. There is, however, some debate among local historians as to whether the Romans may have stayed at Castercliff. From the early 6th century to the late 10th century, Colne came under
Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
n and then
Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
rule, finally coming firmly under
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
control in the 11th century. Then, from the 1090s until 1311, the area was controlled by the de Lacys of
Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wake ...
from their outpost at
Clitheroe Castle Clitheroe Castle is a ruined early medieval castle in Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. It was the ''caput'' of the Honour of Clitheroe, a vast estate stretching along the western side of the Pennines. Its earliest history is debated but it is ...
. Pendle Forest and
Trawden Forest Trawden Forest is a civil parish in the Pendle district of Lancashire, England. It has a population of 2,765, and contains the village of Trawden (formerly called Beardshaw) and the hamlets of Cottontree, Winewall and Wycoller. Boulswo ...
date from this period; forests in those times being hunting grounds for royals and other nobles. St Bartholomew's Church dates from before 1122 when the town's market was located in the churchyard. The churchyard used to house the market cross and wooden stocks on wheels and people were placed in these on market days. The stocks are now located in the nearby library. The market cross is in Market Street. The town developed in two parts: Colne, on top of the ridge; and Waterside, at the base of the southern slope, next to
Colne Water Colne Water is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area excluding its major tributaries (the River Laneshaw, Wycoller Beck, Trawden Brook and Wanless Water) of . Colne Water is formed at the Covey Bri ...
. By 1296, a
corn mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separate ...
and a
fulling Fulling, also known as felting, tucking or walking ( Scots: ''waukin'', hence often spelled waulking in Scottish English), is a step in woollen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of woven or knitted cloth (particularly wool) to elimin ...
mill had been established down by the river. By the 15th century, Colne had become the main market town in the area with markets (latterly held on Tuesdays) and a major centre for the
wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...
len trade, in particular for the production of lightweight kersey. With 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 ...
, cotton manufacturing became the main industry in the town, fuelled by the completion of the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
in 1816, and by the arrival of the railway in 1848. The cross allows a market to be held there and dates back to the 15th century. The market cross was originally at the junction of Colne Lane and Church Street. It was first moved to the grounds of The Gables on Albert Road, the location of Colne Library until around 1970. It has now been relocated to outside the Market Hall on Market Street, part of the main road through the town centre. The rise of Chartism saw riots here over the imposition of the 'new' police force in April and August 1840. John Halstead, a special constable, was killed by a mob armed with sharpened iron rails during the second. In both cases troops marched from
Burnley Barracks Burnley Barracks was a military installation at Burnley in Lancashire, England. Built for cavalry, but later used for infantry and storage, military activities at the barracks declined in the late 19th century. Background The time of the French ...
and the violence ceased with their arrival. Colne is on the edge of the
Burnley Coalfield The Burnley Coalfield is the most northerly portion of the Lancashire Coalfield. Surrounding Burnley, Nelson, Blackburn and Accrington, it is separated from the larger southern part by an area of Millstone Grit that forms the Rossendale anticli ...
and coal was being mined at Fox Clough, to south of the town, from the early 17th century. Fox Clough Colliery also known as Engine Pit, was started by the Executors of John Hargreaves company, probably around 1832. By the 1840s a surface drift was located at the foot of the clough, on the south side of
Colne Water Colne Water is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area excluding its major tributaries (the River Laneshaw, Wycoller Beck, Trawden Brook and Wanless Water) of . Colne Water is formed at the Covey Bri ...
, and a
tramroad A plateway is an early kind of railway, tramway or wagonway, where the rails are made from cast iron. They were mainly used for about 50 years up to 1830, though some continued later. Plateways consisted of "L"-shaped rails, where the flange ...
crossed the river connecting the colliery to a coal yard in the town. It seems the coal here was not of a high quality, as during the winter of 1860 a local newspaper reported that the frozen canal and diversion of railway wagons had forced the inhabitants of Colne, to resort to town's coal pit. Fox Clough Colliery was abandoned in 1872, but Trawden Colliery (1874 - 1890), located about 200 metres up the valley, continued production from the same workings. The tramroad was marked as disused in 1893. By 1891 there were 30
cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning (textiles), 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. Althou ...
s listed in Colne with more in the surrounding areas of
Trawden Trawden is a village in the Trawden Forest parish of Pendle, at the foot of Boulsworth Hill, in Lancashire, England. The village co-operatively owns and runs its library, shop, community centre and pub. Activities As a way of encouraging pe ...
and
Laneshaw Bridge Laneshawbridge (otherwise Laneshaw Bridge) is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 918. It is to the east of Colne in Lancashire and is the easternmost settlem ...
. The largest had 2,400 looms and the smallest 56.


Governance

Colne was once a
township 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, Ca ...
in the ancient parish of Whalley which became a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in 1866. A local board was formed in 1875, the district including part of Great Marsden, on the south side of
Colne Water Colne Water is a river in eastern Lancashire. It is approximately long and has a catchment area excluding its major tributaries (the River Laneshaw, Wycoller Beck, Trawden Brook and Wanless Water) of . Colne Water is formed at the Covey Bri ...
between Fox Clough and Swinden Clough. This area was made an
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 ...
in 1894 and designated 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 1895. In 1935 the borough absorbed an area to the east around Barnside, historically a detached part of
Foulridge Foulridge (pronounced ) is a village and civil parish in Pendle, Lancashire, close to the border with North Yorkshire in England. It is situated just beyond Colne, on the route from the M65 to Skipton, and is an important stopping point on sum ...
. In 1974, under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, Colne became part of the
Borough of Pendle Pendle is a local government district and borough of Lancashire, England. It adjoins the Lancashire boroughs of Burnley and Ribble Valley, the North Yorkshire district of Craven and the West Yorkshire boroughs of Calderdale and Bradford. It ha ...
. Initially Colne formed part of an
unparished area In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparish ...
, in 1992 a new civil parish of
Laneshaw Bridge Laneshawbridge (otherwise Laneshaw Bridge) is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 918. It is to the east of Colne in Lancashire and is the easternmost settlem ...
was created from what had been the eastern side of the municipal borough. A new Colne civil parish was formed in 2008. A
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
was re-established at that time; it meets in
Colne Town Hall Colne Town Hall is a municipal building in Albert Road, Colne, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Colne Town Council, is a grade II listed building. History After significant population growth associated with the ...
, which was designed by
Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...
and opened in 1894. After boundary changes in 2020 which reduced the number of wards in the borough to 12, three cover parts of Colne parish – Boulsworth & Foulridge, Waterside & Horsfield, and Vivary Bridge. The town is represented on Lancashire County Council in two divisions: Pendle Central and Pendle Rural. The Member of Parliament for
Pendle Pendle may refer to: * Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England ** Pendle (UK Parliament constituency) * Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England ** Forest of Pendle, hilly landscape surrounding the hill * Pendle College of the University of Lancaster * ...
, the constituency into which the town falls, is
Andrew Stephenson Andrew George Stephenson (born 17 February 1981) is a British politician serving as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury since October 2022. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Communities from September to Octobe ...
(
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
), who was first elected in
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
.


Demography

The town's population declined during the 20th century, as was the case in many
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 Lancashi ...
mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories, usually cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe Italy * ''Crespi d'Adda'', UNESCO World Her ...
s, from 26,000 in 1911 to just 19,000 in 1961. The
United Kingdom Census 2011 A Census in the United Kingdom, census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Inter ...
showed a total resident population for Colne civil parish of 17,855. The town forms part of a wider
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
, which had a population of 149,796 in 2001. A similar but larger,
Burnley Built-up area The Burnley Built-up area is an urban area or conurbation which extends from the town of Burnley to Padiham, Brierfield, Lancashire, Brierfield, Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, Barrowford and Colne in Lancashire, England. The area takes in parts of t ...
defined in the 2011 census had a population of 149,422. The racial composition of the town in 2011 was 95.8% White (93.9% White British), 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Black, 0.9% Mixed and 0.1% Other. The largest religious groups were Christian (58.5%) and Muslim (2.5%). 68.5% of adults between the ages of 16 and 74 were classed as economically active and in work.


Economy

Colne's former cotton industry has all but disappeared. Many of the textile weaving mills that used to punctuate the landscape have been demolished to make way for new retail outlets and modern housing. Others lie semi-derelict, but the best examples continue to provide jobs for local residents by accommodating new manufacturing and service businesses. Strong growth has been experienced in precision engineering, particularly associated with the aerospace sector, as
Rolls-Royce Aerospace Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for ...
operates a large
wide chord Wide chord fan refers to the fan blades on a modern turbofan jet engine having a ducted fan with a specific blade geometry - In layman's terms, they would be described as having wider blades than other jet engines. The technology was pioneered ...
fan-blade manufacturing facility in nearby
Barnoldswick Barnoldswick (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, Barnoldswick and the surrounding areas of West Craven have be ...
. The town's main employment area is located at Whitewalls, which sits astride the boundary with
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
adjacent to Junction 14 on the
M65 motorway The M65 is a motorway in Lancashire, England. It runs from just south of Preston through the major junction of the M6 and M61 motorways, east past Darwen, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Brierfield, Nelson and ends at Colne. History The ...
. To help stimulate development an undeveloped 5 hectare area of the estate was designated as part of the East Lancashire Enterprise Zone in December 1983 making it, at that time, the smallest Enterprise Zone in the country. This successful estate now extends to over 27 hectares and is home to a wide range businesses including a large
abattoir A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility. Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...
. Walshaw House, the headquarters of the East Lancashire Primary Care Trust, which occupies a recent extension to the estate, reflects recent growth in the service sector. The adjacent retail park contains a large
ASDA Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of York ...
supermarket and stores for Next, Argos Extra and DFS. Boundary Mill Stores, one of the first factory outlets in the UK, was established here in 1983, but in 2008 it moved into purpose built premises closer to the end of the M65 motorway. In 2013, it is the borough's largest employer, and has stores in
Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
,
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
,
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
and
Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
. Another local success story was Lyon's Tours, whose headquarters were off Albert Road, close to the town centre. A family-run business, in the 1950s it became one of the first UK tour operators to offer overseas holidays to its customers. The company became part of ''
Airtours MyTravel Group plc was a British, global travel group headquartered in Rochdale, England. It was founded in 1972 as Airtours Group. The group included two in-house airlines, MyTravel Airways UK and MyTravel Airways Scandinavia, and various t ...
'' when David Crossland purchased a series of small travel agencies across Lancashire in 1972, which in turn merged with the
Thomas Cook Group Thomas Cook Group plc was a global travel group, headquartered in the United Kingdom and listed on the London Stock Exchange from its formation on 19 June 2007 by the merger of Thomas Cook AG — successor to Thomas Cook & Son — an ...
in June 2007.


Landmarks

Situated on the edge of the
Pennines The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands running between three regions of Northern England: North West England on the west, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber on the east. Commo ...
, Colne has views of several well-known hills.
Boulsworth Hill Boulsworth Hill is a large expanse of moorland, the highest point of the South Pennines of south-eastern Lancashire, England, separating the Borough of Pendle from Calderdale. Its summit, Lad Law, is 1,696 ft (517 m) above sea level, ...
, which lies on the boundary between Lancashire and
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
overlooks the town from the south. From the summit of
Noyna Hill Noyna Hill (sometimes just called "Noyna" or "Noyna Rock/s") is a hill in the Pennines hills range in Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is located a mile to the east of Foulridge and it is possible to see other local towns such as Colne, Nelson, ...
to the north, close to the village of
Foulridge Foulridge (pronounced ) is a village and civil parish in Pendle, Lancashire, close to the border with North Yorkshire in England. It is situated just beyond Colne, on the route from the M65 to Skipton, and is an important stopping point on sum ...
, it is possible to look out across much of East Lancashire and into the
Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills rising from the Vale of York w ...
.
Blacko Blacko is a village and civil parish in the Pendle district of Lancashire, England. Before local government reorganisation in 1974 the village lay on the border with the West Riding of Yorkshire. The parish has a population of 672. The villa ...
Tower (Stansfield Tower) is clearly visible to the north west, across White Moor, which forms the long eastern slope of
Weets Hill Weets Hill is a hill in the West Craven area of Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is south-west of the town of Barnoldswick and is north-east of Pendle Hill. The hill is in the traditional county of Yorkshire, but following local government r ...
. The hamlet of
Wycoller Wycoller is a village in the civil parish of Trawden Forest in Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is east of Colne, near to the junction of the Lancashire, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire borders. The village may date back to the 10th century ...
, off the road to
Haworth Haworth () is a village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines, south-west of Keighley, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope. Nearby villages inc ...
, is the focus for the Country Park of the same name. Although traffic free (visitors must park outside the village), the peace and tranquility is often broken in the summer months as tourists are drawn to the visitor centre alongside the ruined hall. From here a network of footpaths and bridleways pass through the ford or cross Wycoller Beck on a series of ancient bridges, up to 1,000 years old. A series of circular walks traverse the lower slopes of Boulsworth Hill, whilst the long distance Bronte Way passes through en route to Haworth. Colne is approximately 5 miles east of
Pendle Hill Pendle Hill is in the east of Lancashire, England, near the towns of Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Brierfield, Clitheroe and Padiham. Its summit is above mean sea level. It gives its name to the Borough of Pendle. It is an isolated hill in the P ...
, arguably the most well-known local landmark. Owing to its association with the
Pendle witches The trials of the Pendle witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in English history, and some of the best recorded of the 17th century. The twelve accused lived in the area surrounding Pendle Hill in Lancashire, and were charged ...
, many local people walk up the hill, but particularly at
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
. Several nearby farmhouses are reputed to be haunted, and have featured on the TV programmes ''
Most Haunted ''Most Haunted'' is a British paranormal reality television series. Following complaints, the broadcast regulator, Ofcom, ruled that it was an entertainment show, not a legitimate investigation into the paranormal, and "should not be taken ser ...
'' and ''
Most Haunted Live! ''Most Haunted Live'' is a spin-off of the paranormal reality television series ''Most Haunted'' and was also produced by Antix Productions. The show consists of paranormal investigations broadcast live over a period of one or more nights, us ...
'' The town is also known for
Wallace Hartley Wallace Henry Hartley (2 June 1878 – 15 April 1912) was an English violinist and bandleader on the on its maiden voyage. He became famous for leading the eight-member band Sinking of the RMS Titanic, as the ship sank on 15 April 1912. He died ...
, bandmaster on the RMS ''Titanic'', to whom a memorial was erected, on Albert Road, in 1915. Wallace lived in Colne and is buried in the local cemetery.


Transport

Colne is connected to the national railway network.
Colne railway station Colne railway station serves the town of Colne, in Lancashire, England, which is situated close to Pendle Hill. The station, which is managed by Northern, is the eastern terminus of the East Lancashire Line. Trains from Blackpool South run thr ...
is ¾m (1 km) west of the town centre. It forms the eastern terminus of 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 ...
, which runs to
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
, Brierfield,
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 ...
and on to Preston and
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. The line beyond Colne, formerly part of the
Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...
, was closed by British Rail in 1970, but in recent years the Skipton-East Lancashire Railway Action Partnership (SELRAP) has petitioned for the reopening up of the line between Colne and
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...
, as yet without success. are still aiming for a reconnection of this rail line. The local bus company, Burnley & Pendle, was part-owned until 1996 by the two borough councils. There are buses every few minutes during the daytime on the 'Main Line' service between
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 ...
bus station and Colne town centre. Most of these then fork in various directions at each end, and continue to
Padiham Padiham ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Calder, about west of Burnley, Lancashire, England. It forms part of the Borough of Burnley. Originally by the River Calder, it is edged by the foothills of Pendle Hill to the north-west ...
,
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 ...
or Accrington from
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 ...
, and to
Earby Earby is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. Although within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, Earby has been administered by Lancashire County Council since 1974 and regularly cel ...
,
Barnoldswick Barnoldswick (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, Barnoldswick and the surrounding areas of West Craven have be ...
,
Trawden Trawden is a village in the Trawden Forest parish of Pendle, at the foot of Boulsworth Hill, in Lancashire, England. The village co-operatively owns and runs its library, shop, community centre and pub. Activities As a way of encouraging pe ...
or
Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford city centre, north-west of Bi ...
from Colne. Until 2005 the town had a direct bus service to
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 ...
in the shape of route X43, but this was withdrawn following low usage, with the frequency along the Main Line routes improved to compensate. They also operate an hourly service between
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...
and
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 ...
via Colne. The
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
passes to the north-west of Colne. Beyond Barrowford Locks, barges enter the summit level and then the -long
Foulridge Tunnel The Foulridge Tunnel () is a canal tunnel on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Foulridge, Lancashire. Also known as the Mile Tunnel, Foulridge is long and was built by Samuel Fletcher, following Robert Whitworth's 1789 survey. The tunnel is the ...
. Close to the western portal, water from three reservoirs built between 1793 and 1866 feed the summit level.


Education


Colne Grammar School

Colne Grammar School was a focus for education from the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
and had
John Tillotson John Tillotson (October 1630 – 22 November 1694) was the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury from 1691 to 1694. Curate and rector Tillotson was the son of a Puritan clothier at Haughend, Sowerby, Yorkshire. Little is known of his early youth ...
an
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
(1691–1694) amongst its alumni. Construction of the 'new school' on Barrowford Road was completed 1941. It finally closed in the late 20th century when
Nelson and Colne College Nelson & Colne College is situated in the town of Nelson, Lancashire, North West of England, providing Further Education to Pendle and the surrounding districts. It is a tertiary college, offering courses to post-16 students, adult learners and ...
, which then occupied the building, consolidated its operations on a site in nearby Barrowford. The impressive red brick building, was converted to apartments in 2009 and now forms the centrepiece of an executive housing development known as The Locks.


Pre-schools

There are several pre-schools in the area which are spread across the town.


Primary schools

There are several primary schools in the Colne area, one of which is a
Catholic school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...
. The schools in the town are: *Colne Lord Street Primary School *West Street Community Primary School *Sacred Heart Catholic school *Colne Primet Primary School *Colne Park Primary School *Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Schools in the immediate area include: *Foulridge St Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School *Trawden Forest Primary School *Laneshaw Bridge Primary School For details of more schools around Colne see
Foulridge Foulridge (pronounced ) is a village and civil parish in Pendle, Lancashire, close to the border with North Yorkshire in England. It is situated just beyond Colne, on the route from the M65 to Skipton, and is an important stopping point on sum ...
,
Trawden Trawden is a village in the Trawden Forest parish of Pendle, at the foot of Boulsworth Hill, in Lancashire, England. The village co-operatively owns and runs its library, shop, community centre and pub. Activities As a way of encouraging pe ...
,
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
,
Laneshaw Bridge Laneshawbridge (otherwise Laneshaw Bridge) is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 918. It is to the east of Colne in Lancashire and is the easternmost settlem ...
and Brierfield.


High schools

There are also three
high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
in Colne: Colne Primet Academy, Park High School and Ss John Fisher and Thomas More RC High School.


Colleges and further education

Nelson and Colne College Nelson & Colne College is situated in the town of Nelson, Lancashire, North West of England, providing Further Education to Pendle and the surrounding districts. It is a tertiary college, offering courses to post-16 students, adult learners and ...
is the main provider of post-16 education in the area – there is no
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
or continuing
sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
centre, the nearest being in
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 ...
and
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...
. Nelson and Colne College offers AS-level and
A-level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
qualifications, as well as BTEC,
City and Guilds The City and Guilds of London Institute is an educational organisation in the United Kingdom. Founded on 11 November 1878 by the City of London and 16 livery companies – to develop a national system of technical education, the institute has ...
, Open College of the
North West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
and some professional qualifications. The college also has tie-ins with some higher education institutions.


Religion

St Bartholomew's Church, on Church Street, dates from before 1122 when the town's market was located in the churchyard. In 1988 the church was designated a Grade I
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
by
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...
. The Grade I listing is for buildings "of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important". Other churches and former churches in the town include the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
Christ Church (founded 1836), Holy Trinity Church and St. Bartholomew's Church; Mount Zion United Methodist Church and St John's Methodist Church; Sacred Heart
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Church; the
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
Hall on Market Place (now a
Citizens Advice Bureau Citizens AdviceCitizens Advice is the operating name of The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux which is the umbrella charity for a wider network of local advice centres. The abbreviation CitA is sometimes used to refer to this nation ...
); and Trinity Baptist Church. Bethel Independent Methodist Church, dating from 1871, was the church of RMS Titanic's bandmaster Wallace Hartley. Church records exist for no fewer than thirty-four different places of worship and nine cemeteries.


Sports and leisure

Colne F.C., established in 1996, is the town's football team; it currently plays in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division. Their predecessor at Holt House Stadium
Colne Dynamoes F.C. Colne Dynamoes Football Club was a football club based in Colne, Lancashire, England. After spending much of their existence in the lower reaches of Non-League football, heavy financial investment by former player turned millionaire chairman-man ...
received heavy investment from a local entrepreneur in the 1980s, but after winning the
Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
crown in 1989/90 were refused entry to the
Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
and folded before the start of the following season.
Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club () is an English association football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, that competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, following relegation from the 2021–22 Premier League. Founded on 18 ...
, which plays in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
enjoys strong support in the town. The town also has a junior football club, Colne JFC, which runs teams for 8- to 16-year-olds, as well as a senior team. Colne & Nelson Rugby Union Football Club play at Holt House Playing Fields and the club celebrated its centenary in 2015. It runs two senior teams a Ladies' team and a massive Junior and Mini Colts section.
Colne Cricket Club Colne Cricket Club is a cricket club who play in the Lancashire League, which plays its home games at The Horsfield in Colne. For the 2022 season, their club captain is Tom Bradshaw, their 2nd XI captain is Martin Kegg, their 3rd XI captain is ...
was formed in 1830 and is the oldest
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
club in the Lancashire League. It has been a continuous member of the Lancashire League since 1890. The first games were played on the Horsfield, the same field that is used today. Pendle Leisure Trust runs the Pendle Leisure Centre next to the railway station. The facility has two swimming pools, a fitness centre and gymnasium, sauna and sports hall. In summer 2013, the outdoor all-weather pitch was replaced by Urban Altitude. This outdoor aerial assault course is the first of its kind to be built in the UK in an urban location. It includes high and low rope courses, up to 42 ft off the ground, a 60m Zip-Wire, Leap of Faith, Power Fan Free-fall, Jacobs Ladder and Climbing Wall. The nine-hole Colne Golf Club is located at Law Farm, to the north east of the town. There are two large local parks: King George V Playing Fields on Skipton Road ( A56) and Alkincoats Park, off the road between Colne and
Barrowford Barrowford () is a large village and civil parish in the Pendle district of Lancashire, England. It is situated to the north of Nelson on the other side of the M65 motorway, and forms part of the Nelson conurbation. It also comprises the area ...
(B6247). Alkincoats Park, once the estate of
Alkincoats Hall Alkincoats Hall was a country house in Colne, Lancashire, England. Part of the estate in which the hall stood is now the 35-acre (14 ha) Alkincoats public park. Originally built in the north of the estate in 1575, the hall was enlarged in 1720 an ...
, has
bowling green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
s, hard surface tennis courts, pitch and put golf, a children's play area and footpaths that lead to areas close to the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
and the now-dismantled Colne to
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...
railway line. The towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the trackbed of the dismantled Colne to Skipton railway are also popular leisure destinations, as is Ballgrove Picnic Area at the eastern edge of Colne, close to
Laneshaw Bridge Laneshawbridge (otherwise Laneshaw Bridge) is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 918. It is to the east of Colne in Lancashire and is the easternmost settlem ...
. It is possible to walk from here to historic
Wycoller Wycoller is a village in the civil parish of Trawden Forest in Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is east of Colne, near to the junction of the Lancashire, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire borders. The village may date back to the 10th century ...
. There is an active sailing club at Lake Burwain one of the feeder lakes to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Since 2004, Colne has hosted the annual Colne Grand Prix cycle race, part of
British Cycling British Cycling (formerly the British Cycling Federation) is the main national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Bri ...
's Elite Circuit Series. The course follows an 800-metre circuit of the one-way road system around the town centre. In 2013, Olympic Gold medallist
Ed Clancy Edward Franklin Clancy (born 12 March 1985) is a British former professional track and road bicycle racer, who competed between 2004 and 2021. During his career, Clancy won four medals (three gold, one bronze) at the Summer Olympic Games, ...
MBE, representing Rapha Condor JLT, became the first repeat winner of the race. Ralph, the father of the late Roger Bannister the first sub-four-minute miler in 1954, was born in Colne, the family having lived here for 400 years. ''"Roger Bannister and the Four-minute Mile by John Bale"'' Every August
bank holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or held ...
since 1989, the award-winning ''Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival'' has been hosted at venues throughout the town, attracting artists and visitors from across the world. Many local pubs and clubs stage music gigs; others hold 'fringe' type performances. The larger events are staged at the Municipal Hall close to the town centre. A second festival, the Colne Gala, has been held on every year (except two) for the past five decades; the first Gala being held in 1959. It begins with a parade through the town centre, which then proceeds towards Alkincoats Park and Holt House, where there are live events, a fairground, charity stalls and children's attractions. Colne also has a buoyant night-time economy, with a number of restaurants in the vicinity of its three theatres: the amateur-run
Pendle Hippodrome Theatre The Pendle Hippodrome Theatre is an volunteer-run theatre in Colne, Lancashire in the north of England. It is owned by the Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company, operating as Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Limited. The building originally opened in 1914 a ...
; The Municipal Hall ('The Muni'), which hosts concerts, exhibitions and the annual pantomime, and the Little Theatre, home of Colne Dramatic Society.


Media

The town sits in the far eastern corner 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 Lancashi ...
, close to the border with
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
and
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
. The area is served by television from
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
and
BBC North West BBC North West is the BBC English Region serving Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Yorkshire (western Craven), West Yorkshire (western Calderdale), Derbyshire (western High Peak), Cumbria (Barrow-in-Furness ...
. It is also served by radio from
BBC Radio Lancashire BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Lancashire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Darwen Street in Blackburn. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly aud ...
,
Capital Manchester and Lancashire Capital Manchester and Lancashire is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Capital network. It was broadcast to Greater Manchester and eastern & central parts of Lancashire from studios at the XYZ Building in Spinn ...
which replaced 2BR in April 2019, and Pendle Community Radio, a
community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popula ...
service aimed at the borough's
British Asian British Asians (also referred to as Asian Britons) are British citizens of Asian descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with 6.9% of the population identifying as Asian/Asian Bri ...
population. A local newspaper, the
Colne Times Colne () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. Located northeast of Nelson, north-east of Burnley, east of Preston and west of Leeds. The town should not be confused with the unrelated Colne Vall ...
, a variant edition of the larger
Burnley Express __NOTOC__ The ''Burnley Express'' is a newspaper for Burnley and Padiham, England and surrounding area. It is printed twice weekly, on Tuesday and Friday, which is the larger edition. In print since 1877, it is now part of the group JPIMedia. O ...
, is published on Fridays. A second midweek edition, the Pendle Express, aimed at both Colne and neighbouring Nelson, is published on Tuesdays. The town is also served by 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 ...
, which publishes a
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 ...
,
Pendle Pendle may refer to: * Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England ** Pendle (UK Parliament constituency) * Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England ** Forest of Pendle, hilly landscape surrounding the hill * Pendle College of the University of Lancaster * ...
and Rossendale edition six days a week and by a weekly freesheet, the 'Pendle Citizen', which appears on Thursdays. Colne along with the neighbouring town of
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
are mentioned in the 1991 song,
It's Grim Up North "It's Grim Up North" is a song by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (The JAMs). The song was originally released as a limited edition "Club Mix" in December 1990 with Pete Wylie on vocals. A re-recorded version with Bill Drummond on vocals was rele ...
by the band
The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) are a British electronic band formed in London in 1987. Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) began by releasing h ...
.


Notable people

John Tillotson John Tillotson (October 1630 – 22 November 1694) was the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury from 1691 to 1694. Curate and rector Tillotson was the son of a Puritan clothier at Haughend, Sowerby, Yorkshire. Little is known of his early youth ...
,
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
from 1691 until 1694 was educated in Colne Grammar School.
Wallace Hartley Wallace Henry Hartley (2 June 1878 – 15 April 1912) was an English violinist and bandleader on the on its maiden voyage. He became famous for leading the eight-member band Sinking of the RMS Titanic, as the ship sank on 15 April 1912. He died ...
, bandleader on board the ''
RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
'' was brought up and lived in Colne. He has a memorial near the Library Cenotaph and is buried in the town's cemetery. John Cunliffe, author and broadcaster of ''
Postman Pat ''Postman Pat'' is a British stop-motion animated television series first produced by Woodland Animations. The series follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman who works for Royal Mail postal service in the fictional village of Greendal ...
'' and ''
Rosie and Jim ''Rosie and Jim'' (sometimes written as ''Rosie & Jim'') is a British children's television programme which was produced by Ragdoll Productions and aired on ITV from 3 September 1990 to 16 May 2000. The programme was then repeated periodica ...
''.
Sir William Pickles Hartley Sir William Pickles Hartley (23 February 1846 – 25 October 1922) was an English jam manufacturer and philanthropist who founded the Hartley's jam company. Biography Hartley was born in Colne, Lancashire, the only surviving child of John Hart ...
,
jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...
manufacturer and philanthropist, who founded the Hartley's, Hartley's Jam Company was born in Colne in 1846 and attended a local British and Foreign School Society school. ''Hartley's Jam'' is still on the market though no longer linked to Colne. He gave some of his profits to build Hartley Hospital and Hartley Homes on the boundary with Laneshawbridge. Brian Redman, (born 9 March 1937 in Colne) Redman drove for Shadow Racing Cars both in CanAm and in Formula One in the 1960s and 1970s and winning the SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship three years in a row (1974–76) driving Lolas. He raced many 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans 24-hour races and living in Florida is still active appearing at the 36th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races in August 2009. Sydney Silverman, MP for Nelson & Colne, 1935–68, winning eight elections and sponsoring the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, abolition of hanging in 1965. Tony Livesey, British journalist and broadcaster who lives in Colne. Mike Phelan, a former player for
Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club () is an English association football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, that competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, following relegation from the 2021–22 Premier League. Founded on 18 ...
and Assistant Manager of Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson. Natalie Gumede, actress best known for playing China in BBC Three's ''Ideal (TV series), Ideal'' and Kirsty Soames in ''Coronation Street''. Jeff Smith (motorcyclist), Jeff Smith MBE, motorcyclist known for his two FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships (1964–65), two British Trials Championships, multiple British Experts Trial wins, four individual race wins in the Motocross des Nations, one Scottish Six Days Trial win and eight ISDT Gold Medals.[2] He was a member of the BSA factory racing team. Steven Burke, track and road cyclist who won the bronze medal in the individual pursuit at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, Burke was a member of the GB team that won the gold 2012 Summer Olympics and World championships Team Pursuit discipline. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to cycling. Hannah Hobley, actress, best known for playing Chantelle "Telle" Garvey in
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
's ''Benidorm (British TV series), Benidorm''. Alan Wharton, (1923–1993) England cricket team, England Test cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, Lancashire and later Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Leicestershire. Geoff Hall (cricketer), Geoff Hall (1941–2009) played Cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, Somerset David Fishwick owns David Fishwick Minibus Company and stars in Channel 4's ''Bank of Dave''. Dave Walker (footballer, born 1941), Dave Walker (1941 - 2015), born in Colne, became a professional footballer for Burnley F.C. and Southampton F.C. John Rawnsley, Opera Singer and Actor, Glyndebourne Opera, Royal Opera House and English National Opera was born in Colne and worked at Smith & Nephew, Glen Mills before attending the RNCM in Manchester in 1971. Edward Vaughan (cruciverbalist), Edward Vaughan (born 1943), crossword expert, born in Colne and grew up in
Barnoldswick Barnoldswick (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle, Lancashire, England. It is within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, Barnoldswick and the surrounding areas of West Craven have be ...
, who sets crosswords for the Magpie Crossword Magazine and The Times, The Times Listener Crossword under the pseudonym 'Pointer'.


See also

*Listed buildings in Colne *Talbot Street bomb-making haul, the largest ever discovery of domestic bomb-making equipment in the UK. *Colne and Trawden Light Railway Company


References


Notes


Bibliography

*Dorothy Harrison (ed.), ''The History of Colne'', Pendle Heritage Centre, 1988


External links


BBC Sunday stroll photos in Foulridge & Colne
{{authority control Colne, Towns and villages in the Borough of Pendle Civil parishes in Lancashire Towns in Lancashire