Colne

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For articles about rivers called Colne, see River Colne.

Colne
Statistics
Population:	20,118 (2001 census)
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	SD884399
Administration
District:	Pendle
Shire county:	Lancashire
Region:	North West England
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Lancashire
Historic county:	Lancashire
Services
Police force:	Lancashire
Fire and rescue:	{{{Fire}}}
Ambulance:	North West
Post office and telephone
Post town:	COLNE
Postal district:	BB8
Dialling code:	01282
Politics
UK Parliament:	Pendle
European Parliament:	North West England

Colne is a town in east Lancashire, in the north-west of England, with a population of around 20,000. It is a principal town in the district of Pendle, and is the last station on the Colne to Preston railway. Colne is located 2.5 miles north-east of Nelson (the administrative centre of Pendle), 6 miles north-east of Burnley, 25 miles east of Preston, 25 miles north of Manchester and 30 miles west of Leeds. It is commonly confused with the nearby unrelated Colne Valley, as well as several rivers also named Colne.

[edit] History

The history of the local area dates back to the Stone Age. A Mesolithic camp site, a Bronze Age burial site, and stone tools from the Bronze and Stone Ages have been discovered around nearby Trawden. There are also the remains of an iron age fort above Nelson and Colne at Castercliffe which has been dated back to the 6th century BC.

The name Colne is of Celtic origin. It is currently thought to have been founded around the 1st to 4th centuries BC by the Brigantes. It was located along the Trans-Pennine ridgeway, a major trade route dating back to the Bronze Age.

Although a Roman road passes through nearby Barnoldswick, and some Roman coins have been discovered, there is no conclusive evidence of the Romans having occupied the area. There is however some debate among local historians as to whether the Romans may have stayed at Castercliffe.

During the *** centuries, Colne came under Northumbrian and then Viking rule. It is believed that the Battle of Brunanburgh was fought near Trawden.

From the 1090s until 1311, the area was controlled by the de Lacy's of Pontefract from their outpost at Clitheroe Castle. Pendle Forest and Trawden Forest date from this period, forest in those times meaning a hunting ground for royals and other nobles. St. Bartholomew's church dates from before 1122.

The town developed in two parts: Colne, on top of the ridge; and Waterside, at the base of the southern side of the ridge, next to the river. By 1296, a corn mill and a fulling mill had been established down by the river. Later, coal was also mined here.

By the 15th century, Colne had become a major centre for the woollen trade, in particular for the production of lightweight kersey. With the Industrial Revolution, cotton manufacturing became the main industry in the town, aided by the completion of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1816, and by the later arrival of the railway.

The town was made urban district in 1894 and quickly designated a borough in 1895. The town's population declined somewhat during the 20th century, as with many mid Lancashire mill towns. In 1911 the census reported 26,000 people: and in 1971 it reported 19,000 people. [1] In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, it was made part of Pendle district.

[edit] Today

Today, Colne's cotton industry is declining, although other types of industry are starting to appear.

Every August Bank Holiday, the Great British Rhythm and Blues festival takes place there, which attracts people and artists from all over the world.

The town is also known for the British in India Museum, and the Wallace Hartley memorial, in memory of the bandmaster of the RMS Titanic who used to live in Colne.

[edit] Bibliography

• The History of Colne - Edited by Dorothy Harrison - Published by Pendle Heritage Centre Ltd - Copyright 1988