Altham, Lancashire

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Altham
Altham shown within Lancashire
Population	897 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	SD775325
District	Hyndburn
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ACCRINGTON
Postcode district	BB5
Dialling code	01254
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Hyndburn
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Coordinates: 53°47′N 2°20′W / 53.78, -2.34

Altham is a village and a civil parish in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England. It is the only parish in the district - the rest of the district is an unparished area. The village is six miles west of Burnley and two miles north-east of Clayton-le-Moors. The River Calder runs through the village. Also within the parish is Altham West, a suburb of Accrington located in the south of the parish. The 2001 census recorded a population of 897.

Although having only a small population Altham is home to two industrial estates, Altham Industrial Estate within the village and Moorfield Industrial Estate in the southwest of the parish near Clayton-le-Moors and adjacent to junction 8 of the M65 motorway.

There was formerly a colliery, originally named Altham Colliery but later renamed Moorfield Colliery^[1], located within the parish, although Moorfield Industrial Estate is now on the site. An explosion at the colliery in 1883 resulted in the deaths of 68 people.^[2]

The cemetery at a now demolished Catholic church in Burnley Road was known locally as the "Donkey graveyard".^{[citation needed]} It was once overgrown and derelict but has been restored and overhauled by the council.

There was once a whippet racing track behind the cemetery used by locals up until the 1970s.

The Ham class minesweeper HMS Altham was named after the village.