Feniscowles

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Feniscowles
Feniscowles shown within Lancashire
OS grid reference	SD645257
Parish	Livesey
Unitary authority	Blackburn with Darwen
Ceremonial county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BLACKBURN
Postcode district	BB2
Dialling code	01254
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Blackburn
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Coordinates: 53°43′36″N 2°32′17″W / 53.7266, -2.5381

Feniscowles is a village in the unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, England. It is situated approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Blackburn. Part of the village is in the civil parish of Livesey.^[1]

The village is mentioned in documents as early as 1276 when its name was recorded as 'Feinycholes'.^[2]

The village is primarily a suburb of Blackburn, situated on Preston Old Road near the boundary with the borough of Chorley (borough). Many houses in the village have been built since the 1960s, including the Beechwood Drive, Park Farm and Feniscowles Bridge areas.

The village is located on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It was also on the Chorley to Cherry Tree railway line, which was built in 1866-69.^[3] The village's railway station closed in 1960, with the line closing completely in 1968. Industry in the village includes a Sappi Blackburn Mill^[4], originally built in 1875^[5] as the Star Paper Mill. Another paper mill, also built in the 1870s and known as the Sun Paper Mill, which closed in 1992^[6] and has now been demolished.

On the edge of the village, next to the River Darwen is Feniscowles New Hall, now a ruin but in the 19th century was the home of the Feilden family.^[7]

[edit] History

Feniscowles Old Hall was built in the 1400s on the north bank of the River Darwen.^[8] In 1800 Feniscowles was a hamlet with a population of around 60 people.^[9]