Blacko
| Blacko | |
 A view of Blacko Tower taken from the top of the village in early winter |
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  Blacko |
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| Population | 595 (2001) |
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| OS grid reference | SD856415 |
| Civil parish | Blacko |
| District | Pendle |
| Shire county | Lancashire |
| Region | North West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NELSON |
| Postcode district | BB9 |
| Dialling code | 01282 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Pendle |
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Coordinates: 53°52′08″N 2°13′01″W / 53.869°N 2.217°W
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. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 595.
The village is on the old turnpike road from Nelson to Gisburn (A682). The village enjoys views towards Boulsworth Hill to its southeast, the former cotton town of Nelson, about two miles to its south and Pendle Hill to its west.
Overlooking the village is Stansfield Tower (also known as Blacko Tower), which was built around 1890. A local grocer, Jonathan Stansfield, built this circular rough stone tower to provide himself with a view over Ribblesdale from the top, but the height fell somewhat short.[1] A Bronze Age axe, believed to be 3,500 years old, was found near the tower in 1952.
Blacko is set on a hill overlooking Pendle Water, and in 2002 was the winner of the Lancashire Best Kept Village competition. Blacko was runner-up in the competition in 2005, beaten by the village of Wrea Green.
Blacko was the childhood home of Lancashire comedian Jimmy Clitheroe (1921–73), famous for his BBC radio series The Clitheroe Kid, who lived there from 1922 to 1935. Jimmy went to school in Blacko and appeared in many amateur concert party entertainments in the village's Methodist chapel, before turning professional in 1936.
Also during the 1930s it was the home of the comedian Tommy Trafford, who played many summer seasons in the Lancashire seaside resort of Southport between the 1960s and '80s, resulting in his nickname of Mr Southport.
References
Notes
- ↑ Clayton (2007), pp. 266–7
Bibliography
- Clayton, John A. (2007), The Lancashire Witch Conspiracy, Barrowford Press, ISBN 978-0-9553821-2-3
External links
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