Blackburn
Blackburn
is a large town in Lancashire, England. It lies to the
north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge
of the Ribble Valley, 8.9 miles (14.3 km) east of the
city of Preston, and 20 miles (32 km) north-northwest
of the city of Manchester. Blackburn is bounded to the
south by Darwen, with which it forms the unitary authority
area of Blackburn with Darwen, Blackburn being the administrative
centre. At the time of the UK Government's 2001 census,
Blackburn had a population of 105,085, whilst the wider
borough had a population of 137,470.
A
former mill town, textiles have been produced in Blackburn
since the middle of the 13th century, when locally produced
wool was woven in people's houses. Flemish weavers who
settled in the area during the 14th century helped to
develop the industry. James Hargreaves, inventor of
the spinning jenny, was a weaver in Blackburn. The most
rapid period of growth and development in Blackburn's
history coincided with the industrialisation and expansion
of textile manufacturing. Blackburn was a boomtown of
the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the first industrialised
towns in the world.
Blackburn's
textile sector fell into a terminal decline from the
mid-20th century. Blackburn has subsequently faced similar
challenges to other post-industrial northern towns,
including deindustrialisation, economic deprivation
and housing issues. Since the 1950s the town has experienced
significant levels of immigration, particularly from
India and Pakistan, and consequently has the third highest
proportion of Muslims in England and Wales and the highest
in the United Kingdom outside London. Blackburn has
experienced strained community relations in some areas.
Blackburn and the town centre in particular has seen
significant investment and redevelopment in the past
15 years. Regeneration has been bolstered by monies
from government and the European Regional Development
Fund. |
