Burnley factfile

How to get to Burnley
Burnley lies 30 km (19 mi) east of Preston, where the River Calder and the River Brun meet. You can easily get to Burnley via the M65 (junctions 9, 10 and 11). Trains run to three local stations—Burnley Manchester Road, Burnley Central and Burnley Barracks.

Burnley through the ages
Burnley dates back to prehistoric times—in fact, Stone Age flint tools and weapons have been discovered in the area. But there's no recorded history of the town until 1122, when the charter of Hugh de Laval gifted the Church of Burnley to Pontefract Priory.

In its early days, Burnley was a small farming community, gaining a corn mill in 1290 and a market in 1294. Little of early Burnley still survives, apart from the Market Cross in the grounds of Burnley College, which dates back to 1295.

By 1550, the community of Burnley clustered around St Peter's Church. Other remaining buildings that remain from this period include Gawthorpe Hall and Towneley Hall.

Arts and culture in Burnley
The Mid-Pennine Gallery houses a range of contemporary art, while Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museum has a collection of almost 1,500 oil paintings, sculptures, watercolours and illustrations.

Entertainment in Burnley
You can see anything from ballet to brass bands, as well as amateur and professional drama, at the Mechanics Theatre.

Burnley is home to the annual National Blues Festival, one of the biggest blues festivals in the country. In the 1970s, the town was an important Northern Soul centre, and several pubs and small local venues still hold regular Northern Soul Nights.

Famous landmarks in Burnley
High above Burnley at Crown Point is the Singing-Ringing Tree—a musical sculpture designed by award-winning architects Tonkin-Liu. As the wind blows, it passes through pipes in the sculpture, producing a low, mellow hum.

Sports and Leisure in Burnley
Burnley Football Club, nicknamed the Clarets because of their claret and blue strip, was one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888. They have played at home ground Turf Moor since 1883.

Two teams also play Lancashire League cricket locally. Lowerhouse Cricket Club plays at Liverpool Road, and Burnley Cricket Club plays at Turf Moor, on a field alongside the football pitch.

Famous people from Burnley
Actor and gay rights activist Sir Ian McKellen was born in Burnley in 1939.