Essential Hotels > England > Lancashire > Blackburn

Blackburn is a town in Lancashire’s wonderful Ribble Valley, an area characterised by green, rolling hills and superb scenery. It is a town with a proud history and a bold, confident outlook on the future. Home to Lancashire’s only Anglican cathedral, Blackburn retains the friendly feel of an old North Country mill town while servicing the needs of today’s modern generation. Blessed with such a rich tapestry of cultural diversity and influences, this is a fascinating town with much more to offer than just 4,000 holes from Lennon and McCartney’s epic “A Day in the Life”.

The area around Blackburn and Darwen lay on the ancient military road that linked Roman Mancunium (Manchester) to Bremetennacum (Ribchester), and there is evidence of considerable activity during this time. It was the explosion of the cotton industry during the Industrial Revolution that cemented Lancashire’s reputation, and Blackburn was among the front-runners of this era, thanks in part to Samuel Crompton’s invention of the Spinning Mule. Today’s industries in Blackburn are diverse, partly due to the excellent motorway network that links the town to the rest of the country. From one of the world’s foremost CD manufacturers to the famous Thwaites brewery, Blackburn’s economy is once more on an upward turn.

Blackburn is situated near to the M65 as it works its way across the country from Leyland to Colne while the M6 is also found in close proximity to the settlement. There are several parks and areas of greenery dotted around the town and so they offer an excellent opportunity to breathe some fresh air and stretch the legs. Meanwhile, from the town the nation’s west coast is a short drive away while the mighty Manchester is positioned not too far away to the south.

So what can visitors expect of Blackburn? Apart from those who visit on business, many people’s experience of the town centres around Ewood Park, home of the famous Blackburn Rovers Football Club: founder members of the Football League, six times FA Cup winners and so far the only town-based team to win the English Premiership. Add to this a blossoming arts and culture scene, great live music venues, shopping (including one of the UK’s largest indoor markets), vibrant nightlife and first rate sports and leisure facilities, and it becomes quite obtuse how Blackburn remains such a well kept secret.