Facts About Blackburn

Blackburn is a town in the borough of Blackburn with Darwen, and it has been around for hundreds of years. It is the third-largest settlement in Lancashire, and it is also an important place to visit if you are looking for a lovely day out. There are many attractions to see and places to go when visiting Blackburn. If you’re curious about what makes this town so special, continue reading!

The current population of Blackburn based on the 2011 census is 139,0781 and the population density of Blackburn at this time was 56.04 people per hectare (2012).

A Little History of Blackburn

The history of Blackburn stretches back to Roman times where it would have consisted mainly of a small settlement on the River Darwen. The River Darwen was a main route to the Irish Sea during the Roman occupation. The first mention of Blackburn is found in the Domesday Book with a listing as Blacheberge.

There were also several medieval settlements in and around the town, which includes an ancient hamlet called Blackburn. The town has seen a lot of development over the years, with some sections being demolished and new towns built in their place. Most notably, in 1960s when large housing estates were constructed to accommodate the growing population during this time period (1960). In 1963 it was designated as part of Lancashire and in 1974, Blackburn was subsumed into the metropolitan county of Lancashire.

In the 18th century, Blackburn was a centre of textile manufacture. This industry continued to flourish until the late 20th century and as a result Blackburn has always been an important industrial town. In addition, Blackburn has a strong military heritage. This is due to the establishment of an air force training centre in 1937, which continues to serve as one of the largest employers in modern day Blackburn.

In 2001 there was only about 26% that were employed within manufacturing and just over 18% in distribution, transport and communication; this figure contrasted with 35% in 2001.

Government of Blackburn

The government of Blackburn is structured as a council. It is made up of the Borough Council and Blackburn with Darwen London Borough Council (BDBC). The Blackburn with Darwen council was founded in 1974. Throughout the years, it has grown from a small suburban district into an authority that is responsible for over 120 square kilometers and more than 100 000 inhabitants. Together, they are responsible for many aspects such as:

• Disposing of refuse from households. This is performed through a system of refuse collection and recycling.
• Providing social care for adults which includes : Social care for adults with learning disabilities, Mental health services including community mental health teams, Supporting families and children through a variety of programmes which include Family support centres, and Early years provision such as Sure Start Children’s Centres. Schools may also provide activities for parents during this time.
• Promoting economic development, through the provision of advice to businesses about starting up or expanding their operations in Blackburn. Blackburn business that require more information in this regard should visit the BDBC website (1).
• Administering a variety of services for the local community such as leisure facilities, libraries and waste disposal
• Providing information about council activities in Blackburn with Darwen London Borough Council
• Promoting tourism by providing details about places to visit and accommodation available. If you are interested in visiting this area, then please visit the Blackburn Darwen website
• Paying towards services like education, health and housing that are not provided by BDBC but which people living in Blackburn will need at some point during their lives
• Providing clean water supplies. This is the responsibility of the water company but the council is involved in providing safe drinking water
• Providing clean air by managing landfill sites, and ensuring that there are no nasty smells or unsightly litter
• Production of gas and electricity for homes. This can be done through renewable sources such as solar power to help reduce our carbon footprint
• Ensuring a healthy and safe environment by controlling development and making sure that all new construction is environmentally sound
• Providing roads, footpaths, cycle lanes and other transport infrastructure. This includes maintaining the road network to make sure it’s accessible for vehicles of all types
• Keeping public spaces in good condition so they’re attractive places to visit
• Ensuring the country’s natural beauty is preserved by protecting historic sites and land
• Providing a wide range of entertainment, arts and culture that can be enjoyed for free or at low cost. All children also get the opportunity to enjoy this right through their school years as well
• Carrying out environmental services like collecting dog droppings in public parks. It achieves this by providing the necessary equipment and staff
• Picking up litter and tidying up
• Arranging a clean-up campaign
• Providing after school clubs for children. It offers this service in partnership with other providers in Blackburn, such as schools, youth centres and sports organizations
• Caring about people’s health including: preventing accidents; promoting healthy lifestyles; protecting against diseases like flu
• Providing children’s services like schools, nurseries, after school activities
• Running social care for adults with disabilities or special needs.

Things to do in Blackburn

The city centre is pedestrianised with a number of shopping opportunities including retailers such as Boots, Primark, and Next.

• There are also a number of restaurants in the town including KFC, Pizza Hut Express, Costa Coffee, Wetherspoons…
• Blackburn has its own market on Market Street which is open every Saturday morning from about 08:00 to 12:30 with a range of produce available for sale as well as a number of stalls.
• For those that are interested in history, Blackburn has its own local museum which is open every day and offers an insight into the town’s past along with what life was like for people living here at different points over time.
• For those looking for a hot drink and something to nibble on before going out in Blackburn there is Costa Coffee at the top end of Market Street where it meets with St James’s Square; if you would rather enjoy that feeling of being in a cosy coffee house with your feet up, then there is the aptly named
• The Coffee House on Darwen Street.

The best locations to live in Blackburn are those on the outskirts of town along with those in the centre. If you are looking for the upscale parts of Blackburn, the best are situated on the edge of town.

Places to avoid staying in Blackburn are the areas of town which are known as being rough, such as Spring Terrace.