Great Harwood
Encyclopedia
Great Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn
district of Lancashire
, England, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-east of Blackburn.
. The Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Queen Street and the town clock pay tribute to John Mercer
(1791–1866), the 'father' of Great Harwood, who revolutionised the cotton dyeing process with his invention of mercerisation. An agricultural society is also maintained.
The town was once on the Great Harwood loop of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
, the last train running in November 1957. The Martholme Viaduct
on the line remains about 1 mile north-east.
The town football team, Great Harwood Town
, closed in July 2006.
Great Harwood Cricket Club, is a member of the Ribblesdale Cricket League, winning the senior division in 2008, and has seven teams ranging from under 9s through to senior level.
Great Harwood used to have a lively and bustling market around the town clock in the main square. It was very popular and drew people from across the county every week. It has declined in the last 15 years and almost disappeared but is now steadily increasing and with several stalls every Friday with fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, clothes and pet supplies.
Supermarkets include a new Aldi
, a Tesco
(under construction), and a Morrisons
on the former Co-op
site.
Hyndburn
Hyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington. The district is named after the River Hyndburn....
district of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-east of Blackburn.
History
Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritageIndustrial heritage
Industrial heritage is an aspect of cultural heritage dealing specifically with the buildings and artifacts of industry which are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations, often forming a significant attraction for tourism.The...
. The Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Queen Street and the town clock pay tribute to John Mercer
John Mercer (scientist)
John Mercer was an English dye and fabric chemist and fabric printer born in Great Harwood, Lancashire. In 1844 he developed a process for treating cotton, mercerisation, that improves many of its qualities for use in fabrics.John Mercer never went to school, he learned basic reading and writing...
(1791–1866), the 'father' of Great Harwood, who revolutionised the cotton dyeing process with his invention of mercerisation. An agricultural society is also maintained.
The town was once on the Great Harwood loop of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
, the last train running in November 1957. The Martholme Viaduct
Martholme Viaduct
Martholme Viaduct is a 19th-century railway viaduct in the English county of Lancashire. It lies between the town of Great Harwood and the village of Read, and belongs to both the district of Hyndburn and that of Ribble Valley. The viaduct was constructed 1870–77 by engineer Sturges Meek. It was...
on the line remains about 1 mile north-east.
The town football team, Great Harwood Town
Great Harwood Town F.C.
Great Harwood Town F.C. was a football club based in Great Harwood, Lancashire, England. They joined the Lancashire Combination in 1979 and made their way up to the Northern Premier League Division One during the early 1990s. However after spending most of the decade in the league they were...
, closed in July 2006.
Great Harwood Cricket Club, is a member of the Ribblesdale Cricket League, winning the senior division in 2008, and has seven teams ranging from under 9s through to senior level.
Great Harwood used to have a lively and bustling market around the town clock in the main square. It was very popular and drew people from across the county every week. It has declined in the last 15 years and almost disappeared but is now steadily increasing and with several stalls every Friday with fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, clothes and pet supplies.
Supermarkets include a new Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, a Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
(under construction), and a Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
on the former Co-op
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
site.
Notable people
- Thomas BirtwistleThomas BirtwistleThomas Birtwistle, Thomas was a trade unionist and factory inspector. From the age of six he worked in a cotton mill becoming a power-loom weaver at the age of fourteen. In spite of limited education he had a flair for mathematics and was skilled at working out the complicated the way cotton...
(1833–1912), trade unionist and factory inspector, born at Great Harwood - David DunnDavid DunnDavid John Ian Dunn is an English footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.-Blackburn Rovers:...
, footballer, born and brought up in Great Harwood. He initially played for Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
but moved to Birmingham CityBirmingham City F.C.Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in 2003. In 2007 he moved back to Blackburn Rovers - Leslie DuxburyLeslie DuxburyLeslie Duxbury was a British newspaper sports writer and columnist born in Great Harwood, Lancashire. He turned his attention to television and became a prolific writer on the top rated ITV1 soap opera, Coronation Street, finally retiring from the series in 1990....
(1926-2005) Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
scriptwriter (1926–2005) was a resident - Michael GibsonMichael Gibson (TV presenter)Michael Gibson is a TV presenter and documentary director. He presented the MTV Select television program which aired weekday afternoons on MTV One across Europe....
TV presenter/director was brought up in Great Harwood - Ethel Carnie HoldsworthEthel Carnie HoldsworthEthel Carnie Holdsworth, British author lived from 1886 to 1962 .-Childhood:...
(1886–1962), writer also published as Ethel Carnie and Ethel Holdsworth - lived in Great Harwood until her marriage in 1915 and some of her poems and novels were written in the town - Netherwood HughesNetherwood HughesNetherwood "Ned" Hughes was one of the last two Tommies who served the United Kingdom during the First World War, along with Harry Patch, although Patch is the only one to have seen action. Hughes was also one of three British veterans still living in the country, with Patch and Henry Allingham...
(1900-2009), World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran, was born in Lord Street - Mick JacksonMick Jackson (author)Mick Jackson is a British writer from England, best known for his novel The Underground Man . The book, based on the life of William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and for the 1997 Whitbread Award for best first novel.- Overview :Mick...
, writer, best known for his 1997 novel The Underground Man, was born in the town in 1960 - John MercerJohn Mercer (scientist)John Mercer was an English dye and fabric chemist and fabric printer born in Great Harwood, Lancashire. In 1844 he developed a process for treating cotton, mercerisation, that improves many of its qualities for use in fabrics.John Mercer never went to school, he learned basic reading and writing...
, scientist who developed a process for treating cotton, was born in the town in 1791