Worsthorne
Encyclopedia
Worsthorne is a rural village on the eastern outskirts of Burnley
in Lancashire
, England
. The parish of Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood has a population of 2,986. The village was known as Worthesthorn in 1202, which means thorn tree of a man named 'Weorth'.
The village has a small village green
, overlooked by the church and Bay Horse public house
. Buildings in the village include cottages dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, and housing for millworkers dating from the Industrial Revolution
. Relatively high property prices in the village reflect the fact that it is perceived to be a desirable place to live, with low crime and good education.
jan2006.jpg)
The history of human habitation in the area goes back to the late stone, bronze and Iron Ages.
Earthworks and two prehistoric stone circle
s are shown on Ordnance Survey
maps, one at on the moors to the east of the village; both are in a poor state of repair. A flint
dagger
15 cm in length found on the moor is now in Towneley Museum
.
, which is currently represented on Burnley Borough Council
by three Conservative
councillors. In 2002 the ward elected a British National Party
(BNP) councillor, which generated considerable media comment at the time; the seat returned to the Conservative Party when it was next contested.
oct2005.jpg)
feb2007.jpg)
The village had a close association with the Thursby family, benefactors of the Burnley area, and has a number of listed buildings. These include Jackson's House in the centre of the village, which was built in about 1600, and the Church of St. John the Evangelist which dates from 1833-1839. The original plans for the church, drawn up by architect Lewis Vulliamy
, can be seen on the Incorporated Church Building Society website. It has a 61 ft clocktower, stained glass windows and wrought ironwork. The churchyard has the grave of a packmaster, a person whose job was to lead packhorse
s across the moors in special sunken trails that allowed the horses to walk unhitched since the walls of the trail prevented them from straying.
An earlier landmark used to be Worsthorne Methodist Chapel, near Jackson's House, but it was demolished in the 1980s. The connected Sunday School building is now a home for old people.
There is a former cotton mill in Gordon Street, a relic of the time when the area, especially Burnley, was the world centre of cotton weaving.
There are two public houses in the village: the Crooked Billet and the Bay Horse Inn.
was part of the family that built Spenser House in Hurstwood. Scenes from the 1996 BBC
adaptation of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
were filmed at Spenser House and Hurstwood Hall.
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
in 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The parish of Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood has a population of 2,986. The village was known as Worthesthorn in 1202, which means thorn tree of a man named 'Weorth'.
The village has a small village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, overlooked by the church and Bay Horse public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. Buildings in the village include cottages dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, and housing for millworkers dating from the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. Relatively high property prices in the village reflect the fact that it is perceived to be a desirable place to live, with low crime and good education.
History
Earthworks and two prehistoric stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
s are shown on Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps, one at on the moors to the east of the village; both are in a poor state of repair. A flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
15 cm in length found on the moor is now in Towneley Museum
Towneley Park
Towneley Park comprises Towneley Hall, a large country house, and its surrounding estate on the outskirts of Burnley, Lancashire, England....
.
Governance
Worsthorne forms part of the Worsthorne with Cliviger wardWards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, which is currently represented on Burnley Borough Council
Burnley (borough)
Burnley is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a non-metropolitan district and borough. It has an area of and a population of , and is named for its largest town, Burnley. The borough is bounded by Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Rossendale — all in Lancashire...
by three Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillors. In 2002 the ward elected a British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP) councillor, which generated considerable media comment at the time; the seat returned to the Conservative Party when it was next contested.
Landmarks
Lewis Vulliamy
Lewis Vulliamy was an English architect belonging to the Vulliamy family of clockmakers.-Life:Lewis Vulliamy was the son of the clockmaker Benjamin Vulliamy. He was born in Pall Mall, London on 15 March 1791, and articled to Sir Robert Smirke...
, can be seen on the Incorporated Church Building Society website. It has a 61 ft clocktower, stained glass windows and wrought ironwork. The churchyard has the grave of a packmaster, a person whose job was to lead packhorse
Packhorse
.A packhorse or pack horse refers generally to an equid such as a horse, mule, donkey or pony used for carrying goods on their backs, usually carried in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. ...
s across the moors in special sunken trails that allowed the horses to walk unhitched since the walls of the trail prevented them from straying.
An earlier landmark used to be Worsthorne Methodist Chapel, near Jackson's House, but it was demolished in the 1980s. The connected Sunday School building is now a home for old people.
There is a former cotton mill in Gordon Street, a relic of the time when the area, especially Burnley, was the world centre of cotton weaving.
There are two public houses in the village: the Crooked Billet and the Bay Horse Inn.
Hurstwood
It is believed that the Elizabethan poet Edmund SpenserEdmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
was part of the family that built Spenser House in Hurstwood. Scenes from the 1996 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
adaptation of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the second and final novel by English author Anne Brontë, published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell...
were filmed at Spenser House and Hurstwood Hall.
Education
The village has a primary school with about 180 pupils in the 4-11 age range, serving Worsthorne, Hurstwood, Brownside and Pike Hill. The school houses seven classes in modern buildings and has extensive playing fields and grounds. Students are organised into four houses, Gorple, Extwistle , Brownside and Ormerod. The houses are named after the four roads running into Worsthorne, which meet in the village square. The original village school house, now converted into residential housing, stands in the square.Transport
A regular bus service (route 2) runs between Worsthorne, Burnley, Burnley General Hospital, Nelson and HigherfordNotable people
- Ron Greenwood CBE (1921–2006), the English football player and manager, was born in Worsthorne.
- Footballer Brian MillerBrian Miller (footballer)Brian George Miller was a former professional footballer and England international who played as a wing back....
lived there for many years before passing away in 2007. Miller played, & managed Burnley F.C.throughout his career at the football club. - Thomas WhithamThomas WhithamThomas Whitham VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, soldier, First World War was born here. - Eddie CliffEddie CliffEddie Cliff is an English former professional footballer who played as a full back. Active in both England and the United States, Cliff made over 120 career appearances. He is sometimes confused with Eddie Cliff of Charleston, S.C., a famous Southern gentleman and socialite.-Career:Cliff began his...
, former footballer - lived in Hurstwood in the early 1990s.