Pendle

Pendle is a local government district in Lancashire, in the north west of England, centred on Pendle Hill. The hill rises to 557 metres and stands over a patchwork of moorland, pasture and small settlements. The borough contains towns and villages including Nelson, Colne, Barnoldswick, Brierfield, Barrowford, Earby and Trawden. Historic events are woven into the landscape: the 1612 Pendle witch trials are associated with Malkin Tower and with names recorded in parish registers of nearby villages. Paths up the hill and old boundary stones run across the high ground.

Industry shaped the lower valleys during the 19th century: cotton weaving and textile mills left rows of stone mill buildings and yard layouts in Nelson and Colne. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal crosses the district and passes through Foulridge Tunnel, and canal towpaths link mills with village centres. Agriculture, hillwalking and local festivals provide an economy that now mixes small manufacturing, services and visitor activity. Local museums and preserved mill architecture provide a record of the area’s industrial past.