Blackburn (population 140,000) is a large town in Lancashire in North West England.

Blackburn Cathedral

Understand

Although the town has some attractive public buildings and parks, it is mostly known for its contribution to the cotton weaving industry and for its successful premiership football team, Blackburn Rovers. Due to the town's association with cotton, it was a natural choice for early immigrants from cotton producing countries, such as Pakistan and India, to settle. Consequently, Blackburn is a great place to sample South Asian cuisine. After years of industrial decline, the town is undergoing a 'quiet' renaissance with fast rising property prices. The name Blackburn is derived from the river Blakewater, which runs through the centre of town. Famous visitors to Blackburn include Condoleezza Rice, HM Queen Elizabeth II, and Mahatma Gandhi.

Get in

By train

1 Blackburn station

By plane

Blackburn is serviced by Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon airport, each of which is approximately 1½ hr away.

See

• 1 Blackburn Museum Art Gallery and Lewis Textile Museum, Museum Street, ☏ +44 1254 667130. W-Sa noon-4:45PM. free. (updated Mar 2016)
• 2 Witton Country Park and Visitor Centre (off Preston Old Road). (updated Mar 2016)
• 3 Blackburn Cathedral. Blackburn's Gothic-style, 19th-century cathedral in the centre of town. (updated Mar 2016)
• 4 Samlesbury Hall (It's five miles east of town on A677 to Preston.). Open Su-F 10AM-4PM, but sometimes closed for weddings or similar functions.. is a mansion built 1325. free. (updated Jan 2020)
• 5 Turton Tower. is a Tudor mansion at the south edge of the borough, but it's easier to reach it from Bolton. (updated Jan 2020)

Do

• 1 Blackburn Sports & Leisure Centre, Feilden St, BB2 1LQ. Swimming pool with flumes and a fitness suite. (updated Mar 2016)
• 2 Ewood Park. Watch football ie soccer. Blackburn Rovers play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Their home ground (capacity 31,000) is Ewood Park, Nuttall St BB2 4NF, off A666 in the south of the city. (updated Jan 2020)

Theatre

• 3 King George's Hall, Northgate, BB2 1AA, ☏ +44 1254 582579. (updated Dec 2017)

Buy

• Blackburn Market. Has one of the largest markets under one roof in England - a great place to pick up textiles. 

Eat

Blackburn has the usual run of places to eat at a budget level - McDonald's, Pizza Express, Chiquito, Wetherspoon. The town centre also has a large number of takeaways and restaurants - many being curry houses and kebab shops. The quality of these changes quite rapidly, but this is a quick list of a few good cheap to mid level places:

• Shahi Qila (just outside the town centre but worth the 5 minute walk). Curry 
• . Chinese buffet in a converted pub by the side of the Town Hall 
• La Mama (out towards the Ice Rink). Italian 
• Sahara, Darwen Street. Asian cafe 
• Tea and butties (sandwiches), pies, chips - any of the cafés in the Market Hall.
• Exchange Coffee House, Fleming Square. 
• Rhubarb Café, Church Street (in the Blackburn Visitor centre). Light meals, paninis etc. 
• Cafe Beez, Church Street. 

Upmarket is a bit harder and there isn't really much in the centre. Locally try:

• Stanley House (Blackburn side of Mellor village 5 minutes drive away). A boutique hotel and expensive restaurant. The food is good, the value is more questionable and the decor is over the top. 
• Millstone (centre of Mellor). Country pub and hotel. Comfortable place with good food, good portions and an OK quality/value mix. 
• Clog and Billycock (Pleasington village on the outskirts of the town). Self-consciously 'country pub' GastroPub from a group with 2 other similar ventures. Good food and reasonable quality/value mix. 
• The Market Hall (especially on the full market days - 3 days a week) is a good source for some excellent local food - Black Pudding, cheeses, breads, curries, fruit and veg. Some of the cafés do seriously good value meals as well although it probably isn't the venue for a romantic lunch for two.

Sleep

• 1 Old Dads Barn, Mellor Lane, Mellor, BB2 7EN, ☏ +44 1254 812434. 4 room B&B. from £40. (updated Oct 2016)
• 2 Mercure Dunkenhalgh, Blackburn Rd, Clayton-le-Moors, BB5 5JP (in Clayton-le-Moors near Accrington), ☏ +44 1254 426800. Possibly the most expensive hotel in Blackburn and the surrounding area, it was once a grand manor house. The hotel building is 700 years old and is surrounded with acres of countryside.  
• Mercure Blackburn Foxfields Country Hotel, Whalley Road, Billington (Take the signs for Blackburn off the roundabouts then follow signs for A59 and Clitheroe. Continue along the A59 for approximately 10 miles, going straight over 1st roundabout, still following signs for Clitheroe. At 2nd roundabout take the 2nd exit for Whalley. The Hotel is approximately half a mile on the right in the village of Billington.), ☏ +44 1254 822556. The Mercure Foxfields Hotel in Blackburn is in a picturesque location just off the A59 in the heart of the beautiful Ribble Valley enjoying outstanding panoramic views of Pendle Hill and the surrounding countryside. From £38.50 per night. 
• 3 Northcote, Northcote Rd, Langho BB6 8BE, ☏ +44 1254 240555. Upscale country hotel with outstanding restaurant. No dogs. B&B double from £220. (updated Jun 2020)

Stay safe

Like several towns in the North West, racial separation between whites and Muslim Asians has increased in certain areas of the town. Blackburn avoided the riots that plagued neighbouring towns such as Burnley and Oldham. The majority of people in Blackburn are perfectly decent and tolerant, but there are still many racists and bigots in both the White and Asian communities, who are more than willing to make life difficult for people they dislike.

Connect

The area code for Blackburn is 01254.

Go next

• Ribble Valley
• Clitheroe
• If you enjoyed visiting Blackburn, the natural next choice would be Nelson

Routes through Blackburn

Preston ← / ←

W  E

→ Accrington → Bradford