Lancashire ( or, less commonly, ) 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. Lancashire is sometimes referred to by the abbreviation Lancs, as originally used by the Royal Mail. The population of the county is 1,449,700. People from the county are known as Lancastrians.
The history of Lancashire is thought to have begun with its founding in the 12th century. In the Domesday Book (1086), some of its lands had been treated as part of Yorkshire. The area in between the rivers Mersey and Ribble (referred to in the Domesday Book as "Inter Ripam et Mersam") formed part of the returns for Cheshire. Once its initial boundaries were established, it bordered Cumberland, Westmorland, Yorkshire and Cheshire.
Lancashire emerged during the Industrial Revolution as a major commercial and industrial region. The county encompassed several hundred mill towns and collieries. By the 1830s, approximately 85% of all cotton manufactured worldwide was processed in Lancashire. Accrington, Blackburn, Bolton, Rochdale, Chorley, Darwen and Burnley were major cotton mill towns during this time. Blackpool was a major centre for tourism for the inhabitants of Lancashire's mill towns, particularly during wakes week.
The county was subject to a significant boundary reform in 1974, which removed Liverpool and Manchester with most of their surrounding conurbations to form part of the metropolitan counties of Merseyside and Greater Manchester. At this time, the detached northern part of Lancashire in the Lake District, including the Furness Peninsula and Cartmel, was made part of Cumbria. Today the county borders Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and North and West Yorkshire. The Duchy of Lancaster exercises the right of the Crown in the area known as the County Palatine of Lancaster, which includes the counties of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
History
Early history
The county was established in 1182 and later than many other counties. During Roman times the area was considered part of the
Brigantes tribal area and was in the military zone of
Roman Britain. The towns of
Manchester,
Lancaster,
Ribchester,
Burrow,
Elslack and
Castleshaw were all originally Roman forts. In the centuries immediately following the Roman withdrawal in
410AD the northern parts, at least, of the county probably formed part of the
Brythonic kingdom of
Rheged, a successor entity of the
Brigantes tribe of northern Britain. During the mid 8th Century this area was incorporated into the
Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria which itself became a part of England in the 10th Century. In the
Domesday Book, its lands between the
Ribble and the Mersey were known as "
Inter Ripam et Mersam" and were included in the returns for
Cheshire. Although some historians have taken this to mean that south Lancashire was, at that time, part of Cheshire, neither can it be said clearly to have been part of Cheshire. It is also claimed that the territory to the north formed, at that time, part of the
West Riding of Yorkshire. Lonsdale was further partitioned into Lonsdale North, which was the detached part north of "the sands" of
Morecambe Bay (including both
Furness and
Cartmel), and Lonsdale South.
Modern history
Lancashire is now much smaller than its historical extent, following a major reform of local government. In 1889 an administrative county of Lancashire was created, covering the historical county except for county boroughs such as Blackburn, Burnley, Barrow-in-Furness, Preston, Wigan, Liverpool, Manchester. The area covered by the Lord-Lieutenant (termed now a ceremonial county) continued to cover the entirety of the administrative county along with the county boroughs, and thus was expanded slightly whenever boroughs annexed areas in other neighbouring counties. Examples of this include Wythenshawe (an area of Manchester south of the River Mersey and historically in Cheshire), and southern Warrington. This area also did not cover the western part of Todmorden, where the ancient border between Lancashire and Yorkshire runs through the middle of the town.
During the 20th century the county became increasingly urbanised, particularly the southern part. To the existing county boroughs of Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Bolton, Bootle, Burnley, Bury, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham, Preston, Rochdale, Salford, St Helens and Wigan were added Blackpool (1904), Southport (1905), and Warrington (1900). The county boroughs also had many boundary extensions. The borders around the Manchester area were particularly complicated, with narrow protrusions of the administrative county between the county boroughs – Lees urban district formed a detached part of the administrative county, between Oldham county borough and the West Riding of Yorkshire.
By the census of 1971 the population of Lancashire (including all its associated county boroughs) had reached 5,129,416, making it then the most populous geographic county in the UK. The administrative county of Lancashire was also the most populous of its type outside of London, with a population of 2,280,359 in 1961. On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Lancashire was abolished, as were the county boroughs. The urbanised southern part largely became part of two new metropolitan counties. The south-western part became part of Merseyside, the south-eastern part was incorporated into Greater Manchester.
The new county of Cumbria took the Furness exclave.
The boroughs of Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens and Sefton were removed entirely from Lancashire. In Greater Manchester the successor boroughs were Bury, Bolton, Manchester, Oldham (part), Rochdale, Salford, Tameside (part), Trafford (part) and Wigan. Warrington and Widnes, south of the new Merseyside/Greater Manchester border, rather than become part of Greater Manchester or Merseyside were instead made part of the new non-metropolitan county of Cheshire. The urban districts of Barnoldswick and Earby, the Bowland Rural District and the parishes of Bracewell and Brogden and Salterforth from the Skipton Rural District from the West Riding of Yorkshire became part of the new Lancashire. One parish, Simonswood, was transferred from the borough of Knowsley in Merseyside to the district of West Lancashire in 1994. In 1998 the county borough system re-appeared in all but name, when Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen became independent unitary authority areas. The Wars of the Roses tradition continued with Lancaster using as its symbol the red rose and York the white. Pressure groups, including Friends of Real Lancashire and the Association of British Counties advocate the use of the historical boundaries of Lancashire for ceremonial and cultural purposes.
Geography
Divisions and environs
The area under the control of the county council, or
shire county, is divided into a number of local government districts. They are
Burnley,
Chorley,
Fylde,
Hyndburn,
Lancaster,
Pendle,
Preston, the
Ribble Valley,
Rossendale,
South Ribble,
West Lancashire, and
Wyre.
Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen are unitary authorities which form part of the county for various functions such as Lord Lieutenant but do not come under county council control. The Lancashire Constabulary covers the two unitary authorities. The ceremonial county, the area including the unitary authorities, borders Cumbria, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, and forms part of the North West England region.
Geology, landscape and ecology
The highest point of the ceremonial county is
Gragareth, near
Whernside, which reaches a height of 627 m (2,057 ft). However,
Green Hill near Gragareth has also been cited as the
county top. The highest point within the historic boundaries is
Coniston Old Man in the
Lake District at 803 m (2,634 ft).
Lancashire drains west from the Pennines into the Irish Sea. Rivers in Lancashire include the Ribble, Wyre and Lune. Major tributaries of these rivers include the Calder, Darwen, Douglas, Hodder, and Yarrow. The Irwell is partly in Lancashire.
To the west of the county are the West Lancashire Coastal Plain in the south, and the Fylde coastal plain north of the Ribble Estuary. Further north is Morecambe Bay. Apart from the coastal resorts, these areas are largely rural with the land devoted to vegetable crops. In the northwest corner of the county, straddling the border with Cumbria, is the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), characterised by its limestone pavements.
To the east of the county are upland areas leading to the Pennines. North of the Ribble is the Forest of Bowland, another AONB. Much of the lowland around this area is devoted to dairy farming and cheesemaking, whereas the higher ground is more suitable for sheep farming, and the highest ground is uncultivated moorland. The valleys of the River Ribble and its tributary the Calder form a large gap in the west side of Pennines, in which sit most of the larger Lancashire towns. South of the Ribble are the West Pennine Moors and the Forest of Rossendale where former cotton mill towns are in deep valleys. The Lancashire Coalfield was largely in modern-day Greater Manchester, but extended into Merseyside and to Ormskirk, Chorley, Burnley and Colne within modern-day Lancashire.
Politics
The
county council, serving the shire county, is based in
County Hall in
Preston, built as a home for the Lancashire county administration (including the
Quarter Sessions and
Lancashire Constabulary) and opened on 14 September 1882.
Local elections for 84 councillors from 84 divisions are held every four years. The council is currently controlled by the Conservative Party.
Duchy of Lancaster
The
Duchy of Lancaster is one of two remaining royal duchies in the United Kingdom. It has large landholdings throughout the region and elsewhere, and operates as a property company, but also exercises the right of the Crown in the County Palatine of Lancaster, which includes areas that were removed from Lancashire as part of the 1974 boundary changes.
High Sheriffs for Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside are appointed "within the Duchy and County Palatine of Lancaster".
The Duchy administers bona vacantia within the County Palatine, receiving the property of persons who die intestate, and where the legal ownership cannot be ascertained.
There is no separate Duke of Lancaster, the title having merged in the Crown many centuries ago – but the Duchy is administered by the Queen in Right of the Duchy of Lancaster. A separate court system for the county palatine was finally abolished by Courts Act 1971. A particular form of The Loyal Toast is still in regular local use: 'The Queen, Duke of Lancaster'.
Economy
Lancashire in the 19th century was a major centre of industrial activity and hence of wealth. Activities included mining and textile production (particularly
cotton), though on the coast there was also fishing. Historically, the docks in
Preston were an industrial port, though are now disused for commercial purposes. Lancashire was historically the location of the port of
Liverpool while
Barrow-in-Furness is famous for
shipbuilding.
Today the largest private industry in Lancashire is the defence industry with BAE Systems Military Air Solutions division based in Warton on the Fylde coast. The division also operates a manufacturing site in Samlesbury. Other defence firms include BAE Systems Global Combat Systems which operates a site at Chorley, Ultra Electronics in Fulwood and Rolls-Royce plc in Barnoldswick.
The nuclear power industry has a major presence with the Springfields plant at Salwick operated by Westinghouse and Heysham nuclear power station operated by British Energy. Other major manufacturing firms include Leyland Trucks which is a subsidiary of Paccar and builds the DAF truck range.
Other companies with a major presence in Lancashire include:
Airline Network, an internet travel company with its headquarters in Preston.
BAXI, a heating equipment manufacturer which was established in Preston and which has a large manufacturing site in Bamber Bridge.
Crown Paints, a major paint manufacturer based in Darwen.
Enterprise plc, one of the UK's leading support services based in Leyland.
Hanson plc, a building supplies company which operates the Accrington brick works.
National Savings and Investments, a state owned savings bank with major operations and the headquarters of the Premium Bond Lottery Bond in Blackpool.
Thwaites Brewery, a regional brewery founded in 1807 by Daniel Thwaites in Blackburn.
Xchanging, a company that provides business process outsourcing services, with operations in Fulwood.
Economic output
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire at current basic prices
published (pp. 240–253) by ''Office for National Statistics'' with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
| Year |
Regional Gross Value Added | | Agriculture |
Industry |
Services
|
| 1995 |
13,789 | | 344 |
5,461 |
7,984
|
| 2000 |
16,584 | | 259 |
6,097 |
10,229
|
| 2003 |
19,206 | | 294 |
6,352 |
12,560
|
Education
Lancashire has a mostly comprehensive system with four state grammar schools. Not including
sixth form colleges, there are 77 state schools (not including Burnley's new schools) and 24 independent schools. The Clitheroe area also has secondary modern schools. Sixth form provision is limited at most schools in most districts, with only Fylde and Lancaster districts having mostly sixth forms at schools. The rest (most schools) depend on FE colleges and sixth form colleges, where they exist. South Ribble has the largest school population, with Fylde the smallest (only three schools). Burnley's schools have had a new broom and have essentially been knocked down and started again in 2006. There are many Catholic secondary schools in Lancashire.
Lancashire is home to four universities; Lancaster University, University of Central Lancashire, Edge Hill University and the Lancaster campus of The University of Cumbria. Additionally there are also seven colleges which offer higher education courses.
Transport
Road
The Lancashire economy relies strongly on the
M6 motorway which runs from north to south, past
Lancaster and
Preston. Other motorways in the region include the fairly short
M55 which connects the city of Preston and the town of
Blackpool at 11.5 miles (18.3 km) in length. The
M65 motorway runs from east to west starting in the town of
Colne, running through
Burnley,
Accrington,
Blackburn and terminating in Preston. The
M61 heads from Preston past
Chorley towards
Manchester and the trans-Pennine
M62, and the
M58 crosses the southernmost part of the county from the M6 near
Wigan to
Liverpool via
Skelmersdale.
Other major roads in the county include the east-west A59 between Liverpool in Merseyside and Skipton in North Yorkshire via Ormskirk, Preston and Clitheroe, and the connecting A565 to Southport; the A56 from Ramsbottom to Padiham via Haslingden and from Colne to Skipton; the A585 from Kirkham to Fleetwood; the A666 from the A59 north of Blackburn to Bolton via Darwen; and the A683 from Heysham to Kirkby Lonsdale via Lancaster.
Rail
The
West Coast Main Line provides direct rail links with London and other major cities, with stations at and . East-west connections are carried via the
East Lancashire Line between
Blackpool and via Preston, , and . The
Ribble Valley Line runs from to via and Blackburn. There are also connecting lines from Preston to and Bolton, and from Lancaster to ,
Heysham and .
Air
The county is served by
Blackpool International Airport, however
Manchester Airport in Greater Manchester is the main airport in the region.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport, on Merseyside is also nearby.
Ferry
Heysham and
Fleetwood offer ferry services to
Ireland and the
Isle of Man. As part of its industrial past, Lancashire gave rise to an extensive network of canals, which extend into neighbouring counties. These include the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal,
Lancaster Canal,
Bridgewater Canal,
Rochdale Canal,
Ashton Canal and
Manchester Ship Canal.
Bus
Several bus companies run
bus services in the Lancashire area serving the main towns and villages in the county with some services running to neighbouring areas,
Cumbria,
Greater Manchester,
Merseyside and
West Yorkshire.
Demography
The major settlements in the ceremonial county are concentrated on
the Fylde coast (the
Blackpool Urban Area), and a belt of towns running west-east along the
M65:
Preston,
Blackburn,
Accrington,
Burnley,
Nelson and
Colne. South of Preston are the towns of
Leyland and
Chorley; the three formed part of the
Central Lancashire New Town designated in 1970. The north of the county is generally sparsely populated, except for the towns of
Morecambe and
Lancaster which form a large conurbation of almost 100,000 people. Lancashire is home to a significant
Asian population, numbering over 70,000 and 6% of the county's population, and concentrated largely in the former cotton mill towns.
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="8" style="background:#9cc; color:navy;"|Population totals for modern (post-1974) Lancashire
|-
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy;"|Year
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy;"|Population
! style="background:#fff; color:#fff;"|
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy;"|Year
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy;"|Population
! style="background:#fff; color:#fff;"|
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy;"|Year
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy;"|Population
|-
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1801
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 163,310
| style="background:#fff; color:#fff;" rowspan="7"|
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1871
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 524,869
| style="background:#fff; color:#fff;" rowspan="7"|
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1941
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 922,812
|-
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1811
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 192,283
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1881
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 630,323
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1951
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 948,592
|-
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1821
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 236,724
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1891
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 736,233
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1961
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 991,648
|-
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1831
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 261,710
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1901
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 798,545
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1971
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 1,049,013
|-
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1841
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 289,925
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1911
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 873,210
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1981
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 1,076,146
|-
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1851
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 313,957
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1921
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 886,114
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1991
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 1,122,097
|-
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1861
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 419,412
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 1931
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 902,965
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 2001
| style="background:#fff; color:#black;"| 1,134,976
|-
| colspan="8" style="background:#fff; font-size:90%;"|Pre-1974 statistics were gathered from local government areas that now comprise Lancashire''Source: Great Britain Historical GIS.''
|}
Settlements
The table below has divided the settlements into their local authority district. Each district has a centre of administration; for some of these correlate with a district's largest town, while others are named after the geographical area.
| ! Ceremonial county
|
Administration borough
|
! Centre of administration
|
! Other towns, villages and settlements
|
|
|
|
Blackburn
|
Belmont, Chapeltown, Darwen, Edgworth, Hoddlesden, Tockholes |
|
|
Blackpool
|
Bispham, Blackpool |
|
|
[[Burnley
|
Padiham, Rose Grove, Worsthorne, Cliviger.
|
|
|
Chorley
|
Adlington, Lancashire |
|
|
[[Lytham St Annes
|
Freckleton, Kirkham, Lancashire |
|
|
[[Accrington
|
Altham, Lancashire |
| [[City of Lancaster
|
|
|
Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth, Heysham, Morecambe,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barton, Broughton, Fulwood, Goosnargh, Grimsargh, Whittingham |
|
|
Clitheroe
|
Bolton-by-Bowland†, Chipping, Hurst Green, Longridge, Read, Ribchester, Slaidburn†, Whalley, Wilpshire, |
|
|
Rawtenstall
|
Bacup, Chatterton, Lancashire |
|
|
|
|
|
|
[[Ormskirk
|
Appley Bridge, Aughton, Banks, Bickerstaffe, Burscough, Downholland, Great Altcar, Halsall, Lathom, Parbold, Rufford, Scarisbrick, Skelmersdale, Tarleton, Upholland |
|
|
Poulton-le-Fylde
|
|
:† ''– part of the
West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974''
:''This table does not form an extensive list of the settlements in the ceremonial county. More settlements can be found at :Category:Towns in Lancashire, :Category:Villages in Lancashire, and :Category:Civil parishes in Lancashire.''
Some settlements which were historically part of the county now fall under the counties of West Yorkshire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cumbria:
| Greater Manchester
|
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bolton, Bury, Chadderton, Denton, Eccles, Farnworth, Heywood, Horwich, Hindley, Irlam, Kearsley, Leigh, Little Lever, Manchester, Middleton, Oldham, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Rochdale, Salford, Stretford, Swinton and Pendlebury, Tyldesley, Urmston, Westhoughton, Whitefield, Wigan, Worsley. |
| Merseyside
|
Bootle, Cumbria
|
|
| Cheshire
|
[[Warrington">Crosby, Merseyside |
| Cumbria
|
|
| Cheshire
|
[[Warrington, Widnes
|
| West Yorkshire
|
Todmorden
|
Boundary changes to occur before 1974 include:
Todmorden (split between Lancashire and Yorkshire) entirely to West Riding of Yorkshire in 1889
Mossley (split between Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire) entirely to Lancashire in 1889
Stalybridge, entirely to Cheshire in 1889
the former county boroughs of Manchester and Warrington both extended south of the Mersey into historic Cheshire (areas such as Wythenshawe and Latchford)
correspondingly, the former county borough of Stockport extended north into historic Lancashire, including areas such as Reddish and the Heatons (Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Moor and Heaton Norris).
Symbols
The
Red Rose of Lancaster is a symbol for the
House of Lancaster, immortalised in the verse "In the battle for England's head/
York was white, Lancaster red" (referring to the 15th century
War of the Roses). The traditional Lancashire flag, a red rose on a white field, was never officially registered. When an attempt was made to register it with the
Flag Institute it was found that this flag had already been officially registered by the town of
Montrose, Scotland, several hundred years earlier with the
Lyon Office. As the Flag Institute will not register two flags of the same design (within the UK) Lancashire's official flag is now registered as a red rose on a gold field, but it does not stop it from having the red rose on a white field in some areas in the county.
Sport
Cricket
Lancashire County Cricket Club has been one of the most successful
county cricket teams, particularly in the
one-day game. It is home to
England cricket team members
Andrew Flintoff,
James Anderson and
Sajid Mahmood. Due to changes in the county boundaries, the club's home ground,
County Ground, Old Trafford, is now outside the county of Lancashire, being in the metropolitan borough of
Trafford,
Greater Manchester.
Historically important local cricket leagues include the Lancashire League, the Central Lancashire League and the North Lancashire and Cumbria League, all of which were formed in 1892. These league clubs hire international professional players to play alongside their amateur players.
Since 2000, the designated ECB Premier League for Lancashire has been the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition.
Football
Football in Lancashire is governed by the
Lancashire County Football Association. Due to the
County Football Associations being aligned roughly along
historic county boundaries, the Lancashire County FA contains members which were founded within Lancashire as it was in the late 19th century, but which now lie outside the county borders, such as
Manchester United,
Liverpool and
Everton. However, the
Manchester Football Association and
Liverpool County Football Association operate in
Greater Manchester and
Merseyside respectively.
The seven professional full-time teams based in Lancashire, as of the start of the 2011/12 season, are:
Premier League: Blackburn Rovers
Championship: Blackpool and Burnley
League One: Preston North End
League Two: Accrington Stanley and Morecambe
Conference National: Fleetwood Town
Rugby League
A substantial number of
rugby league teams formerly in Lancashire such as
St Helens,
Wigan, and
Warrington now fall under the counties of
Merseyside,
Greater Manchester, and
Cheshire. The county was once the focal point for many of the sport's professional competitions including the
Lancashire League competition which ran from 1895 to 1970, and the
Lancashire County Cup which was abandoned in 1993. Rugby League has also seen a representative fixture between
Lancashire and Yorkshire contested 89 times since its inception in 1895. Currently there are several
rugby league teams that are based within the county which include
Blackpool Panthers,
East Lancashire Lions,
Blackpool Sea Eagles,
Bamber Bridge, Leyland Warriors, Chorley Panthers, Blackpool Stanley, Blackpool Scorpions and Adlington Rangers.
Archery
There are many archery clubs located within Lancashire. In 2004 Lancashire took the winning title at the Inter-counties championships from
Yorkshire who had held it for 7 years.
Wrestling
Lancashire has a long history of
wrestling, developing its own style called
Lancashire wrestling, with many clubs that over the years have produced many renowned wrestlers. Some of these have crossed over into the mainstream world of
professional wrestling, including
Billy Riley,
Davey Boy Smith,
William Regal,
Wade Barrett and
The Dynamite Kid.
Music
Folk music
Lancashire has a long and highly productive tradition of music making. In the early modern era the county shared in the national tradition of
balladry, including perhaps the finest
border ballad, "
The Ballad of Chevy Chase", thought to have been composed by the Lancashire-born minstrel Richard Sheale. The county was also a common location for
folk songs, including "The Lancashire Miller", "Warrington Ale" and "The soldier's farewell to Manchester", while Liverpool, as a major seaport, was the subject of many
sea shanties, including "
The Leaving of Liverpool" and "
Maggie May", beside several local
Wassailing songs. In the
Industrial Revolution changing social and economic patterns helped create new traditions and styles of folk song, often linked to migration and patterns of work. These included processional dances, often associated with rushbearing or the
Wakes Week festivities, and types of
step dance, most famously
clog dancing. A local pioneer of folk song collection in the first half of the 19th century was Shakespearean scholar
James Orchard Halliwell, but it was not until the second
folk revival in the 20th century that the full range of song from the county, including
industrial folk song, began to gain attention. The county produced one of the major figures of the revival in
Ewan MacColl, but also a local champion in
Harry Boardman, who from 1965 onwards probably did more than anyone to popularise and record the folk song of the county. Perhaps the most influential folk artists to emerge from the region in the late 20th century were Liverpool folk group
The Spinners, and from Manchester folk troubadour
Roy Harper and musician, comedian and broadcaster
Mike Harding. The region is home to numerous
folk clubs, many of them catering to
Irish and
Scottish folk music. Regular
folk festivals include the Fylde Folk Festival at
Fleetwood.
Classical music
Lancashire had a lively culture of choral and
classical music, with very large numbers of local church
choirs from the 17th century, leading to the foundation of local choral societies from the mid-18th century, often particularly focused on performances of the music of
Handel and his contemporaries. It also played a major part in the development of
brass bands which emerged in the county, particularly in the textile and coalfield areas, in the 19th century. The first open competition for brass bands was held at Manchester in 1853, and continued annually until the 1980s. The vibrant brass band culture of the area made an important contribution to the foundation and staffing of the
Hallé orchestra from 1857, the oldest extant professional orchestra in the United Kingdom. The same local musical tradition produced eminent figures such as
William Walton (1902–88), son of an Oldham choirmaster and music teacher, Sir
Thomas Beecham (1879–1961), born in St. Helens, who began his career by conducting local orchestras and
Alan Rawsthorne (1905–71) born in Haslingden. It also produced more populist figures, such as early
musical theatre composer
Leslie Stuart (1863–1928), born in Southport, who began his musical career as organist of
Salford Cathedral. The
Royal Manchester College of Music was founded in 1893 to provide a northern counterpart to the London musical colleges. It merged with the Northern College of Music (formed in 1920) to form the Royal Northern College of Music in 1972.
Popular music
Liverpool produced a number of nationally and internationally successful popular singers in the 1950s, including
traditional pop stars
Frankie Vaughan and
Lita Roza, and one of the most successful
British rock and roll stars in
Billy Fury. Many Lancashire towns had vibrant
skiffle scenes in the late 1950s, out of which by the early 1960s a flourishing culture of
beat groups began to emerge, particularly around Liverpool and Manchester. It has been estimated that there were around 350 bands active in and around Liverpool in this era, often playing ballrooms, concert halls and clubs, among them the
Beatles. After their national success from 1962, a number of Liverpool performers were able to follow them into the charts, including
Gerry & The Pacemakers,
The Searchers, and
Cilla Black. The first act to break through in the UK who were not from Liverpool, or managed by
Brian Epstein, were
Freddie and the Dreamers, who were based in Manchester, as were
Herman's Hermits and
The Hollies. Led by the Beatles, beat groups from the region spearheaded the
British Invasion of the US, which made a major contribution to the development of
rock music. After the decline of beat groups in the late 1960s the centre of rock culture shifted to London and there were relatively few local bands who achieved national prominence until the growth of a
disco funk scene and the
punk rock revolution in the mid and late 1970s.
Cuisine
Lancashire is the origin of the
Lancashire hotpot, a
casserole dish traditionally made with
lamb. Other traditional foods from the area include:
Black peas, also known as parched peas: popular in Bolton and Preston.
Bury
black pudding has long been associated with the county. The most notable brand, Chadwick's Original Bury Black Puddings, are still sold on
Bury Market, and are manufactured in
Rossendale.
Butter Cake: slice of bread and butter.
Butter pie: a savoury pie containing potatoes, onion and butter. Usually associated with Preston.
Clapbread: a thin oatcake made from unleavened dough cooked on a griddle.
Chorley cakes: from the town of Chorley.
Ducks: faggots as in savoury ducks.
Fag Pie: pie made from chopped dried figs, sugar and lard. Associated with Blackburn and Burnley where it was the highlight of ''Fag Pie Sunday'' (Mid-Lent Sunday).
Fish and Chips: first fish and chip shop in northern England opened in
Mossley near Oldham around 1863.
Frog-i'-th'-'ole pudding: now known as toad in the hole.
Frumenty: sweet porridge. Once a popular dish at Lancashire festivals like Christmas and Easter Monday.
Goosnargh Cakes: Small flat shortbread biscuits with coriander or caraway seeds pressed into the biscuit before baking. Traditionally baked on feast days like Shrove Tuesday.
Jannock: cake or small loaf of oatmeal. Allegedly introduced to Lancashire (possibly Bolton) by Flemish weavers.
Lancashire cheese has been made in the county for several centuries. Beacon Fell traditional Lancashire cheese has been awarded EU
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.
Nettle Porridge: a common starvation diet in Lancashire in the early 19th century. Made from boiled stinging nettles with perhaps a handful of meal.
Ormskirk Gingerbread: local delicacy which were sold all over South Lancashire
Pobs, Pobbies: bread and milk.
Potato Hotpot, a variation of the Lancashire Hotpot without meat also known as ''fatherless pie''.
Ran Dan: barley bread. Food of last resort for the poor at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century.
Rag Pudding: Traditional Suet Pudding filled with Minced Meat and Onions.
Sad Cake: A traditional cake, perhaps a variation of the more widely known Chorley cake, once common around Burnley.
Throdkins: a traditional breakfast food of the Fylde.
Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are traditional mints produced by Wm Santus & Co. Ltd. in Wigan.
Places of interest
The following are places of interest in the ceremonial county:
Arnside and Silverdale AONB
Astley Hall
Bank Hall
Beacon Fell
Blackburn Cathedral
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Tower
British Commercial Vehicle Museum, Leyland
Camelot Theme Park
Clitheroe Castle
Darwen Tower
East Lancashire Railway
Forest of Bowland:
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Gawthorpe Hall,
Padiham
Harris Museum
Helmshore Textile Museum
Hoghton Tower
Irwell Sculpture Trail
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Cathedral
Lathom Park Chapel
Leighton Moss nature reserve, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Martin Mere, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust nature reserve, Burscough
Morecambe Bay
Museum of Lancashire
Pendle Hill
The
Pennines
Ribble Steam Railway
Rufford Old Hall
Samlesbury Hall
St Walburge's Church
Stonyhurst College – a Manor House dating back to 1592, now an English public school, run by the Jesuits
Towneley Hall,
Burnley
West Lancashire Light Railway
West Pennine Moors
Williamson Park and the Ashton Memorial
Witton Country Park
Yarrow Valley Park
Filmography
Whistle Down the Wind, 1961, directed by Bryan Forbes and set at the foot of Worsaw Hill and in Burnley, starring local Lancashire schoolchildren
See also
Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
Notes and references
Bibliography
Crosby, A. (1996). ''A History of Cheshire.'' (The Darwen County History Series.) Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Phillimore & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-85033-932-4.
Harris, B. E., and Thacker, A. T. (1987). ''The Victoria History of the County of Chester. (Volume 1: Physique, Prehistory, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Domesday).'' Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-722761-9.
Morgan, P. (1978). ''Domesday Book Cheshire: Including Lancashire, Cumbria, and North Wales''. Chichester, Sussex: Phillimore & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-85033-140-4.
Phillips A. D. M., and Phillips, C. B. (2002), ''A New Historical Atlas of Cheshire''. Chester, UK: Cheshire County Council and Cheshire Community Council Publications Trust. ISBN 0-904532-46-1.
Sylvester, D. (1980). ''A History of Cheshire''. (The Darwen County History Series). (2nd Edition.) London and Chichester, Sussex: Phillimore & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-85033-384-9.
Further reading
Farrer and Brownbill, ''The Victoria history of the county of Lancaster'' Vol 1 (1906); Vol 2 (1908); Vol 3 (1907); Vol 4 (1911); Vol 5 (1911); Vol 6 (1911); Vol 7 (1911); London: Constable.
External links
Lancashire On Line Parish Clerk an active project to transcribe and publish records of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Lancashire from the time records began in Edward VIths reign
Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1 (of 2), by John Roby
Lancashire Lantern, The Lancashire Life and Times E-Resource network
Website of the film 'Catch - the hold not taken', a look at the cultural significance of wrestling in Lancashire
Lancashire County Council – MARIO (Mapping portal)
Map of Lancashire
Government Office for the North West
North West Regional Minister
Category:1182 establishments
Category:Non-metropolitan counties
Category:North West England
Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the United Kingdom
af:Lancashire
ang:Lonceasterscīr
ar:لانكشير
ast:Lancashire
zh-min-nan:Lancashire
br:Lancashire
bg:Ланкашър
ca:Lancashire
cs:Lancashire
cy:Swydd Gaerhirfryn
da:Lancashire
de:Lancashire
et:Lancashire
es:Lancashire
eo:Lankaŝiro
eu:Lancashire
fr:Lancastre
gv:Lancashire
ko:랭커셔 주
hi:लैंकाशिर
id:Lancashire
is:Lancashire
it:Lancashire
he:לנקשייר
kw:Lancashire
la:Lancastriensis comitatus
lv:Lankašīra
lb:Lancashire
mr:लँकेशायर
nl:Lancashire (graafschap)
ja:ランカシャー
no:Lancashire
nn:Lancashire
pnb:لنکاشائر
nds:Lancashire
pl:Lancashire
pt:Lancashire
ro:Lancashire
ru:Ланкашир
simple:Lancashire
sk:Lancashire
fi:Lancashire
sv:Lancashire
th:แลงคาสเชอร์
tr:Lancashire
uk:Ланкашир
vo:Lancashire
vls:Lancashire
zh:兰开夏郡
![Lancashire cheese has been made in the county for several centuries.[75] Beacon Fell traditional Lancashire cheese has been awarded EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.](http://web.archive.org./web/20120512035026/http://cdn1.wn.com/pd/48/b4/a43f2423614fc9e466b483facf42_medium.jpg "Lancashire cheese has been made in the county for several centuries.[75] Beacon Fell traditional Lancashire cheese has been awarded EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.")
