Pendle is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Nelson, the borough's largest town. The borough also includes the towns of Barnoldswick, Brierfield, Colne and Earby along with the surrounding villages and rural areas. Part of the borough lies within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The neighbouring districts are Burnley, Ribble Valley, North Yorkshire, Bradford and Calderdale.
Etymology The name Pendle comes from "Penhill", combining the Cumbric "pen" meaning hill and the Saxon "hill", also meaning hill. The name was used for Pendle Hill (literally "hill hill hill"), a prominent outlier of the Pennines. The name was then also used for the ancient Forest of Pendle around the hill, and for Pendle Water, a river which rises on the hill and flows into the River Calder. The name also became associated with the Pendle witches, tried for witchcraft in 1612, as the accused were all from the area.
History The modern local government district of Pendle was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the whole area of seven former districts and parts of another two, all of which were abolished at the same time: Barnoldswick Urban District Barrowford Urban District Brierfield Burnley Rural District (part) Colne Municipal Borough Earby Urban District Nelson Municipal Borough Skipton Rural District (part) Trawden Urban District
The Barnoldswick, Earby and Skipton elements were in the West Riding of Yorkshire prior to 1974. The term West Craven is often used for the area transferred from Yorkshire to Lancashire in 1974. The new district was named Pendle after the hill, forest and river. The district was awarded borough status on 15 September 1976, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.
Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Lancashire, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district becoming part of a new Pennine Lancashire unitary authority.
Governance See main article: Pendle Borough Council
Economy The three main employers in the borough are Rolls-Royce plc, Silentnight and the Daisy Group.
Media In terms of television, the area is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada which broadcast from Salford. Television signals are received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter and the local relay TV transmitter located in the Forest of Pendle. A small part of the borough around Barnoldswick and Earby is served by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire broadcasting from Leeds. This area is served by a local transmitter in Skipton which is relayed from the Emley Moor TV transmitter.
Radio stations for the area are: BBC Radio Lancashire Heart North West Capital Manchester and Lancashire (formerly 2BR) Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire Smooth North West Pendle Community Radio, the borough's local community based station which broadcast from its studios in Nelson.
The area is served by the regional newspaper, Lancashire Telegraph. Other local newspapers include Pendle Express and The Nelson Leader.
Places in Pendle The borough is entirely covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Barnoldswick, Brierfield, Colne, Earby and Nelson take the style "town council".
Contemporary civil parishMedieval jurisdiction Medieval jurisdictionEarly modern jurisdictionBarley-with-Wheatley Booth 1 Pendle Forest, manor of Ightenhill Forest of Blackburnshire Whalley, Lancashire: once a much larger parish than today.It encompassed a large part of eastern Lancashire.It also included areas outside Pendle.Barrowford3Blacko4Old Laund Booth15Goldshaw Booth10Reedley Hallows16Roughlee Booth17Higham-with-West Close Booth11Trawden Forest19Trawden Forest, manor of Colne Nelson14manor of Ightenhill, not in Forest Blackburnshire, not in ForestBrierfield6Colne7manor of Colne, not in ForestFoulridge9Laneshaw Bridge13Barnoldswick2Now referred to as "West Craven".This is a part of Lancashire, which was once in the neighbouring West Riding of Yorkshire.(Within the Wapentake of Staincliffe, Deanery of Craven.)Bracewell and Brogden5Salterforth8Kelbrook and Sough12Earby18
Freedom of the Borough The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Pendle.
Individuals Steven Burke: 3 August 2012.
Military Units The Queen's Lancashire Regiment: 2001. The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment: 1 July 2006.
References