The Brunley Area, Lancashire, England

Burnley, Lancashire, England was first established around 800 AD in the basin of the Rivers Brun and Calder and was granted its market charter in 1294. There is evidence of Stoneage settlements in the area. Records show that in 1122 the settlement was referred to as Brunley meaning "field by the River Brun". Burnley's location, on the edge of the South Pennine Moors with its wild landscape and fast-running streams, had everything in place to become the cotton-weaving capital of Britain. Established as a permanent settlement in Anglo-Saxon times, Burnley remained a village until the Industrial Revolution took hold, when the population increased ten-fold in the first 70 years of the nineteenth century. Today the town is a large industrial area in East Lancashire surrounded by beautiful countryside. The Leeds & Liverpool canal runs through the town and helped the growth of the area. It was the textile industry that made the town the world's largest cloth producer.

BURNLEY is part of the borough of Burnley, population of  91,400, at junction 10 of the M65, approximately 25 miles north of Manchester, 50 miles east of Liverpool and 30 miles west of Leeds. The Jackson Family Farm House which dates before 1627 is 2 miles east of Brunley in Worsthorne. Haggate where several of Jackson ancestors are buried is 3 miles northeast and Briercliffe where more of the Jackson ancestors are buried is nearby.

In Burnley, where the clattering steam-powered looms in the weaving shed of Queen Street Mill and the industrial townscape of the Weavers' Triangle both allow visitors to relive the nineteenth century reign of King Cotton. The restored area includes a wavers house, victorian classroom and a working model of a fairground. Close by is the Oak Mount Mill with a restored steamengine. At Queen Street Mill to the North of the town is the only surviving steam powered cotton mill in Europe. It was opened as a workers co-op in 1894. It was closed in 1982 but re-opened as a musuem in 1997. Visitors can see the 500 horsepower steam engine called "Peace" in action. It drives over 300 looms.

As well as its fascinating industrial history, the town has two historic houses, Towneley Hall and Gawthorpe Hall, home of one of the north's great Victorian philanthropists Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth, a great friend of Charlotte Bronte who was one of many famous visitors to the Hall.

The Towneley family was the prominent family of the area. Their ancestrial hall is now an art gallery and museum. The house has been altered throughout the years. In 1729, an entrance hall, plastered by the famous Italian artist Vassali replaced the great hall. The house also contains a 17th century minstrels Gallery and 16th century Chapel. Francis Towneley was executed for his support of the Jacobites. His head was kept at the hall until 1947 when it moved to a family vault. The impressive art gallery includes paintings by Turner and Constable. The hall is now owned by the local corporation as is the surrounding 24-arce park used by the people of the town. As with any stately hall, it wouldn't be complete without a resident ghost. A number of people have reported strange supernatural experiences including voices in the Long Gallery, strange lights and the sound of footsteps.

The market hall holds 119 stalls with the adjacent open market holding 144 stalls. Local produce including cheeses, black puddings, muffins and the like can be bought together with a wide range of produce from all over England.

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