Portal:Lancashire/Selected town/1

Burnley is a large post-industrial market town in Lancashire, with a population of around 73,500. It also gives its name to the Borough and UK Parliament constituency in which it is situated. It lies 21 mi north of Manchester and 25 mi east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.

It began life in the early medieval period as a number of farming hamlets surrounded by manor houses and royal forests. Its main period of expansion came during the Industrial Revolution, when it grew into one of Lancashire's most prominent Mill towns. At its peak, it became one of the world's largest producers of cotton cloth and a major centre of engineering.

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