Accrington is a town in
LancashireLancashire 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. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...
, within the borough of
HyndburnHyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington. The district is named after the River Hyndburn....
. It lies about west of
BurnleyBurnley is a large market town in the borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies east of Blackburn and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, north of
Manchester city centreManchester city centre – known formally as City Centre – is the central business district of both Manchester and Greater Manchester, in North West England. The city centre, as defined by Manchester City Council, lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, straddling the River...
and north of
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
, and is situated on the mostly
culvertA culvert is a conduit used to enclose a flowing body of water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment for example. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
ed
River HyndburnThe River Hyndburn is a river in Lancashire, England. It passes through the towns of Haslingden, Baxenden, Accrington, Clayton-le-Moors, Great Harwood, before meeting Hyndburn Brook, before ultimately joining the River Calder....
. The town has a population of 35,203 according to the
2001 censusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
and the urban area has a population of over 70,000.
The town is a former centre of the cotton and textile machinery industries. The town is famed for manufacturing the hardest and densest building bricks in the world, "The Accrington NORI" (iron), which were used in the construction of the
Empire State BuildingThe Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark Art Deco skyscraper in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. Its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion...
and for the foundations of
Blackpool TowerBlackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris it rises to 158m . The Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
; famous for its football team and for having Europe's largest collection of Tiffany Glass.
Accrington is commonly abbreviated by locals to "
Accy".
History
There are two derivations for the name of Accrington. Both agree that "
ton" means "
a town or enclosure of", from Anglo-Saxon; however one derivation states that ring means "
the people of" and "
accr" is a distortion of a family called alker. Nevertheless there is little evidence of this as it would have been the chief or land owner in the area. The alternative derivation states that "
accring" is derived from "
acorn ringed" which is plausible due to the numerous
oakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 400 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees which formerly encircled the town but were lost during the industrial revolution. This is still reflected in the name of the district's largest park, Oak Hill Park.
The
King's HighwayKing's Highway or Kings Highway may refer to:* King's Highway an ancient trade route from Egypt to Syria* Kings Highway , in New York City, United States* Kings Highway , a New York City Subway stop in Brooklyn...
which passes above the town was at one time used by the kings and queens of England when they used the area for hunting when it was one of the four forests of the hundred of
BlackburnshireBlackburnshire was a hundred, or ancient division of the county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was centred on Blackburn, and was divided into the four forests of Accrington, Pendle, Trawden and Rossendale....
.
For many decades the textile industry was the central activity of the town.
MillsA cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
and
dyeA dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
works provided work for the inhabitants; but often in very difficult conditions. There was regular conflict with employers, most famously in the 1842
'plug riots'Also known as the Plug Plot Riots, the strike started among the Staffordshire miners and soon spread through the country affecting factories, mills and coal mines from Dundee to South Wales and Cornwall....
where a
general strikeA general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
spread from town to town. The workers unplugged the boilers needed for the operation of the machinery as thousands of strikers walked over the hills from one town to another to persuade people to join the strike. The strike joined up with the
ChartistChartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century between 1838 and 1850. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838, which stipulated the six main aims of the movement as:...
movement but eventually proved unsuccessful in its aims.
Accrington Pals
One well-known association the town has is with the '
Accrington PalsThe Accrington Pals was a British First World War Pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Accrington in Lancashire. When the battalion was taken over by the British Army it was officially named the 11th Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment.Recruiting was initiated by...
', the nickname given to the smallest home town
battalionA battalion is a military unit of around 1000-1500 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel...
of volunteers formed to fight in
the first world warWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. The
Pals battalionThe Pals battalions of World War I were specially constituted units of the British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours and work colleagues , rather than being allocated to...
s were a peculiarity of the 1914-18 war: Lord Kitchener, the
Secretary of State for WarThe position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first applied to Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, believed that it would help recruitment if friends and work-mates from the same town were able to join up and fight together. Strictly speaking, the 'Accrington Pals' battalion is properly known as the '11th
East Lancashire RegimentThe East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two 30th and 59th Regiments of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire...
': the nickname is a little misleading, since of the four 250-strong companies that made up the original battalion only one was actually composed of men from Accrington. The rest volunteered from other east
LancashireLancashire 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. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...
towns such as
BurnleyBurnley is a large market town in the borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies east of Blackburn and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
,
BlackburnBlackburn is a large town in Lancashire, England. It lies to the north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of the city of Preston, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester. Blackburn is bounded to the south by Darwen, with which it forms the unitary...
and
ChorleyChorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry. As recently as the 1970s the skyline was dominated by numerous factory chimneys, but most are now demolished: remnants of the industrial past include Morrison's chimney and a...
.
The Pals' first day of action, Saturday July 1, 1916, took place in
SerreSerre may refer to:* Claude Serre , a French cartoonist* Jean-Pierre Serre , a French mathematician active in algebraic geometry, number theory and topology* Serre Chevalier, a major French ski resort in the southern part of the Alps...
in the north of France. It was part of the 'Big Push' (later known as the
Battle of the SommeOn the Western Front, French forces under General Joseph Joffre had born the brunt of the 1914 German offensive into Belgium and France, only managing to halt the wheeling advance well inside French territory...
) that was intended to force the
German ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Traditionally the German military forces have been composed of Army, the Navy, and an Air Force after World War I. It was reinstalled in 1955 as the West German Army and as a part of the newly formed...
into a retreat from the
Western FrontWestern Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the "contested armed frontier" between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West...
, a line they had held since late 1914. The German defences in Serre were supposed to have been obliterated by sustained, heavy, British shelling during the preceding week; however, as the battalion advanced it met with fierce resistance. 235 men were killed and a further 350 wounded — more than half of the battalion — within half an hour. Similarly desperate losses were suffered elsewhere on the front, in a disastrous day for the British Army.
Later in the year, the East Lancashire Regiment was rebuilt with new volunteers — in all, 865 Accrington men were killed during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. All of these names are recorded on a war memorial, an imposing white stone cenotaph, which stands in Oak Hill Park in the south of the town. The
cenotaphA cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάϕιον...
also lists the names of 173 local fatalities from
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the Great War and until 1986, Accrington Corporation buses were painted in the regimental colours of red and blue with gold lining. The mudguards were painted black as a sign of mourning.
The Conurbation
The 2001 census gave the population of Accrington town as 35 203. The figure for the urban area was 71,224, up 1.1% from 70,442 in 1991. This total includes
Accrington,
ChurchChurch is a large village in Hyndburn, Lancashire, England; situated a mile west of Accrington. The local travel links are located less than a mile from the village centre to Church and Oswaldtwistle railway station and 27 miles to Blackpool Airport. Also, the main road running through the village...
,
Clayton-le-MoorsClayton-le-Moors is a township in Hyndburn in Lancashire, England, a suburb of Accrington. The town is locally referred to as 'Clayton'. To the west lies Rishton, to the north Great Harwood, and two miles to the south, Accrington...
,
Great HarwoodGreat Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England. It lies northeast of Blackburn.Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritage...
and
OswaldtwistleOswaldtwistle is a town within the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies on the course of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, east-southeast of Blackburn.-History:...
. For comparison purposes that is approximately the same size as
AylesburyAylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in south east England. In the 2001 census the Aylesbury Urban Area, which includes Bierton, Fairford Leys, Stoke Mandeville and Watermead, had a population of 69,021, which included 56,392 for the Aylesbury civil parish.-History:The town name is of...
,
CarlisleThe City of Carlisle , is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
,
GuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
or
ScunthorpeScunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and has an estimated total resident population of 72,514. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre, is also...
urban areas.
The borough as a whole has a population of 81 496. This includes Accrington Urban Area and other outlying towns and villages such as;
AlthamAltham is a village and civil parish in the district of Hyndburn, in Lancashire, England. It is the only parish in the district – the rest of the district is an unparished area. The village is west of Burnley, north of Accrington, and north-east of Clayton-le-Moors, and is on the A678...
,
AspdenAspden is the historic name of a valley a mile west of Church and a mile north of Oswaldtwistle, between Accrington and Blackburn, in Lancashire, England. The modern name of this location is Aspen....
,
BaxendenBaxenden is a village and ward located in the Borough of Hyndburn in Lancashire, North-West England.- History :Early court manor records spell the name “Backstonden”. The earliest known record dates from 1305 in the de Lacy records. The name is thought to derive from anglo-saxon bæc stan denu;...
, part of
BelthornBelthorn is a small moorland village situated to the south-east of Blackburn in Lancashire, England. It is about half a kilometre away from junction 5 of the M65 motorway, which runs from Colne to Preston....
,
HuncoatHuncoat is a small village in Lancashire, England; situated in the North West. It is located to the east of Accrington.Huncoat railway station is on the East Lancashire Line.-Origins:...
,
RishtonRishton is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, about 2 miles west of Clayton-le-Moors and 4 miles east of Blackburn. It constituted an urban district from 1894 to 1974....
and Stanhill.
The
River HyndburnThe River Hyndburn is a river in Lancashire, England. It passes through the towns of Haslingden, Baxenden, Accrington, Clayton-le-Moors, Great Harwood, before meeting Hyndburn Brook, before ultimately joining the River Calder....
and its tributaries flow through the area and the borough and constituency are named after it.
Transport
The town has strong local travel links as
Accrington railway stationAccrington railway station serves the town of Accrington in Lancashire, UK. It is a station on the East Lancashire Line 10 km east of Blackburn railway station operated by Northern Rail....
lies on the
East Lancashire LineThe East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....
serving trains running locally and trains running from
BlackpoolBlackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Situated along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has a population of 142,900, making it the fourth-largest settlement in North West England behind Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington...
to
YorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence....
. There are also buses to Manchester every thirty minutes as well as more frequent services to other towns in east Lancashire. The main road running through the town centre is the A680 running from
RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
to
WhalleyWhalley is a large village in the Ribble Valley on the banks of the River Calder in Lancashire, England. It is overlooked by Whalley Nab, a large picturesque wooded hill over the river from the village....
. The town is served by junction seven of the
M65The M65 is a motorway in Lancashire, England. It runs from just south of Preston through the major junction of the M6 and M61 motorways, east past Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley, to end at Colne.-History:The M65 was opened in the following sections:...
and is linked from the A680 and the
A56The A56 is a road in England which extends between the city of Chester in Cheshire and the village of Broughton in North Yorkshire. The road contains a mixture of single and dual carriageway sections, and traverses environments as diverse as the dense urban sprawl of inner city Manchester and the...
dual carriagewayA dual carriageway or divided highway is a road or highway in which the two directions of traffic are separated by a central barrier or strip of land, known as a central reservation or median...
which briefly merge; linking to the
M66 motorwayThe M66 is a motorway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England. It is 8 miles long and provides part of the route between the M62 and M60 motorways and the M65, with the rest being provided by the A56.-Route:...
heading towards Manchester. The closest airports are Manchester Airport at ,
Blackpool AirportBlackpool International Airport is an international airport, in the Borough of Blackpool on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England. It was formerly known as Squires Gate airport....
at and Leeds Bradford Airport at .
There was once a rail link south to Manchester via
HaslingdenHaslingden is a small town in the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels', though the town is in fact set on a high and windy hill. In the early 20th century Haslingden had the status of a municipal borough, but following local...
and
BuryBury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester. Bury is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, of which Bury is the...
, but this was closed in the 1960s as part of cuts following the Beeching Report. The trackbed from Accrington to
BaxendenBaxenden is a village and ward located in the Borough of Hyndburn in Lancashire, North-West England.- History :Early court manor records spell the name “Backstonden”. The earliest known record dates from 1305 in the de Lacy records. The name is thought to derive from anglo-saxon bæc stan denu;...
is now an attractive linear treelined cycleway/footpath.
Governance
Accrington is represented in parliament] as a part of the constituency of Hyndburn. Note that the constituency boundaries do not align exactly with those of the district of the same name.
Accrington was first represented nationally after the
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally-populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalize representation across...
after the
1885 general electionThe 1885 UK general election was from 24 November to 18 December 1885. This was the first general election after an extension of the franchise and redistribution of seats. For the first time a majority of adult males could vote and most constituencies returned a single-member to Parliament. It saw...
by
Accrington (UK Parliament constituency)Accrington was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
. This seat was abolished in the 1983 general election and replaced with the present constituency of
Hyndburn (UK Parliament constituency)Hyndburn is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
.
Hyndburn consists of 16 wards of 35 councillors. Due to its size Accrington is represented by a number of wards in the Borough of
HyndburnHyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington. The district is named after the River Hyndburn....
. The town largely consists of the Milnshaw, Peel, Central, Barnfield and Spring Hill wards, although some parts of those wards are in other towns in the borough.
Accrington became incorporated as a
municipal boroughMunicipal boroughs were a type of local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
in 1878. Under the
Local Government Act 1972The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, since 1974, the town has formed part of the larger Borough of
HyndburnHyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington. The district is named after the River Hyndburn....
including the former
Urban DistrictIn the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council.-England and Wales:In England...
s of
OswaldtwistleOswaldtwistle is a town within the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies on the course of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, east-southeast of Blackburn.-History:...
,
ChurchChurch is a large village in Hyndburn, Lancashire, England; situated a mile west of Accrington. The local travel links are located less than a mile from the village centre to Church and Oswaldtwistle railway station and 27 miles to Blackpool Airport. Also, the main road running through the village...
,
Clayton-le-MoorsClayton-le-Moors is a township in Hyndburn in Lancashire, England, a suburb of Accrington. The town is locally referred to as 'Clayton'. To the west lies Rishton, to the north Great Harwood, and two miles to the south, Accrington...
,
Great HarwoodGreat Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England. It lies northeast of Blackburn.Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritage...
and
RishtonRishton is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, about 2 miles west of Clayton-le-Moors and 4 miles east of Blackburn. It constituted an urban district from 1894 to 1974....
.
Education
The schools of Accrington include:
- Accrington St Christopher's C of E High
St Christopher's C of E High is a voluntarily aided Church of England High School located north of Accrington in Lancashire, north-west England. The school was founded in 1958 and in 2005 earned Technology College status....
, a Church of England secondary school which holds specialist Technology CollegeTechnology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
status.
- Accrington Academy, a specialist Sports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
- Accrington and Rossendale College
Accrington and Rossendale College is a further education college based in Accrington, Lancashire, England.- The College :Accrington & Rossendale College is an award winning further education College which specialises in vocational education....
, a further education college
- Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, a secondary school serving the Catholic community of Hyndburn and those who support its ethos. The school holds specialist Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Science...
status.
Rhyddings Business and Enterprise High School, in nearby
OswaldtwistleOswaldtwistle is a town within the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies on the course of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, east-southeast of Blackburn.-History:...
, also serves the area.
Health
The local
hospitalA hospital is an institution for health care providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment, and often but not always providing for longer-term patient stays....
is Accrington Victoria Hospital however, as it only deals with minor issues, A&E is provided by the Royal Blackburn Hospital. Other services are provided at the Accrington Pals Primary Health Care Centre and the Accrington Acorn Primary Health Care Centre. Some wards in Accrington rank amongst the most deprived in terms of healthcare and life expectancy in the country. According to the 1991 census 28% of houses in the borough were considered 'unfit', chiefly those in Accrington and Church. A current urban regeneration scheme, Elevate East Lancashire, is attempting to remedy these problems.
Media
The chief publications in the area are the
Accrington Observer, part of
MEN mediaThe Manchester Evening News is a British daily newspaper published each week day and on Saturdays which is owned by the Guardian Media Group. It is distributed throughout Greater Manchester. It sells 81,326 copies a day and gives away 99,574....
, and the
Lancashire Telegraph.
Sports
The town's other famous association is with
Accrington Stanley F.C.Accrington Stanley was a football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, formed in 1891. The team played in The Football League from 1921 until 1962, when the club became only the second ever to resign from the Football League in mid-season...
, the butt of many (largely affectionate) jokes. The club's name is often invoked as a symbol of British sport's legion of plucky but hopeless causes (much like British ski-jumping's 'heroic failure'
Eddie 'the Eagle' EdwardsMichael Edwards , better known as Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, was the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping and was the British ski jumping record holder...
).
The club entered the
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
in 1921 with the formation of the old Third Division (North); after haunting the lower reaches of English football for forty years, they eventually resigned from the League in 1962, due to financial problems, and folded in 1965. The club was reformed for three years later and then worked their way through the 'non-league' divisions to reach the
Nationwide ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, but most of them are semi-professional...
in 2003 and in the 2005-06 season
Accrington StanleyAccrington Stanley Football Club is an English football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the north-west of England.The club was formed in 1968, with the town regaining a club with league status after 44 years when they were promoted as champions of the Football Conference on 15 April 2006.The...
, after winning against Woking with 3 matches to spare, secured a place back in the
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and the town celebrated with a small parade and honours places on senior executives of the team. Coincidentally, one of the teams relegated - and thus being replaced by Stanley - were
Oxford United F.C.Oxford United Football Club is an English association football team that plays in the Conference National. The club has been a non-league side since its relegation from League Two in 2005–06...
, who were voted into the Football League to replace the previous Accrington Stanley. The football stadium is called the Fraser Eagle Stadium, with the Fraser Eagle coach & bus company, who are also sponsors of
Burnley F.C.Burnley Football Club , nicknamed The Clarets, are a professional English football club based in Burnley, Lancashire. They were founder members of The Football League in 1888. The club colours are claret and blue, giving rise to their nickname of The Clarets, and their home ground since 1883 has...
, sponsoring the team. Accrington is the smallest town in England and Wales with a Football League club.
Accrington Stanley Football Club has officially had its own
pubA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises in countries and regions of British influence. Although the terms often have different connotations, there is little definitive difference between pubs, bars,...
in the town since July 2007 – The Crown.
The club was ridiculed during the
1980sThe 1980s was the decade that ran from January 1, 1980, to December 31, 1989.The time period saw social, economic and general change as wealth and production migrated to newly industrializing economies...
with a
milkMilk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It provides the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. The early lactation milk is known as colostrum, and carries the mother's antibodies to the baby. It can reduce...
advertA television advertisement or television commercial is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organisation that conveys a message. Advertisement revenue provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks...
on television, in which a young boy boasted that
Ian RushIan James Rush, MBE is a Welsh former footballer who played as a striker and is best known for playing with Liverpool...
had told him that if he didn't drink milk, he'd grow up only good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.
An earlier club,
Accrington F.C.Accrington Football Club is a former English football club from Accrington, Lancashire, who were one of the founder members of The Football League. Accrington F.C. was formed following a meeting at a local public house in 1876...
, were one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888. However, their time in league football was even less successful and considerably briefer than that of Accrington Stanley: they dropped out of the league in 1893 and folded shortly afterwards due to financial problems. The town of Accrington thus has the unique 'distinction' of having lost two separate clubs from league football, over the years.
Tiffany Glass
The Haworth Art Gallery in Accrington contains an outstanding collection of
Tiffany glassTiffany glass is the generic name used here to describe the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1848 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios, by Louis Comfort Tiffany. However, it is his head designer until 1909, Clara Driscoll, who is the person now recognized as the real creator of...
ware presented to the town by Joseph Briggs, an Accrington man who had joined Tiffany’s in the late 19th century and eventually became art director and assistant manager. The
Art NouveauArt Nouveau is an international movement and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century . The name 'Art nouveau' is French for 'new art'...
vases are considered to be the most important such group in Europe. One of the most striking items is a glass mosaic exhibition piece, designed by Briggs himself and entitled "
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos".
Notable residents
- Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson, born John Roy Anderson on 25 October 1944, is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes...
, singer with rock band YesYes are an English progressive rock band that was formed in London in 1968. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, extended song lengths, abstract lyrics, and a general showcasing of instrumental prowess. Yes blends symphonic and other 'classical' structures with their own brand of...
- Alan Ramsbottom
Alan Ramsbottom was a professional racing cyclist from Clayton-le-Moors, England, who twice rode the Tour de France.-Amateur career:Ramsbottom was a talented amateur in Britain in the late 1950s...
, Top professional cyclist who raced twice in the Tour De France finishing 16th in 1964
- David "Bumble" Lloyd
David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley...
, a former cricketer, now a pundit for Sky SportsSky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
- Graeme Fowler
Graeme "Foxy" Fowler is a former professional cricketer who played for Lancashire and England, and later for Durham.-Lancashire and England career:...
, Foxy Fowler, (cricketer), former England batsman, cricket coach and occasional pundit on BBC Radio's Test Match Special
- Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette Winterson OBE is a British novelist.-Early years:Winterson was born in Manchester and raised in Accrington, Lancashire, by adopted parents Constance and John William Winterson. On track to becoming a Pentecostal Christian missionary, she began evangelising and writing sermons at age six,...
, an author whose Oranges Are Not the Only FruitOranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985, which she subsequently adapted into a BBC television drama. It is a bildungsroman about a lesbian girl who grows up in a religious splinter community.-Plot:...
is an account of her childhood in the town
- Harrison Birtwistle
Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.- Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington in Lancashire and in 1952 entered the Royal Manchester College of Music in Manchester on a clarinet scholarship...
(composer)
- John Virtue
John Virtue is an English artist who specialises in monochrome landscapes. He is honorary Professor of Fine Art at the University of Plymouth, and from 2003-2005 was the sixth Associate Artist at London's National Gallery....
, artist
- Ron Hill
Ronald Hill, MBE, BSc, PhD , is a noted runner, the founder of Ronhill and Hilly Clothing Company, makers of performance apparel, and the second man ever to break two hours and ten minutes in the marathon...
, long-distance and marathon runner, born 25th of September, 1938, won Commonwealth Marathon Gold and the Boston Marathon in 1970
- John Rex Whinfield, chemist, inventor of Terylene (polyester), the first completely synthetic fibre invented in UK
- Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh is an English actress.Hesmondhalgh was born in Accrington, Lancashire. As a teenager, she was moderately interested in acting, but wished to become a social worker. She applied to drama school to be with her friends, and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
, an actress who plays Hayley CropperHayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
in the TV Soap Coronation StreetCoronation Street is an award-winning prime time soap opera set and produced in Manchester created by Tony Warren...
- Yvette Livesey, ex beauty-queen and former squeeze of Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....
- The footballer Mike Duxbury was born in the town and is best remembered for being part of the Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
side of the 1980sThe 1980s was the decade that ran from January 1, 1980, to December 31, 1989.The time period saw social, economic and general change as wealth and production migrated to newly industrializing economies...
which won two FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
s and regularly finished among the top sides in the league placings
- Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education at the Lynch School of Education
The Lynch School of Education is a professional school of Boston College. Joseph O'Keefe, S.J. is the current dean.The Lynch School of Education offers graduate and undergraduate programs in education, psychology, and human development. The mission of the school is to improve the human condition...
at Boston CollegeBoston College is a private research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Its name reflects its early history as a liberal arts college and preparatory school in Boston's South End. It is a member of the 568 Group and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
- Famous ex-residents include darts player Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
, and former Lancashire all rounder Bob RatcliffeRobert Malcolm Ratcliffe is a cricketer who played for Lancashire from 1972 to 1980. He was a right handed medium pace bowler and a middle to lower order batsman. In 82 first class matches he took 205 wickets at an average of 26.39 and scored 1022 runs at an average of 16.48...
- Mystic Meg
Mystic Meg is a British astrologer and alleged psychic who has regular astrology columns in the News of the World and The Sun. She came to greater public notoriety when she hosted what became a regular item on the first broadcast of the National Lottery draw in 1994...
was born in the town as Margaret Anne Lake on 27 July 1942
- Tony Mills (born 1950), ex-body building champion and renowned bare fisted boxer. He died in 2007
- Netherwood Hughes
Netherwood "Ned" Hughes was one of the last two Tommies who served the United Kingdom during the First World War, along with Harry Patch, although Patch is the only one to have seen action. Hughes was also one of three British veterans still living in the country, with Patch and Henry Allingham...
, World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
veteran who died in 2009 at age 108
- Diana Vickers
Diana Mae Vickers is a British singer-songwriter and actress currently best known for her appearances on the ITV television programme The X Factor in 2008.-Early life:...
, The X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music talent show, contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and on TV3 in Ireland, with spin-off "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3...
finalist of 2008
- Hollie Steel
Hollie Steel is a schoolgirl and performer from Huncoat, Lancashire, England. In 2009 at the age of ten she was one of ten finalists on the third series of the ITV reality show Britain's Got Talent....
, Britain's Got TalentBritain's Got Talent is a British television show on ITV and part of the Got Talent series. Presented by British celebrity presenters Ant & Dec, singers, dancers, comedians, variety acts, and other performers compete against each other for audience support...
finalist of 2009
Further reading
- William Turner. Pals: the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington), East Lancashire Regiment. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword, 1998. ISBN 978-0-85052-360-7
External links