Hotspots: Burnley - the brill mill town lighting up east Lancs!

Ever wanted to know more about Burnley? Well, look no further, as we have put together a handy guide featuring everything you need to know about the town, as part of our new Hotspots series. Stay tuned for posts on more of our centre locations coming soon!

Where it all began

Burnley is a mill town in the east of Lancashire, with around 73,000 residents. It's 21 miles north of Manchester and 20 miles east of Preston.

Back in the medieval days, Burnley was nothing more than a few farming hamlets and manor houses surrounded by countryside, but it's actually held a market for over 700 years.

Stone Age flint tools and weapons have actually been found in the moors around Burnley - and even some stone circles - so who knows how long people have been enjoying this wonderful part of the world!

It really came into its own during the Industrial Revolution, becoming one of the world's largest producers of cotton cloth and a major engineering hub (which it still is today!).

Where to eat

For cocktails and fine dining, get dressed up and visit Bertram's Restaurant.

If you can stand the heat, check out (arguably) the best curry in town at Shimla Spice.

What to see

Towneley Hall and Park is a must-visit - home to the Towneley family for over 500 years, it's now a beautiful place for a walk around the grounds, visit to the art gallery or a spot of lunch.

The Singing Ringing Tree is an impressive sight - it's a wind-powered sound sculpture designed to look like a tree just a couple of miles south of Burnley.

Who to support

If you don't support the Clarets, do you even live in Burnley?

Founded in 1882 (and one of 12 founder members of the fooball league!), Burnley FC is the pride of the town and the club's Turf Moor ground regularly hosts over 20,000 football fans.

Fun facts

Parts of the Oscar-winning movie The King's Speech were actually filmed in Queen Street Mill Textile Museum in Burnley!

Where to store your stuff

Ah ha, we can certainly help you out with this one as we have a bright, clean and secure storage centre in Burnley. That's right, we are here to cater for all your Burnley storage needs! Store manager Toby and the team would love to meet you, get the kettle on and show you around our storage units. Give them a call today on 01282 899899 or email burnley@storefirst.com for a quote or more info.

Have you got any more fascinating facts about Burnley? Share them in the comments!

Pic credit: Michael Sewell