Overview of Burnley

Burnley is a market town in Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It is 21 miles (34 km) north of Manchester and 25 miles (40 km) east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun. The town began to develop in the early medieval period as a number of farming hamlets surrounded by manor houses and royal forests, gaining a market over 700 years ago. During the Industrial Revolution, it became one of Lancashire's most prominent mill towns. At its peak, it was one of the world's largest producers of cotton cloth, and a major centre of engineering. Burnley now has a post-industrial economy and landscape, and is increasingly a dormitory town for Manchester, Leeds and the M65 corridor.