Living And Working In Blackburn

Blackburn is a town in Lancashire which is situated in north west England, approximately twenty seven miles from Manchester and only ten miles from Burnley. Blackburn is on the edge of the beautiful Ribble Valley and close to the West Pennine Moors which spans for ninety square miles of moorlands and reservoirs and is a site of special scientific interest. Blackburn is the second largest town in Lancashire after Blackpool and . The town is around two hundred and thirty miles from London if travelling by road and the nearest airport is Manchester Airport.

The town of Blackburn has a rich and interesting history that goes back over a thousand years. Roman coins and parts of Roman roads have been found in the region and the town was later mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was a small town with agricultural and textile industries. It was during the Industrial Revolution however, that Blackburn began to experience rapid growth. The textile industry, especially cotton weaving flourished and the town became one of the most important cotton weaving towns in the world as textile technologies such as the Spinning Jenny, transformed Blackburn and caused the town’s population to grow.

In recent years, Blackburn has undergone significant efforts to revitalise its economy and infrastructure with various initiatives such as urban regeneration projects and diversification of industries in order to rejuvenate the town. Blackburn with Darwen is one of twenty five places that secured Levelling Up status and was identified as one of the first places in England to benefit. Potentially, there could be a multi million pound boost plan in the pipeline at the time of writing which will transform many key areas of the town. A range of sectors operate which include health, manufacturing, retail and wholesale, education and business administration and support services. The wider borough has an entrepreneurial culture with business start up rates higher than Lancashire as a whole.

Although Blackburn does not have a university, the University Centre at Blackburn College has over 650 courses and offers higher education courses and degrees in partnership with various universities. Blackburn College is one of the largest further education colleges in Pennine Lancashire and one of the largest providers of higher education for a college in England.

Blackburn has a thriving cultural scene with several arts centres within easy reach. Art, theatre and heritage are a key feature in Blackburn’s cultural life. The stunning Blackburn Cathedral, in the town centre is one of England’s newest cathedrals yet is one of the oldest places of Christian worship while the Museum and Art Gallery showcases Blackburn’s cotton legacy. Of course, there is no better way to discover a place than a tour and you can discover Blackburn’s heritage at your own pace by a self guided Heritage Town Trail.

There are numerous green spaces, nature reserves and parks in and around Blackburn which include a stunning walk of a little under three miles around Turton and Entwistle Reservoir, Witton Country Park with its 480 acres of countryside with picnic spots, walks and nature trails, play park and visitor centre and the scenic Corporation Park.

Blackburn has a great selection of shops and stores with everything from high street names to independent shops and the contemporary market which is located on the ground floor of the Mall Shopping Centre sells all the traditional market wares.

Blackburn is surrounded by the most beautiful countryside which includes the magnificent Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty consisting of fells, valleys and moorland. The town offers a fantastic balance of affordability, community spirit and good transport links as well as a rich industrial heritage. This blend makes it a desirable place to live and work for many people.

The next event being hosted by the UK Careers Fair will be held on April 24th between 10am - 2pm. The venue is Ewood Park, BB2 4JF. This football stadium is home to Blackburn Rovers F.C., founding members of the Football League and Premier League, who have played here since 1890.