Nelson (England)

Nelson's a typical gritty, Lancastrian industrial town built on the cotton weaving industry and in terminal decline for more than thirty years.

In the 1820s, between the towns of Burnley and Colne there was a coaching inn called the Lord Nelson. Just off the road was a tiny village called Marsden. As the Lancashire cotton industry grew, a town started to grow around the inn and the nearby station on the new East Lancashire Railway, and it took its name from the inn. Nelson grew at a very fast rate, and soon swallowed up both the villages of Marsden and Lomershaye. Consequently, Nelson is probably the only town of any size in the entire British Isles that's named after a pub!

Nelson's peak population of 39,841 in 1921 has now dwindled to less than 29,000 and it has lost most of its industry. The town had a heavily redeveloped and fully pedestrianised centre, but the main road through the town was converted back to a road in 2011 to try to boost trade.

There's ample parking in the centre, including a multi-storey car park with a covered walkway connecting it to the shopping precinct. There's a railway station with hourly trains to Burnley, Blackburn, Preston and Blackpool in one direction, and Colne in the other. The bus station has been renovated.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. Radical left-wing politics in the early 20th century led to Nelson being labelled "Little Moscow" by the local and national press and fully 13.8% of the population described themselves as Pakistani at the last census, so it's a great place for a political debate over a curry and, possibly as a result of so much social deprivation, it does have some of the lowest house prices in England.

According to Wikipedia, the "... town is strikingly segregated: the Marsden ward, which in 2006 elected the borough's first British National Party councillor, is 96.58% White, while the Whitefield ward is 68.72% Asian or Asian British."

Good access to the M65 motorway. It's around 45-minute by car from Manchester to the south, and less than an hour from Leeds to the east.

• 🌍 British in India Museum, Hendon Mill, Hallam Rd, BB9 8AD (Burnley & Pendle bus 93 from Colne {not Sundays}), ☏ +44 1282 613129, fax: +44 1282 870215, indiamuseum@yahoo.co.uk. M-F 10AM-4PM. On show are swords, kukris, commemorative boxes and plates, models carved in ivory, photographs, paintings, Indian army cap badges and buttons. The postage stamp collection may be of particular interest to philatelists. There's a tiger skin which was shot in the Saugor area in 1915 together with clothes worn by E.M. Forster when he was secretary to H.H. The Maharajah of Dewas State, Senior. The uniform of Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck is prominently displayed and, quite poignantly considering that the centre of the cotton textile industry has now shifted to India and Pakistan, the last Union Flag to be lowered at the Residency, Lucknow in 1947 is exhibited. Adult: £3.50, child: 50p. 

• 🌍 Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, Harle Syke, Burnley, BB10 2HX, ☏ +44 1282 412555, fax: +44 1282 430220. May-Sep: Tu-F 9AM-5PM. The 19th-century steam engine, which had powered the looms in Queen Street's weaving shed, has developed a fault and is out of operation. There are still weaving demonstrations of their looms in the warehouse area. Like most mills in East Lancashire, Queen Street Mill specialised in producing plain cotton calico known as 'grey cloth'. The architecture of the mill was designed to allow this process to be carried out as efficiently as possible. Ample free parking; café serving snacks and light refreshments; toilets include disabled and baby change facilities with full access for disabled users (visitors with guide dogs welcome). £3, Burnley residents and accompanied children get free entry. 
• Marsden Park is the largest park in Pendle, with many historical and architectural features which include a pseudo-Roman spa bath, an ornamental pond and marsh area, a circular garden, sensory garden and a Lady's Garden. There are also woodland walks to enjoy. The park has five tennis courts and two bowling greens. Walton Lane, Nelson, BB9 8BW
• Victoria Park was first awarded a prestigious Green Flag in 2009, and has maintained its flag ever since. It is designated a district park and covers over eight hectares of land. Specific features of interest in the park are a large lake, bandstand, bowling green, health walk routes, MUGA and a children's play area which are all spread evenly throughout the park. Carr Road (B 6249), Nelson, off Barrowford Road (A 6068) BB9 6DG.
• Barnoldswick is a village off A56 that was historically in Yorkshire, but transferred to Lancashire in 1974. The main reason to visit is Bancroft Mill, and to stroll the Leeds-Liverpool canal along its summit section.
• 🌍 Bancroft Mill Engine Museum, Gillians Lane, Barnoldswick BB18 5QR. Steam-powered weaving shed opened in 1914; it closed in 1978 and was mostly demolished, but the engine that powered the looms has been preserved and is occasionally in steam. Adult £3. (updated Jul 2021)

• Pendle Wavelengths, Leeds Road (in the town centre), ☏ +44 1282 661717, info@pendleleisuretrust.co.uk. It has a swimming pool with a "Black Hole" feature, a gym, and Inside Spa which has a Jacuzzi, sauna, solarium, foot spas, steam room and relaxation room and offers a full range of body treatments. 
• Marsden Park Golf course is an 18-hole golf course which provides stunning views of Pendle Hill and the surrounding countryside. For listings, bookings and enquiries please visit Pendle Leisure Trust website.
• The ACE centre is a venue which rents space to organisations holding events.

Nelson has a "re-invigorated" (marketing jargon for barely resuscitated and still on life-support after the government's austerity cuts) indoor shopping centre with both indoor and outdoor markets open M-Sa 9AM-5:15PM. Look out for special events throughout the year, including continental markets. ☏ +44 1282 661240.

Morrisons is the main supermarket in the town.

Slater's Ice Cream is a family-owned business selling ice creams made on the premises in a wide selection of traditional flavours. They have a 9-seat ice cream parlour with views over to Pendle Hill.

• 🌍 White Swan at Fence, 300 Wheatley Lane Road, Fence BB12 9QA, ☏ +44 1282 611773. Tu-Su noon-10PM. Excellent reviews for the food at this country pub. (updated Feb 2023)

• 🌍 Station Hotel ('station' or 'spoons' because it used to be one of the "Wetherspoons" chain years ago), Hibson Rd BB9 9SB (Hibson Road junction with Broadway). Grade II listed building dated 1893, with minor late 20th century alterations and with carved lettering: "STATION HOTEL" in the ashlar dressing. Much original interior detailing survives, including wall panelling, door joinery and finely-detailed surrounds, ornamental plasterwork, hearths and hearth surrounds, together with screens to all the principal bar areas. This consciously-detailed railway hotel was built at the height of Nelson's rapid industrial development and deliberately designed to impress those arriving in Nelson by rail. Probably the biggest public house in the neighbourhood and now a Freehouse. 

• The Thatch and Thistle is on the outskirts of town. It is a Hungry Horse pub and serves decent food, and is suitable for families. ☏ +44 1282 615215
• The Shooters Arms is a traditional pub at the very top of Nelson with fantastic panoramic views of Pendle Hill. ☏ +44 1282 614153

Few tourists come to Nelson and there are no hotels actually in Nelson.

There are some rough areas as in any town but people are generally friendly and welcoming.

It is generally safe in the town centre at night which is mainly because there isn't much going on, there are a couple of pubs one of which is fronted by the pedestrianised town centre area which has smokers hanging around the front entrance while they smoke, Nelson has many hot food takeaways with late night opening which generates lots of traffic and parked car mayhem but in general is quite safe.

As of July 2021, Nelson and Colne have 4G from all UK carriers. 5G has not yet reached this area.

Local radio: 2BR, BBC Radio Lancashire and Pendle Community Radio (local Asian community station).

Local newspapers: the Nelson Leader, published on Fridays, and the daily Lancashire Telegraph, which publishes a local edition for Burnley and Pendle.

• Burnley General is the local NHS hospital.

Nelson's not exactly a tourist hotspot, but it does have a lot of attractions on its doorstep including Towneley Hall and Park at Burnley, Gawthorpe Hall at Padiham and Wycollar at Colne. The Pennine Way also runs close to the town and the historic town of Clitheroe is nearby.