Lancashire

Lancashire(/ˈlæŋkəʃər/LAN-kə-shər,/-ʃɪər/-⁠sheer; abbreviatedLancs) is aceremonial countyinNorth West England. It is bordered byCumbriato the north,North YorkshireandWest Yorkshireto the east,Greater ManchesterandMerseysideto the south, and theIrish Seato the west. The largest settlement isPreston, and thecounty townis the city ofLancaster.
The county has an area of 3,079 square kilometres (1,189 sq mi) and a population of 1,490,300. Preston is located near the centre of the county, which is urbanised and includes the towns ofBlackburnandBurnley; the seaside resort ofBlackpoollies to the west, andLancasteris in the north.Forlocal governmentpurposes Lancashire comprises anon-metropolitan county, with twelve districts, and twounitary authorityareas:Blackburn with DarwenandBlackpool. The county historically included northern Greater Manchester and Merseyside, theFurnessandCartmelpeninsulas of Cumbria, and part of northernCheshire, but excluded the eastern part of theForest of Bowland.
The west of Lancashire contains flat coastal plains: theWest Lancashire coastal plainto the south andthe Fyldein the centre. The north-western coast is hilly and contains part ofArnside and Silverdale, anational landscape. The east of the county is upland, with theWest Pennine Moorsin the south-east and theForest of Bowlandin the north-east; Bowland has also been designated a national landscape. The major rivers of the county are, from north to south, theLune, theWyre, and theRibble, which all flow west into the Irish Sea. The highest point in Lancashire is eitherGragarethorGreen Hill, both approximately 628 m (2,060 ft) high and located in the far north-east of the county.
Lancashire was founded in the 12th century; in theDomesday Bookof 1086 much of what would become the county is treated as part ofYorkshireandCheshire. Until the Early Modern period the county was a comparatively poor backwater, although in 1351 it became apalatine, with a semi-independent judicial system. This changed during theIndustrial Revolution, when the county rapidly industrialised; until 1974 it included both Liverpool, a major port, and Manchester, which with its surrounding towns dominated themanufacture of textiles.TheLancashire coalfieldwas also exploited, with manycollieriesopening. By 1971 Lancashire had apopulationof 5,118,405, which made it the most heavily populated county in the United Kingdom afterGreater London.
During Roman times the area was part of theBrigantestribal area in the military zone ofRoman Britain. The towns ofManchester,Lancaster,Ribchester,Burrow,ElslackandCastleshawgrew around Roman forts. In the centuries after the Roman withdrawal in 410 AD the northern parts of the county probably formed part of theBrythonickingdom ofRheged, a successor entity to the Brigantes tribe. During the mid-8th century, the area was incorporated into theAnglo-SaxonKingdom of Northumbriafrom the north of theRiver Ribbleand theKingdom of Merciafrom the south, which both became parts of England in the 10th century.
In theDomesday Book, land between theRibbleand Mersey were known as "Inter Ripam et Mersam"and included in the returns forCheshire.Although some historians consider this to mean south Lancashire was then part of Cheshire,it is by no means certain.It is also claimed that the territory to the north formed part of theWest Riding of Yorkshire.
The county was established in 1182,and came to be bordered byCumberland,Westmorland, Yorkshire, and Cheshire. It was divided into thehundredsofAmounderness,Blackburn,Leyland,Lonsdale,SalfordandWest Derby.Lonsdale was further partitioned into Lonsdale North, the detached part north of the sands ofMorecambe BayincludingFurnessandCartmel, and Lonsdale South.
Since theVictorian era, Lancashire has had multiple reforms of local government.In 1889, theadministrative countyof Lancashire was created, covering the greater part of the county. Multiplecounty boroughswere outside thecounty councilcontrol:Barrow-in-Furness,Blackburn,Bolton,Bootle,Burnley,Bury,Liverpool,Manchester,Oldham,Preston,Rochdale,Salford,St. Helens, andWigan. The area served by theLord-Lieutenant(termed now aceremonial county) covered the entirety of the administrative county and the county boroughs. It expanded whenever boroughs annexed areas in neighbouring counties such asWythenshawein Manchester south of the River Mersey and from Cheshire, and southernWarrington. It did not cover the western part ofTodmorden, where the ancient border between Lancashire and Yorkshire passes through the middle of the town.
During the 20th century, the county became increasingly urban withWarrington(1900),Blackpool(1904) andSouthport(1905) becoming county boroughs, with many boundary extensions. The borders around the Manchester area were particularly complicated, with narrow protrusions of the administrative county between the county boroughs –Lees Urban Districtformed a detached part of the administrative county, between Oldham county borough and theWest Riding of Yorkshire.Lancaster, the historiccounty town, became a city in 1937.
The administrative county was also the most populous of its type outside London, with a population of 2,280,359 in 1961. By thecensusof 1971, the population of Lancashire and its county boroughs had reached 5,129,416, making it the most populous geographic county in the UK.
On 1 April 1974, under theLocal Government Act 1972, southern parts of administrative Lancashire were transferred to the two newly establishedmetropolitan countiesofMerseysideandGreater Manchester.WidnesandWarrington, which did not form part of either new county but which were cut off from the rest of Lancashire, were transferred toCheshire.In the north, the new county ofCumbriaincorporated theFurness exclave.
The new ceremonial county of Lancashire also gained land in 1974, as theurban districtsofBarnoldswickandEarby,Bowland Rural District, and the parishes ofBracewell and BrogdenandSalterforthfromSkipton Rural Districtwere transferred from theWest Riding of Yorkshire.
One parish,Simonswood, was transferred from the borough ofKnowsleyin Merseyside to the district ofWest Lancashirein 1994.In 1998 Blackpool andBlackburn with Darwenbecameunitary authorities, removing them from thenon-metropolitan countybut not from theceremonial county.
As the new boundary changes came into effect on 1 April 1974, a government statement in The Times newspaper stated: “They are administrative areas and will not alter the traditional boundaries of counties”.
The three main rivers in Lancashire are theRibble,WyreandLune, which all drain west to theIrish Sea. The Wyre rises in Bowland and is entirely within Lancashire, while the Ribble and Lune rise inNorth YorkshireandCumbriarespectively. Many of Lancashire's other rivers are tributaries of the Ribble, including theCalder,Darwen,Douglas, andHodder. TheIrwell, which flows through Manchester, has its source in Lancashire.
To the west of the county arethe Fyldecoastal plain andWest Lancashire coastal plain, which lie north and south of theRibble Estuaryrespectively. Apart from the coastal resorts these areas are largely rural and devoted to vegetable crops. Further north isMorecambe Bay. In the northwest corner of the county, straddling the border with Cumbria, is theArnside and SilverdaleNational Landscape, characterised by itslimestone pavementsand home to theLeighton Mossnature reserve.
In the east of the county are upland areas leading to the Pennines. North of the Ribble areBeacon Fell Country Parkand theForest of Bowland, anotherNational Landscape. Much of the lowland in this area is devoted to dairy farming and cheesemaking, whereas the higher ground is more suitable for sheep, and the highest ground is uncultivatedmoorland. The valleys of the River Ribble and its tributary the Calder form a large gap to the west of the Pennines, overlooked byPendle Hill. South of the Ribble are theWest Pennine Moorsand theForest of Rossendale, where former cotton mill towns are in deep valleys. TheLancashire Coalfield, largely in modern-dayGreater Manchester, extended intoMerseysideand toOrmskirk,Chorley,BurnleyandColnein Lancashire.
The highest point of the ceremonial county isGragareth, nearWhernside, which reaches a height of 627 m (2,057 ft).Green Hillnear Gragareth has also been cited as the"county" top.The highest point in the historic county isConiston Old Manin theLake District, at 803 m (2,634 ft).
The north of the ceremonial county is less densely populated than the south, especially inland. TheFyldecoast forms a continuous built-up area fromLytham St AnnestoFleetwood, including Blackpool, and further north is the Lancaster/Morecambe built-up area. The rest of the region is characterised by small towns and villages in the flat farmland surrounding the lower reaches of theRibble,Wyre, andLuneand the sparsely populated uplands of theForest of Bowland.
The centre and south-east of Lancashire is relatively urbanised, especially around the major settlements ofPreston,Blackburn, andBurnleyand near the border with Greater Manchester.TheCentral Lancashireurban area includes the city of Preston and the towns ofPenwortham,LeylandandChorley. A short distance east, Blackburn andDarwenare the first of several adjacent areas urban areas which stretch east towardWest Yorkshireand south into the valleys leading to Greater Manchester, the others beingAccrington and RossendaleandBurnley.West Lancashirein the south-west is rural with the exception ofSkelmersdale, which forms part ofWigan urban area.
TheNorth West Green Beltcovers a large part of the south and centre of the county, including all of the non-urban areas in the boroughs of West Lancashire and South Ribble and the majority of Chorley. Elsewhere it is less extensive but covers the areas between the major settlements to prevent their convergence both with each other and with the nearbyMerseysideand Greater Manchester conurbations. There is a further area of green belt in the north of the county, between Lancaster,Morecambe, andCarnforth.
The cities ofManchester,Salford,Liverpooland the following settlements within the historic county boundaries are currently in the ceremonial counties ofWest Yorkshire,Cheshire,Merseyside,Greater ManchesterandCumbria:
Boundary changes before 1974 include:
The ceremonial county of Lancashire is divided into fourteenlocal government districts. Twelve are part of the two-tiernon-metropolitan countyof Lancashire, which is administered byLancashire County Counciland twelve district councils.Lancashire County Councilis based inCounty HallinPreston, and has 84 councillors.The council has been controlled by theConservative Partysince the2017 Lancashire County Council elections; the2021 electionsthey won 48 seats, theLabour Partywon 32, and theLiberal Democratsand theGreen Partywon two each.The twelve districts of the non-metropolitan county areBurnley,Chorley,Fylde,Hyndburn,Lancaster,Pendle,Preston,Ribble Valley,Rossendale,South Ribble,West Lancashire, andWyre.
BlackpoolandBlackburn with Darwenareunitary authorities, meaning their councils combine the functions of a district and county council. They were formed in 1996, before which each district was part of the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire.Both authorities currently have a majority Labour administration.
The ceremonial county itself only has a minor administrative functions, being the area to which theLord Lieutenant of Lancashireis appointed; theshrieval countyhas the same boundaries and is the area to which theHigh Sheriff of Lancashireis appointed. As of 2023 these positions are held byAmanda Parkerand David Taylor respectively.
ALancashire Combined County Authoritywas established in February 2025.
The ceremonial county is divided into sixteenconstituenciesfor the purpose ofparliamentaryrepresentation.
TheDuchy of Lancaster, the private estate of the sovereign, exercises the right ofthe Crownin the County Palatine of Lancaster.The most prominent effect of this is that the Duchy administersbona vacantiawithin the County Palatine, receiving the property of persons who die intestate and where the legal ownership cannot be ascertained.The county palatine boundaries remain the same as thehistoric boundaries, ignoring subsequent local government reforms.
Lancashire in the 19th century was a major centre of economic activity, and hence one of wealth. Activities included coal mining, textile production, particularly that which used cotton, and fishing. Preston Docks, an industrial port is now disused. Lancashire was historically the location of the port ofLiverpoolwhileBarrow-in-Furnessis famous forshipbuilding.
As of 2013, the largest private sector industry is the defence industry withBAE Systems Military Air Solutionsdivision based inWartononthe Fyldecoast. The division operates a manufacturing site inSamlesbury. Other defence firms includeBAE Systems Global Combat Systemsin Chorley,Ultra ElectronicsinFulwoodandRolls-Royce plcinBarnoldswick.
Thenuclear powerindustry has a plant at Springfields,Salwickoperated byWestinghouseandHeysham nuclear power stationis operated byBritish Energy. Other major manufacturing firms includeLeyland Trucks, a subsidiary ofPaccarbuilding theDAFtruck range.
Other companies with a major presence in Lancashire include:
The creation of Lancashire Enterprise Zone was announced in 2011. It was launched in April 2012, based at the airfields owned by BAE Systems in Warton and Samlesbury.Warton Aerodromecovers 72 hectares (180 acres) andSamlesbury Aerodromeis 74 hectares.Development is coordinated by Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Lancashire County Council and BAE Systems.The first businesses to move into the zone did so in March 2015, at Warton.
In March 2015 the government announced a newenterprise zonewould be created atBlackpool Airport, using some airport and adjoining land.Operations at the airport will not be affected.
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire at basic prices published by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.
Lancashire has a mostly comprehensive system with four state grammar schools. Not includingsixth form colleges, there are 77 state schools (not including Burnley's new schools) and 24 independent schools. The Clitheroe area has secondary modern schools. Sixth form provision is limited at most schools in most districts, with only Fylde and Lancaster districts having mostly sixth forms at schools. The rest depend on FE colleges and sixth form colleges, where they exist. South Ribble has the largest school population and Fylde the smallest (only three schools). Burnley's schools have had a new broom and have essentially been knocked down and started again in 2006. There are many Church of England and Catholic faith schools in Lancashire.
Lancashire is home to four universities:Lancaster University, theUniversity of Central Lancashire,Edge Hill Universityand the Lancaster campus of theUniversity of Cumbria. Seven colleges offer higher education courses.
The Lancashire economy relies strongly on theM6 motorwaywhich runs from north to south, past Lancaster and Preston. TheM55connects Preston to Blackpool and is 11.5 miles (18.3 km) long. TheM65 motorwayfromColne, connects Burnley, Accrington, Blackburn to Preston. TheM61from Preston viaChorleyand theM66starting 500 metres (0.3 mi) inside the county boundary nearEdenfield, provide links between Lancashire and Manchester, and the trans-PennineM62. TheM58crosses the southernmost part of the county from the M6 near Wigan to Liverpool viaSkelmersdale.
Other major roads include the east–westA59between Liverpool in Merseyside andSkiptonin North Yorkshire via Ormskirk, Preston and Clitheroe, and the connectingA565toSouthport; theA56fromRamsbottomtoPadihamviaHaslingdenand from Colne to Skipton; theA585fromKirkhamtoFleetwood; theA666from the A59 north of Blackburn to Bolton viaDarwen; and the A683 fromHeyshamtoKirkby Lonsdalevia Lancaster.
Several bus companies runbus servicesin the Lancashire area serving the main towns and villages in the county with some services running to neighbouring areas,Cumbria,Greater Manchester,MerseysideandWest Yorkshire. Some of these include:
TheWest Coast Main Lineprovides direct rail links with London, Glasgow and other major cities, with stations atPrestonandLancaster. East-west connections are carried via theEast Lancashire LinebetweenBlackpoolandColneviaLytham, Preston,Blackburn,AccringtonandBurnley. TheRibble Valley Lineruns fromBoltontoHellifieldwith regular passenger services running as far asClitheroeviaDarwenand Blackburn. There are connecting lines from Preston toOrmskirkand Bolton, and from Lancaster toMorecambe,HeyshamandSkipton.
Blackpool Airportare no longer operating domestic or international flights, but it is still the home of flying schools, private operators and North West Air Ambulance.Manchester Airportis the main airport in the region.Liverpool John Lennon Airportis nearby, while the closest airport to the Pendle Borough isLeeds Bradford.
There is an operational airfield atWartonnear Preston where there is a major assembly and test facility forBAE Systems.
Heyshamoffers ferry services toIrelandand theIsle of Man.As part of its industrial past, Lancashire gave rise to an extensive network of canals, which extend into neighbouring counties. These include theLeeds and Liverpool Canal,Lancaster Canal,Sankey Canal,Bridgewater Canal,Rochdale Canal,Ashton CanalandManchester Ship Canal.
The major settlements in the ceremonial county are concentrated onthe Fyldecoast (theBlackpool Urban Area), and a number of notable settlements along west to east of theM65: including the city ofPrestonand towns ofBlackburn,Darwen,Accrington,Burnley,Padiham,Brierfield,NelsonandColne. South of Preston are the towns ofLeylandandChorley(which, with Preston, formedCentral LancashireNew Town designated in 1970), as well asPenwortham,SkelmersdaleandOrmskirk.
The north of the county is predominantly rural and sparsely populated, except for the city ofLancasterand the towns ofMorecambeandHeysham, the three of which form a large conurbation of almost 100,000 people. Lancashire is home to a significantAsianpopulation, numbering over 70,000 and 6% of the county's population, and concentrated largely in the former cotton mill towns in the south east.
TheRed Rose of Lancasteris thecounty flowerfound on the county's heraldic badge and flag. The rose was a symbol of theHouse of Lancaster, immortalised in the verse "In the battle for England's head/Yorkwas white, Lancaster red" (referring to the 15th-centuryWars of the Roses).
A flag consisting of a red rose on a gold field was designed by theFriends of Real Lancashire, a pressure group which promotes the historic county, and registered with theFlag Institute, a vexillological charity, in 2008.The flag has been flown from public buildings within the historic county boundaries onLancashire Day(27 November), including fromCounty HallinPreston,St Helens Town Hall,the in the parts of theMetropolitan Borough of Oldhamwhich were previously in Lancashire.It has also been flown from theMinistry for Housing, Communities, and Local Governmentbuilding in London.
An alternative flag consists of a red rose on a white field. This design had already been registered byMontrosein Scotland.
Lancashire County Cricket Clubhas been one of the most successfulcounty cricketteams, particularly in theone-daygame. It is home toEngland cricket teammembersJames AndersonandJos Buttler. TheCounty Ground, Old Trafford,Trafford, has been the home cricket ground of LCCC since 1864.
Local cricket leagues include theLancashire League, theCentral Lancashire Leagueand theNorth Lancashire and Cumbria League.
Since 2000, the designatedECBPremier Leaguefor Lancashire has been theLiverpool and District Cricket Competition.
Football in Lancashire is governed by theLancashire County Football Associationwhich, like mostcounty football associations, has boundaries that are aligned roughly with thehistoric counties. TheManchester Football AssociationandLiverpool County Football Associationrespectively operate inGreater ManchesterandMerseyside.
Lancashire clubs were prominent in the formation of theFootball Leaguein 1888, with the league being officially named at a meeting in Manchester.Of the twelve founder members of the league, six were from Lancashire:Accrington,Blackburn Rovers,Bolton Wanderers,Burnley,Everton, andPreston North End.
The Football League is now based in Preston.TheNational Football Museumwas founded atDeepdale,Prestonin 2001, but moved to Manchester in 2012.
Seven professional full-time teams were based in Lancashire at the start of the 2024–25 season:
The county's most prominent football rivalries are theEast Lancashire derbybetween Blackburn Rovers and Burnley, and theWest Lancashire derbybetween Blackpool and Preston North End.
A further nine professional full-time teams lie within the historical borders of Lancashire but outside of the current ceremonial county. These include the Premier League clubsEverton,Liverpool,Manchester CityandManchester United.
Along with Yorkshire and Cumberland, Lancashire is recognised as the heartland of Rugby League. The county has produced many successful top flight clubs such asSt. Helens,Wigan,Warrington,Oldham,SalfordandWidnes. The county was once the focal point for many of the sport's professional competitions including theLancashire Leaguecompetition which ran from 1895 to 1970, and theLancashire County Cupwhich ran until 1993. Rugby League has also seen a representative fixture betweenLancashire and Yorkshirecontested 89 times since its inception in 1895.In recent times there were severalrugby leagueteams that are based within the ceremonial county which includeBlackpool Panthers,East Lancashire Lions, andBlackpool Sea Eagles.
There are many archery clubs located within Lancashire.In 2004 Lancashire took the winning title at the Inter-counties championships fromYorkshirewho had held it for 7 years.
Lancashire has a long history ofwrestling, developing its own style calledLancashire wrestling, with many clubs that over the years have produced many renowned wrestlers.Some of these have crossed over into the mainstream world ofprofessional wrestling; including multipleCatch wrestling championSteve Wright father ofAlex Wright,Billy Rileythe founder of Wigan's catch-wrestling gym, 'The Snake Pit',Billy Robinson,Davey Boy Smith,William Regal, and theDynamite Kid.
Lancashire has a long and highly productive tradition of music making. In the early modern era the county shared in the national tradition ofballadry, including perhaps the finestborder ballad, "The Ballad of Chevy Chase", thought to have been composed by the Lancashire-born minstrel Richard Sheale.The county was also a common location forfolk songs, including "The Lancashire Miller", "Warrington Ale" and "The soldier's farewell to Manchester", while Liverpool, as a major seaport, was the subject of manysea shanties, including "The Leaving of Liverpool" and "Maggie May",beside several localWassailingsongs.In theIndustrial Revolutionchanging social and economic patterns helped create new traditions and styles of folk song, often linked to migration and patterns of work.These included processional dances, often associated with rushbearing or theWakes Weekfestivities, and types ofstep dance, most famouslyclog dancing.
A local pioneer of folk song collection in the first half of the 19th century was Shakespearean scholarJames Orchard Halliwell,but it was not until the secondfolk revivalin the 20th century that the full range of song from the county, includingindustrial folk song, began to gain attention.The county produced one of the major figures of the revival inEwan MacColl, but also a local champion inHarry Boardman, who from 1965 onwards probably did more than anyone to popularise and record the folk song of the county.Perhaps the most influential folk artists to emerge from the region in the late 20th century were Liverpool folk groupthe Spinners, and from Manchester folk troubadourRoy Harperand musician, comedian and broadcasterMike Harding.The region is home to numerousfolk clubs, many of them catering toIrishandScottish folk music. Regularfolk festivalsinclude the Fylde Folk Festival atFleetwood.
Lancashire had a lively culture of choral andclassical music, with very large numbers of local churchchoirsfrom the 17th century,leading to the foundation of local choral societies from the mid-18th century, often particularly focused on performances of the music ofHandeland his contemporaries.It also played a major part in the development ofbrass bandswhich emerged in the county, particularly in the textile and coalfield areas, in the 19th century.The first open competition for brass bands was held at Manchester in 1853, and continued annually until the 1980s.
The vibrant brass band culture of the area made an important contribution to the foundation and staffing of theHallé Orchestrafrom 1857, the oldest extant professional orchestra in the United Kingdom.The same local musical tradition produced eminent figures such as SirWilliam Walton(1902–88), son of an Oldham choirmaster and music teacher,SirThomas Beecham(1879–1961), born in St. Helens, who began his career by conducting local orchestrasandAlan Rawsthorne(1905–71) born in Haslingden.The conductorDavid Atherton, co-founder of theLondon Sinfonietta, was born in Blackpool in 1944.Lancashire also produced more populist figures, such as earlymusical theatrecomposerLeslie Stuart(1863–1928), born in Southport, who began his musical career as organist ofSalford Cathedral.
More recent Lancashire-born composers includeHugh Wood(1932– Parbold),SirPeter Maxwell Davies(1934–2016, Salford),SirHarrison Birtwistle(1934–2022, Accrington),Gordon Crosse(1937–, Bury),John McCabe(1939–2015, Huyton),Roger Smalley(1943–2015, Swinton),Nigel Osborne(1948–, Manchester),Steve Martland(1954–2013, Liverpool),Simon Holt(1958–, Bolton)andPhilip Cashian(1963–, Manchester).TheRoyal Manchester College of Musicwas founded in 1893 to provide a northern counterpart to the London musical colleges. It merged with the Northern College of Music (formed in 1920) to form the Royal Northern College of Music in 1972.
Liverpool, both during its time in Lancashire and after being moved to the new county ofMerseyside, has produced a number of successful musicians. This includes pop stars such asFrankie VaughanandLita Roza, as well as rock stars such asBilly Fury, who is considered to be one of the most successfulBritish rock and rollstars of all time.Many Lancashire towns had vibrantskifflescenes in the late 1950s, out of which a culture ofbeatgroups emerged by the early 1960s, particularly around Liverpool andManchester. It has been estimated that there were at least 350 bands—includingthe Beatles—active in and around Liverpool during this era, playing ballrooms, concert halls, and clubs.A number of Liverpool performers followed the Beatles into the charts, includingGerry & the Pacemakers,the Searchers, andCilla Black.
The first musicians to break through in the UK who were not from Liverpool or managed by Beatles managerBrian Epsteinwere Manchester'sFreddie and the Dreamers,withHerman's Hermitsandthe Holliesalso hailing from Manchester.The Beatles led a movement by various beat groups from the region which culminated in theBritish Invasionof the US, which in turn made a major contribution to the development of modernrock music.After the decline of beat groups in the late 1960s, the centre of rock culture shifted to London, and there were relatively few Lancashire bands who achieved national prominence until the growth of adiscoscene and thepunk rockrevolution in the mid-and-late 1970s.
The towns ofAccrington,Burnley,Chorley,Clitheroe,Colne,Lytham St Annes,Morecambe,Nelson,OrmskirkandSkelmersdaleas well as the cities ofLancasterandPrestonare referenced in the 1991 song, "It's Grim Up North" by the bandthe KLF.
Lancashire is the origin of theLancashire hotpot, acasseroledish traditionally made withlamb. Other traditional foods from the area include:
Whistle Down the Wind(1961) was directed by Bryan Forbes, set at the foot of Worsaw Hill and inBurnley, and starred local Lancashire schoolchildren.
The tunnel scene was shot on the old Bacup-Rochdale railway line, location 53°41'29.65"N, 2°11'25.18"W, off the A6066 (New Line) where the line passes beneath Stack Lane. The tunnel is still there, in use as an industrial unit but the railway has long since been removed.
Funny Bones(1995) was set mostly in Blackpool, after opening scenes in Las Vegas.
The county is covered byBBC North WestandITV Granadawhich broadcast fromSalford. Television signals are received from theWinter Hill TV transmitter.A small part of East Lancashire aroundBarnoldswickandEarbyis served byBBC YorkshireandITV Yorkshirebroadcasting fromLeeds. This area is served by a local transmitter inSkiptonwhich is relayed from theEmley Moor TV transmitter.
BBC Local Radiofor the county is served byBBC Radio Lancashirewhich broadcast from its studios inBlackburn,BBC Radio Merseysidecan be heard in southern parts,BBC Radio Manchesterin the east andBBC Radio Cumbriain the north. County-wide commercial stations areGreatest Hits Radio Lancashire,Capital Manchester and Lancashire,Heart North West, andSmooth North West. Community based stations areBeyond Radio(covering northwestern Lancashire),Pendle Community Radio(serving thePendlearea),Rossendale Radio(forRossendale), andCentral Radio(forThe Fylde,Preston, Leyland and Chorley areas of Lancashire).
The county is served by these local newspapers:
The national weeklyFarmers Guardianis published in Fulwood, Preston.
The following are places of interest in the ceremonial county: