{{short description |Village in Lancashire, England}} {{For|the British journalist, writer and broadcaster|Peregrine Worsthorne}} {{Use British English|date=April 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{infobox UK place |country = England |coordinates = {{coord|53.787|-2.191|display=inline,title}} |static_image_name = Church Square, Worsthorne - geograph.org.uk - 771665.jpg |static_image_caption = Church Square, Worsthorne |population = 1,028 |population_ref= ''(2011)''<ref name=2011census/> |official_name = Worsthorne |civil_parish = Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood |shire_district= Burnley |shire_county = Lancashire |region= North West England |constituency_westminster= Burnley |post_town= BURNLEY |postcode_district = BB10 |postcode_area= BB |dial_code= 01282 |os_grid_reference= SD875325 |website = {{URL|http://www.worsthorne.net/|worsthorne.net}} |pushpin_map= United Kingdom Borough of Burnley |pushpin_map_caption= Shown within Burnley Borough }}
'''Worsthorne''' is a rural village on the eastern outskirts of Burnley in Lancashire, England. It is in the civil parish of Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood and the borough of Burnley. At the 2011 census the village had a population of 1,028.<ref name=2011census>{{NOMIS2011|id=E35000118|title=Worsthorne Built-up area sub division|accessdate=28 March 2021}}</ref>
The village was known as ''Worthesthorn'' in 1202, which means "thorn tree of a man named 'Weorth'."<ref name="name">{{cite web|url=http://www.lancashireparishcouncils.gov.uk/parishes/parish_display.asp?parishid=6|title=Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood Parish Council|work=Lancashire Parish Portal|author=Lancashire County Council|accessdate=25 March 2007|archive-date=19 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419191850/http://www.lancashireparishcouncils.gov.uk/parishes/parish_display.asp?parishid=6|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The village has a small village green, overlooked by the church and Bay Horse public house.<ref name="TG2W">{{cite web|url=http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/localinfo/touristguide/display.var.747155.0.tourist_guide_to_worsthorne.php|title=Tourist Guide to Worsthorne|author=Ron Freethy|year=2006|work=burnleycitizen.co.uk (Newsquest)|accessdate=25 March 2007}}</ref> Buildings in the village include cottages dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, and housing for millworkers dating from the Industrial Revolution. Relatively high property prices in the village reflect the fact that it is perceived to be a desirable place to live, with low crime and good education.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/jun/10/elections2004.uk2|title=Right on the Edge|author=David Ward|work=Guardian Unlimited|access-date=25 March 2007 | location=London | date=10 June 2004}}</ref>
==History== thumb|left|180px|Stone circle near Worsthorne The history of human habitation in the area goes back to the late stone, bronze and Iron Ages. Earthworks and two prehistoric stone circles are shown on Ordnance Survey maps, one at {{gbmapping|SD885327}} on the moors to the east of the village; both are in a poor state of repair. A flint dagger 15 cm in length found on the moor is now in Towneley Museum.<ref name="circle">{{cite web|url=http://www.sypeland.freeserve.co.uk/site76.htm |title=Worsthorne Moor (Slipper Hill) |author=Paul Kenyon |work=Paul's Stone Circle Data Base |accessdate=25 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925011500/http://www.sypeland.freeserve.co.uk/site76.htm |archivedate=25 September 2006 }}</ref>
==Governance== Worsthorne forms part of the '''Worsthorne with Cliviger''' ward, which is currently represented on Burnley Borough Council by two Green Party councillors. In 2002 the ward elected a British National Party (BNP) councillor, which generated considerable media comment at the time; the seat returned to the Conservative Party when it was next contested.<ref name="elect">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/Archive/Article/0,4273,4407290,00.html|title=Voice of BNP's new stronghold: 'No one in this village is a racist'|work=Guardian Unlimited|author=David Ward|accessdate=25 March 2007 | location=London | date=4 May 2002}}</ref> In the 2021 local elections, the ward returned a Green Party councillor for the first time. In 2022 The Green Party won a 2nd seat to become the majority party in the ward for the first time. <ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-25|title=Councillor details - Councillor Scott Cunliffe|url=https://burnley.moderngov.co.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=499|access-date=2021-05-25|website=burnley.moderngov.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
{{Expand section|date=June 2008}}
==Landmarks== [[File:ChurchOfStJohnTheEvangelistWorsthorne(AlexanderPKapp)Oct2005.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Church of St. John the Evangelist, Worsthorne]] thumb|right|240px|Jackson's House in the centre of Worsthorne, built around 1600The village had a close association with the Thursby family, benefactors of the Burnley area,<ref name="name" /> and has a number of listed buildings. These include Jackson's House in the centre of the village, which was built in about 1600, and the Church of St. John the Evangelist which dates from 1833–1839.<ref name="burnleytourism">{{cite web|url=http://www.burnleytourism.co.uk/villages.html|title=Beautiful Villages|author=Burnley Borough Council|year=2003|work=Burnley Tourism|accessdate=25 March 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070203041619/http://www.burnleytourism.co.uk/villages.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 3 February 2007}}</ref> The original plans for the church, drawn up by architect Lewis Vulliamy, can be seen on the Incorporated Church Building Society website.<ref name="ICBS">{{cite web|url=http://www.churchplansonline.org/retrieve_results.asp?c=Lancashire&offset=-1|title=Search Results|work=The Incorporated Church Building Society archive|accessdate=25 March 2007}}</ref> It has a 61 ft clocktower, stained glass windows and wrought ironwork.<ref name="heritage">{{cite web|url=http://www.burnleytourism.co.uk/pics/TIC_Heritage%202006.pdf|title=Burnley 2006 Heritage Open Days|author=Burnley Tourist Information Centre|work=Burnley Tourism|year=2006|accessdate=25 March 2007}}</ref> The churchyard has the grave of a ''packmaster'', a person whose job was to lead packhorses across the moors in special sunken trails that allowed the horses to walk unhitched since the walls of the trail prevented them from straying.<ref name="name" />
An earlier landmark used to be Worsthorne Methodist Chapel, on Chapel Street off Ormerod Street, next to where the former Old Hall stood, but it was demolished in the 1980s, an old people's home now sits on this site. The connected Sunday School building is now a children's nursery.
There is a former cotton mill in Gordon Street, a relic of the time when the area, especially Burnley, was the world centre of cotton weaving.
There are two public houses in the village: the ''Crooked Billet'' and the ''Bay Horse Inn''.<ref name="pubs">{{cite web|url=http://www.eastlancscamra.org.uk/files/pub_list.php?area=Burnley|title=Real Ale Pubs in the Burnley Area|work=East Lancashire CAMRA|year=2007|accessdate=25 March 2007}}</ref> {{Expand section|date=June 2008}}
==Education== The village has a primary school with about 180 pupils in the 4–11 age range,<ref name="ofsted">{{cite web|url=http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/119/119181.pdf |title=Worsthorne Primary School |work=Ofsted |year=2005 |accessdate=25 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010051253/http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/119/119181.pdf |archivedate=10 October 2007 }}</ref> serving Worsthorne, Hurstwood, Brownside and Pike Hill.<ref name="school">{{cite web|url=http://www.worsthorne.lancsngfl.ac.uk/index.php?category_id=3|title=About our school|work=Worsthorne Primary|year=2007|accessdate=25 March 2007}}</ref> The school houses seven classes in modern buildings and has extensive playing fields and grounds. Students used to be organised into four houses, Gorple, Extwistle, Brownside and Ormerod, which were named after the four roads running into Worsthorne and which meet in the village square. However, in 2020 the houses were renamed to Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. The original village school house, now converted into residential housing, stands in the square. {{Expand section|date=June 2011}}
==Transport== A regular bus service (route 4) runs between Worsthorne, Burnley and Stoops. On Mondays to Fridays, the first bus leaves the village square at 06:53 and services then run hourly until 18:53 <ref>{{Cite web|last=Council|first=Lancashire County|title=Bus Timetables|url=http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/public-transport/bus-timetables/bus-timetable-service/|access-date=2021-05-25|website=Lancashire.gov.uk}}</ref> {{Expand section|date=June 2008}}
==Notable people== [[File:Richard-Tattersall.jpg|thumb|125px|Richard Tattersall, 1790]] * Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), horse auctioneer and the founder of the racehorse auctioneers Tattersalls.<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle= Tattersall, Richard |volume= 55 |last= Seccombe |first= Thomas |author-link= Thomas Seccombe |pages= 387-388 |year= 1898 | short=1}}</ref> * Thomas Whitham VC (1888–1924), soldier, First World War, recipient of the Victoria Cross * Catriona Seth (born 1964), Marshal Foch Professor of French Literature at the University of Oxford === Sport === * Ron Greenwood CBE (1921–2006), football player and manager, played 308 games, managed England 1977/1982 * Brian Miller (1937–2007), footballer, played 379 games at Burnley, then manager 1979/1983 and 1986/1989
==See also== *Listed buildings in Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Worsthorne}} *[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53155 Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood Township – British History Online]
{{Borough of Burnley}}
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Category:Worsthorne Category:Villages in Lancashire Category:Districts in Burnley