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 June 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 Pakistan 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."

Climate

The damp East Lancashire climate was ideal for production of cotton goods but in Nelson, unlike the larger surrounding towns, the emphasis was on weaving rather than spinning. Nelson no longer has its own meteorological station.

As you can see from the blue sky in the thumbnail images below, it doesn't rain all the time in Nelson, Lancashire!

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.

By boat

From Leeds to the North West or Liverpool to the south east by narrowboat on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

By bike

Be careful. Cobbles and potholes (the size of tank traps) are challenging.

By foot

By bus

Report problems such as hazardous smashed glass at bus shelters.

• British in India Museum

  phone: +44 1282 613129
  address: Hendon Mill, Hallam Rd, BB9 8AD
  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.

• Queen Street Mill Textile Museum

  address: Harle Syke, Burnley, BB10 2HX
  Unfortunately 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)

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.

• Pendle Wavelengths

  phone: +44 1282 661717
  address: Leeds Road
  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 destination for arts, culture and enterprise. Operated and managed by Pendle Leisure Trust, it aims to provide the very best facilities and leisure opportunities for the local community, and the best in business class services for any functions, corporate events or meetings. The Centre hosts films, plays, live music, exhibitions, dance events, comedy nights and more. It has a bistro which serves food and has a licensed bar.

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. .
A Tesco Metro closed in 2010, as did Ethel Austin, Bonmarche, B & M, Iceland, Poundstretcher, Woolworth's and Argos in July 2011.
Morrisons is the main supermarket in the town.

• Spice of India

  phone: +44 1282 613353
  address: 98-100 Manchester Rd BB9 7HD
  Bright exterior that appears to be permanently covered in a layer of dust and traffic filth. You might want to avoid the Sunday buffet: diners have described the food as luke warm with rock hard bhajis like frisbees and very dreary music not helping the atmosphere. Speciality is Lamb Sag and all main dishes are served with polau (sic) rice or boiled rice or egg fried rice. The staff are really lovely and make an effort with everyone. You can book tables on-line. Does deliveries and takeaways too.

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.

• Station Hotel

  address: Hibson Rd BB9 9SB
  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. Phone: 01282 615215
• The Shooters Arms is a traditional pub at the very top of Nelson with fantastic panoramic views of Pendle Hill. Phone: 01282 614153

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

Hotels

The closest hotel is in the next-door and larger town of Burnley:

• The Oaks Hotel, Leisure Club and Spa

  phone: +44 1282 414141
  address: Colne Road, Reedley, Nr Burnley BB10 2LF
  50 bedrooms with free Wi-Fi, restaurant in the ‘old house’ offering locally sourced produce, lounge bar, conference suites (largest accommodates up to 200 delegates), extensive grounds and outdoor terraces. Disabled access level 2, accepts children of all ages, gym, health/fitness/beauty facilities, indoor pool, sauna, solarium. Pets and LGBT accepted. Special provisions for cyclists and "Lone Female Travellers" (sic).

Bed and Breakfast

There is one B&B in Nelson and one in a village about 2 km to the north.

• Lovett House Guest House

  phone: +44 1282 697352
  address: 6 Howard Street, Off Carr Road, Nelson BB9 7SZ
  Victorian terraced house with 3 guest bedrooms of which 2 are en suite. Offers courtesy pick up from local train and bus stations; excursion planning advice; full Lancashire cooked breakfast

• Holmefield Gardens B&B

  phone: +44 1282 606984
  address: 57 Holmefield Gardens, Barrowford BB9 8NW
  Modern terraced town house with 2 guest bedrooms of which one is en suite. Wi-Fi access; special provisions for cyclists; cooked breakfast.

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.

Worship

Many buildings used for worship have been demolished or their usage changed but there are still active Christian, Hindu and Muslim congregations.

Media

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.

Internet

There are no Internet cafés but all 5 national mobile phone networks provide a strong and reliable local signal. It would be a bad idea to flash your latest £500 smartphone on the streets here.

Post

Somewhat paradoxically, although a quarter of East Lancashire's post offices have closed , the only Crown Post Office closure in Nelson was the one at 75 Barker House Road.

Try not to get injured or seriously sick at the weekend, since there's a local "death spike" then according to a 2013 National Health Service (NHS) report that made sweeping criticisms of the local Burnley General NHS hospitals.

Nelson, Lancashire'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.