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BDonald
Regular Member
297 Posts
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 Posted -
27/07/2011
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15:29
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Brierfield or MordorBrierfield or MordorBrierfield or MordorBrierfield is a small town (population approx. over 9,000) situated in Lancashire, England, in the district of Pendle. It is located two and a half miles north-east of the town of Burnley, one mile south-west of the town of Nelson, and half a mile north-east of Reedley.
The town is served by Brierfield railway station.
There are three primary schools, and one secondary school in Brierfield. The primary schools are Reedley Road, Walter Street and Holy Trinity. The secondary school is Marsden Heights Community College.
The town's war memorial features a large pewter lion roaring. The town is well known for its part in the Quaker movement. A Friends meeting house can still be found in Brierfield.
The town's small cinema was replaced by a branch of Dixy Chicken. The cinema is now a double glazing outlet, with Dixy Chicken further down the road in a new unit. The town is home to a cyber cafe, which is a part of the Brierfield Action In The Community initiative which aims to improve the social and economical wellbeing of Brierfield residents. The town is also home to a gym, a number of churches and a mosque.
History
The building of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, the Blackburn to Addingham Turnpike road and the railway line from Preston to Colne led to the town of Brierfield developing during the early 19th century. Before these new transport links were constructed, there was just a scattering of farmhouses forming part of the township of Marsden, which also covered what was to become Nelson. The construction in 1832 of the first cotton mill, just off Lob Lane (now Clitheroe Road) close to the Marsden coal pit, led to the massive growth of the settlement during the mid-1800s. New mills were quickly established along the banks of the canal and people flocked to the area to work in the cotton industry, many coming from the mining areas of the North Riding of Yorkshire as the lead seams were worked out. The cotton industry continued to be the main employer until well into the 1960s, and it was only in 2006 that BSN (formerly Smith & Nephew) finally ceased production of woven cloth at Brierfield's mills.
Mordor, the evil land in The Lord of the Rings, was reportedly based on the town of Brierfield. J. R. R. Tolkien would often visit the small neighbouring town of Fence, where there is a clear aerial view of Brierfield. At the time he was writing the book, Brierfield would have been covered by a large amount of thick, black smoke coming from the factory chimneys. He realised that this was how he envisaged Mordor, and therefore based it on Brierfield.
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Another
Traycle Mine Overseer
6250 Posts
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Posted - 28/07/2011 : 02:21
See link below for a brief article on Tolkeins connections with the area.
http://www.oldclitheroe.co.uk/page172.htm Nolic
" I'm a self made man who worships his creator"   |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 28/07/2011 : 06:12
Interesting Donald. I didn't know about the connection. Thanks for that.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
cloghopper
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Posted - 01/08/2011 : 09:03
Very interesting. My father farmed at Reedley until the 1960's; and after leaving Kelbrook as a small child, I grew up there. Remember well Saturday afternoon matinees at the New Star cinema as a kid, watching Roy Rogers, Laurel and Hardy etc. What is now the mosque was the Methodist chapel where I went to Sunday School. The 'Holy Trinity' school you mention was probably the Catholic Church where I married; now demolished from what I can see on Google Street view. I made a brief visit to the area about 15 years ago; and the changes were so dramatic since I was a young man as to have put me off for life.
cheers,
cloggy
Dyslexics untie |
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Brierfield or Mordor
