Living in Accrington and the Hyndburn towns: a local guide

Where is Accrington?

Accrington sits in a natural bowl ringed by the Pennines and the West Pennine Moors, about four miles east of Blackburn, six miles west of Burnley and roughly twenty miles north of Manchester. It is the largest town in the borough of Hyndburn, which was created in 1974 and named after the River Hyndburn. The borough also takes in Oswaldtwistle, Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Great Harwood, Rishton, Huncoat and Baxenden, and most of it falls within the BB1 to BB6 postcodes.

The towns that make up the area

Each town has its own character. Oswaldtwistle is linked to James Hargreaves, inventor of the spinning jenny, and is home to Oswaldtwistle Mills, a shopping village in a former cotton mill. Great Harwood remembers John Mercer, the self-taught chemist who invented the mercerisation process for cotton. Clayton-le-Moors has the historic Dunkenhalgh estate, now a hotel, while Church grew up around its medieval parish church. Baxenden, on the southern edge of Accrington, is the long-standing home of Holland's Pies.

What kind of homes will you find?

The towns grew quickly in the 19th century around cotton weaving, so the streets have a regular grain of Victorian terraced housing, much of it solidly built in local stone and brick. You will also find older stone farmhouses and cottages in the hamlets, along with newer estates on the edges of the towns. Official affordability figures from the Office for National Statistics, which compare house prices to local earnings, repeatedly place Hyndburn among the most affordable areas in England and Wales, which is a big part of the appeal for first-time buyers and investors.

Getting around

Connectivity is better than many people expect. Accrington railway station has a direct hourly train to Manchester Victoria, restored in 2015 when the Todmorden Curve reopened, plus services to Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool North, Burnley, Leeds and York. Church and Oswaldtwistle and Rishton have their own stations too. By road, the M65 runs along the southern edge of the borough, with Junction 7, the Hyndburn Interchange, serving Accrington and Oswaldtwistle. For walking and cycling, the Hyndburn Greenway and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath give largely traffic-free routes.

Days out on the doorstep

There is a lot to enjoy close to home. The Haworth Art Gallery, a Tudor-style mansion in its own park, holds the largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany glass in Europe, and entry is free. Peel Park and the adjoining Coppice offer gardens and a hilltop walk with wide views over the town. Further afield you have Pendle Hill, the open moorland of the West Pennine Moors, and the ancient bridges of Wycoller Country Park, all within easy reach.

Thinking of moving to the area?

Whether you are buying your first home, moving up, or looking for a rental, it helps to talk to someone who knows these streets. If you would like honest, local advice about living or investing in Accrington and the Hyndburn towns, our team is always happy to help.