Property News · April 10, 2015

Let’s move to Colne, Lancashire


It’s a handsome former mill town, with sturdy stone houses and lush countryside at the end of most streetsWhat’s going for it? I love a northern mill town. It’s in my blood. Mum was born in one, and though I was brought up Darn Sarf, there’s something about the sight of mossy, rain-lashed stone and a skyline bristling with Victorian chimneys that cheers me right up. Not a sentiment shared by everyone, I know. But whichever mustachioed mill owner built Colne equipped it handsomely with sturdy, stone homes and all the mod cons a new town might need in the 19th century, like a town hall by starchitect Alfred Waterhouse of Manchester town hall fame. It was a good investment – 150 years later the town has weathered the loss of its cotton mills better than many. It hasn’t done a Todmorden or a Hebden Bridge, but it’s keeping its head above water. Flowers bloom in gardens; the shopping streets, despite Asdas and Matalans on the outskirts, are lively; the community diary is full. And the lush green countryside at the end of most streets sends the heart soaring.The case against The mills have been replaced by factory outlets and offices, but the glorious past hangs around like Banquo’s ghost. It has its socio-economic problems. Continue reading…

Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Let’s move to Colne, Lancashire

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