Belmont
St Peter's church
Belmont is located in Blackburn with Darwen
Belmont
Belmont
Shown within Blackburn with Darwen
Belmont is located in Lancashire
Belmont
Belmont
Location within Lancashire
OS grid referenceSD673161
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBOLTON
Postcode districtBL7
Dialling code01204
PoliceLancashire
FireLancashire
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament

Belmont is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of North Turton, in the unitary authority area of Blackburn with Darwen, in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. It is close to Darwen and has around 500 inhabitants.

History

Archaeological finds at or near Belmont have been Mesolithic material and a flint blade, Flint Microlith Core and Flint Scraper. Finds have included Neolithic Barbed and tanged arrowheads. Items found from the Bronze Age include a spearhead with Bronze Age Round cairns on Noon Hill and Winter Hill.[1]

Before 1804 Belmont was known as Hordern[2] and was part of the upper part of the township of Sharples in the parish of Bolton le Moors.[3][4] The township contained cotton mills, a large dye works owned by Thomas Rycroft that had a landmark chimney (which has been demolished), and a print works; there was a paper works at Spring Side in Folds.

Following a factory fire several years ago a housing estate was developed with houses designed to look traditional.

The neo-gothic parish church of St Peter's designed by John Edgar Gregan, built at the end of 1849 was consecrated on 1 April 1850. One of Gregan's last projects, the church was constructed from local stone on the site of an ancient farm.[5] John Hick, a local industrialist and later MP for Bolton, was very involved with the church and responsible for the installation of several stained glass windows, the church bells and turret clock.[6][5]

Civil parish

Belmont was formerly a chapelry in the parish of Bolton-le-Moors,[7] from 1894 Belmont was a civil parish in its own right, on 1 April 1925 the parish was abolished and merged with Turton.[8] In 1921 the parish had a population of 635.[9]

Governance

Belmont is in the borough of Blackburn with Darwen.[10]

Tockholes is part of the Rossendale and Darwen constituency. Jake Berry has been the Member of Parliament for Rossendale and Darwen since 2010.

Geography

Belmont is a linear settlement in moorland in the West Pennine Moors, built along the old Bolton to Preston road, the A675. It lies about 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Bolton in a valley between Anglezarke Moor and Turton Moor. There is a minor road to Rivington to the west.

The Winter Hill transmitting station stands on Winter Hill about a third of a mile (0.5 km) southwest of the village.

Belmont Reservoir, built by Bolton Waterworks in the 19th century, occupies the valley to the north of the village, and is home to Bolton Sailing Club.[11] The smaller Ward's Reservoir, built in the early 19th century to supply water to the former Rycroft Dye Works[12] and known locally as the Blue Lagoon, was drained in 2010.[13]

Economy

The village has one public house, and a restaurant/bar. It also has around 20 business located in the old bleach works including various forms of engineering, decorative glass, architectural iron works, vehicle restoration workshops, landscaping, specialist coatings, motorbike engineers and bathroom retailers.

Education

Primary education is provided by Belmont Primary School.[14]

Religion

St Peter's Church Belmont is a Church of England parish church serving the local community of Belmont Village,[15] including a Sunday school.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "British Archaeological Sites". Archi. Archi. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Freethy, Ron (19 February 2007), "Belmont walk", Lancashire Telegraph, retrieved 11 March 2008
  3. ↑ Greater Manchester Gazetteer, Greater Manchester County Record Office, Places names – S, archived from the original on 18 July 2011, retrieved 11 March 2008
  4. ↑ Farrer, William; Brownbill, J., eds. (1911), "Sharples", A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5, British History Online, pp. 260–262, retrieved 20 November 2010
  5. 1 2 3 Skinner, George (1 April 2010). St Peter's Church Belmont. The First 50 Years.
  6. ↑ Skinner, George (2010). "The Church of St Peter, Belmont in the County of -- Lancashire --". OPC for the County of Lancashire. Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "History of Belmont, in Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "Relationships and changes Belmont CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Population statistics Belmont CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "BWDBC". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "Information About Belmont Reservoir", Waterscape, retrieved 5 January 2010
  12. ↑ Winter Hill Scrapbook (PDF), Dave Lane, p. 26, retrieved 30 January 2011
  13. ↑ Thorpe, Julian (27 May 2010), "Plug is pulled on Blue Lagoon", The Bolton News, retrieved 30 January 2011
  14. ↑ "Blackburn with Darwen District Council". Archived from the original on 5 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "St Peters, Belmont".
  16. ↑ "St Peters Church, Belmont". Archived from the original on 27 July 2013.
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