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Facts & Figures

Lancashire's History and Geography

• Lancashire was established in 1183
• It has a population of 1,134,974 (2001Census)
• The county covers an area of 3,075 sq km - making it one of the largest shire counties
• Dunsop Bridge in the Ribble Valley is the centre of the British Isles
• The highest point in the county is Green Hill near Whernside at 687 metres high
• Preston is England's newest city
• The Leeds Liverpool Canal - Britain's longest - flows through large parts of the county
• The mill towns of Blackburn and Burnley were the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century
• You can see Blackburn and Burnley from Pendle Hill. The hill is only 165ft shy of being called a mountain
• The largely `undiscovered` Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Beauty covers 802 square km - making it the same size as New York City
• And the Forest of Bowland is the first protected area in England to be awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, joining just 30 other protected areas across Europe
• Bashall Town, near Clitheroe, is England's smallest town

Did you know?

• Blackpool Illuminations comprise an amazing one million lamps in various types and styles and cost £2.4 million to stage
• More multi-million pound lottery winners choose Blackpool as their favourite over any other British destination (source: Camelot)
• It takes 7 years to paint Blackpool Tower from top to bottom and the tower's lifts travel 3,500 miles every year
• Lancaster Castle belongs to the Queen and still has prisoners and a sitting court
• In her official biography, by Sarah Bradford, the Queen expressed a desire to retire to the Ribble Valley
• And Morecambe's potted shrimps have a Royal seal of approval
• Miles Standish, the captain of America's first settlers, the Pilgrim Fathers, came from Chorley
• Lancaster born scientist Richard Owen created the word 'dinosaur'
• The post office and craft shop in Chipping is the country's oldest continuously trading shop. A shop has been in existence here since the 1600s
• Garstang was the world's first Fairtrade town

Famous Lancashire and Blackpool

• Forget Wembley and Old Trafford...football's real home is Lancashire where the professional game began and which now hosts the National Football Museum in Preston
• Stonyhurst College and the surrounding Ribble Valley is said to be the inspiration for Tolkein's Middle Earth from `Lord of the Rings` - his son boarded at the college which he visited regularly
• Pendle Hill is where George Fox is believed to have had his vision in 1640 prior to founding the Quaker Movement
• The trial of the Pendle Witches in Lancaster in 1612 is perhaps the most famous of its kind in Britain
• Squires Gate, now known as Blackpool International Airport, was the UK's first airport
• The National Football Museum has the world's six most important football collections
• Blackpool's permanent electric street tramway was the world's first when it opened in 1885
• Martin Mere, Lancashire's largest lake, is said to be the last known home of King Arthur's sword `Excalibur`
• Roger Bannister, the first person to break the four minute mile, lived at what is now Pendle Heritage Centre
• Sirloin beef is said to get its name after a visit by James 1 to Hoghton Tower near Preston, where he knighted a piece of beef on a table

Tourism statistics

• In 2006 there were 58 million visitors, contributing £2.5 billion to the Lancashire and Blackpool economy and helping to support nearly 49,000 jobs
• By 2016 there are projected to be 85 million visitors, spending £3 billion and helping to support 70,000 jobs
• Pleasure Beach, Blackpool is the UK's number one visitor attraction, welcoming over 5.7 million visitors each season
• It's Pepsi Max rollercoaster ride is 235ft high and is the tallest in Europe. It is just over a mile in length and reaches 85 mph, making it the fastest roller coaster in Europe