The Parish of Barrowford, which includes Carr Hall and Higherford, has a population of just over six thousand people and over 2,750 households, which has been steadily increasing over a number of years. Barrowford is seen as a 'desirable' place to live, with a number of local estate agents and the pressure on available land for local house building confirms the popularity of the village as a place to settle. Although Barrowford and the surrounding Pendleside villages are seen to be more prosperous than some of the other larger local towns, the high cost of local housing and the reduction in local employment prospects are proving a serious challenge to young people wanting to stay in the village where they were brought up.
Barrowford's local identity and sense of community is partly based on its past heritage and history both built and social, the stability of local families and strong social networks, these needs to be preserved to keep Barrowford as the friendly and lively place it is today.
Barrowford developed as a weaving town and in its heyday the textiles industry operated 10,000 looms in Barrowford and employed several thousand local people. The gradual decline of the textile industry has led to the development of Barrowford as a residential suburb, resulting in little current local industry or employment except for a few mill buildings converted to small Business Parks and industrial units and the yet unbuilt Barrowford Business Park.
New housing estates have sprung up as the textile industry declined, this started with the Lupton Drive, Appleby Drive estate and the Stone Edge estate during the 1970's. Followed by Wheatley Springs and Park Avenue during the late 1980's. This continues with the demolition of some of the larger mills to provide residential land such as Holmefield Gardens, this will continue with the redevelopment of Lowerclough Mill.
The only current link with our weaving heritage are a handful still weaving at the Lancashire Towelling Company, but this is likely to close in the near future, with the prospect of an up-market, Booths, supermarket being built on the site. With this closure, the centuries long local association with weaving will be gone forever.
Where are We
Barrowford is situated just off junction 13 of the M65 and straddles the A682 the main route linking through to Gisburn, Settle, the Yorkshire Dales, Kendal and the Lake District. Barrowford adjoins the Trough of Bowland Area of Outstanding Beauty, which includes Pendle Hill and the villages of Barley, Roughlee and Newchurch. We are within 15 miles of Haworth and 25mile of Manchester.
