View source for Altham, Lancashire

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place 
|country=                  England     
|coordinates=              {{coord|53.78|-2.34|display=inline,title}}
|official_name=            Altham
|static_image_name=        St James' Church, Altham.jpg
|static_image_caption=     St James' Church
|area_total_sq_mi=         {{convert|568.15|ha|mi2|2|disp=number}}
|area_footnotes=           <ref name=pop/>
|population =              1,137
|population_ref=           ''(2011)'' <ref name=pop/>
|civil_parish =            Altham
|shire_district=           [[Hyndburn]]
|shire_county=             [[Lancashire]]
|region=                   North West England
|post_town=                Accrington
|postcode_district=        BB5
|postcode_area=            BB   
|dial_code=                01254
|os_grid_reference=        SD775325
|constituency_westminster= [[Hyndburn (UK Parliament constituency)|Hyndburn]]
|pushpin_map              = United Kingdom Borough of Hyndburn
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in Hyndburn
}}

'''Altham''' is a village and [[civil parish]] in the [[Hyndburn|Borough of Hyndburn]], in [[Lancashire]], England.   The village is {{convert|4|mi}} west of [[Burnley]], {{convert|3|mi}} north of [[Accrington]], and {{convert|2|mi}} north-east of [[Clayton-le-Moors]], and is on the [[A678 road|A678]] [[Blackburn]] to Burnley road.

The village is located in the north east corner of the parish on the [[River Calder, Lancashire|River Calder]], and in the south west is ''Altham West'', a suburb of Accrington. The census of 2001 recorded a population for the parish of 897,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lancashireparishcouncils.gov.uk/documents/information/Parish_headcount.pdf |title=Parish headcount |accessdate=2008-10-06 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061210214612/http://www.lancashireparishcouncils.gov.uk/documents/information/Parish_headcount.pdf |archivedate=10 December 2006 }}</ref> increasing to 1,137 at the 2011 Census.<ref name=pop>{{NOMIS2011|id=1170215027|title=Altham Parish|accessdate=10 February 2018}}</ref> However the village's 2011 population was only 343.<ref>{{NOMIS2011|id=1119884734|title=Altham Built-up area|accessdate=10 February 2018}}</ref>
The [[Ham class minesweeper]] {{HMS|Altham}} was named after the village.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}}

== Governance ==
[[File:Borough of Hyndburn parishes map.svg|thumb|{{legend|#fdffbd|Altham parish shown within Hyndburn|outline=silver}}]]
Altham is in [[Hyndburn]], a [[non-metropolitan district]] with [[borough]] status in [[Lancashire]]. Altham was once a [[Township (England)|township]] in the ancient parish of Whalley, this became a [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in 1866.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10331894/relationships |title=Altham CP/Ch through time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |work=visionofbritain.org.uk |accessdate=31 August 2015}}</ref> From 1894 to 1974, the parish was in the [[Burnley Rural District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10027366 |title=Burnley RD Lancashire through time: Administrative history of Local Government District: hierarchies, boundaries |work=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]] |publisher=[[University of Portsmouth]] & others |year=2008 |accessdate=2008-10-06 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514214726/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10027366 |archivedate=14 May 2011 }}</ref>

Hyndburn Borough Council has a total of 35 councillors, two of which are elected by the [[Wards of the United Kingdom|ward]] of Altham. {{As of|2020}}, the ward is represented by two [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] councillors.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://democracy.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 | title=Your councillors by ward | publisher=Hyndburn Borough Council | accessdate=2020-07-05 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Altham has a [[Parish councils in England|parish council]]; its meetings are usually in Altham village.  The facilities at [[Accrington Stanley F.C.|Accrington Stanley]]'s [[Crown Ground]] stadium have allowed some meetings to be held there, a more convenient location for the residents of Altham West.<ref name="parishplanupdate">{{cite web | url=http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/council/meetings/displayFile.asp?FTYPE=A&FILEID=37324| title=Parish Plan Update | publisher=Altham Parish Council | accessdate=2009-06-28 }}</ref> Altham is the only civil parish in the Borough of Hyndburn.

== Industry ==
Coal mining was the major industry in Altham in the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]] was opened in the 1810s, pits were located near the canal, and supplied coal to the industries of East Lancashire.  Later in the century Altham Colliery (later renamed Moorfield Colliery) was opened.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Leeds & Liverpool Canal : a history and guide | first=Mike | last=Clarke | page=142 | publisher=Carnegie Publishing | location=[[Lancaster, Lancashire|Lancaster]] | year=2003 | isbn=978-1-85936-013-2 | oclc=54881773}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.grimshaworigin.org/WebPages/MoorPit.htm | title=The Moorfield Pit Disaster | year=2000 | accessdate=2008-03-19 |url-status = dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106104707/http://grimshaworigin.org/WebPages/MoorPit.htm | archivedate=6 November 2007 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The colliery closed in 1949,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.prestwichandwhitefieldguide.co.uk/2003/7/10/543541.html |title=Digging deep for our dark secrets |work=[[Lancashire Evening Telegraph]] |publisher=[[Newsquest Media Group]] |date=2003-07-10 |accessdate=2008-10-06 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and Moorfield Industrial Estate is now on the site. An explosion at the colliery in 1883 resulted in the deaths of 68 people.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.accringtonobserver.co.uk/news/s/348025_thirteen_children_among_68_killed_in_pit_disaster | title=Thirteen children among 68 killed in pit disaster | work=Accrington Observer | publisher=M.E.N Media | date=2002-12-05 | accessdate=2008-03-19 }}</ref>

Altham is now home to two [[industrial estate]]s, Altham Industrial Estate within the village, which is home to the building manufacturing company Easy-Trim Roofing and Construction Products Ltd, and Moorfield Industrial Estate in the southwest of the parish near [[Clayton-le-Moors]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.easy-trim.co.uk}}</ref>

== Education ==
Altham St. James C.E. Primary School is located in the village.<ref name="parishplanupdate" />  The nearest secondary schools are in Accrington.

== Religious sites ==
{{main|St James' Church, Altham}}
Altham has an [[Church of England|Anglican]] [[church (building)|church]], dedicated to St James and situated on Burnley Road.  The current building, which is [[Grade II* listed]], was built in the 16th century. However, a church has existed in the village since 1140. At first, it was dedicated to St Mary. Until 1870 it was the [[parish church]] to [[Accrington]].<ref>{{NHLE | num=1072721 | desc= Church of St James | year=2007 |grade= II* | access-date=2008-10-12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Altham/StJames.shtml | title=St James formerly St Mary Church of England | publisher=[[GENUKI]] | date=2008-09-05 | accessdate=2008-10-12 }}</ref>

== Transport ==
Altham is on the [[A678 road]]; the nearest motorway junctions are [[M65 motorway|M65]] junctions 7 (west of [[Clayton-le-Moors]]) and 8 (near [[Huncoat]]).
As of September 2016, the village is served by only one bus route; the 152 operated by [[Blackburn Bus Company]], which connects the village to [[Burnley]], [[Blackburn]] and [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]].

==See also==
*[[Listed buildings in Altham, Lancashire]]
*[[Timothy Jollie]], nonconformist minister born in Altham circa 1659

==Notable People==
Ian Ashworth (1958-) professional footballer

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Altham, Lancashire}}

{{Borough of Hyndburn geography}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Geography of Hyndburn]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Lancashire]]