Pendle
§ This page gives an overview of the Pendle local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Pendle lies in eastern Lancashire, named after the distinctive Pendle Hill, a landmark rising above moorland and valleys. Nelson and Colne are the main towns, with textile heritage, markets, and local museums. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through, while villages like Barrowford and Trawden sit among rolling countryside. Pendle is also associated with the famous Pendle Witches of the 17th century, adding historic intrigue to its scenic uplands and rural charm.
The administrative boundary of Pendle can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Pendle.
Key Facts about Pendle
What region is Pendle in? Pendle is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Pendle in? Pendle is located in the county of Lancashire.
Is Pendle a city? No, Pendle is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Pendle? The local authority for this district is: Pendle Borough Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Lancashire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Lancashire County Council.
▶ Official website of Pendle Borough Council 🔗 pendle.gov.uk
Which police force covers Pendle? Policing in Pendle is provided by Lancashire Constabulary 🔗 lancashire.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Blackburn with Darwen ⁞ Blackpool ⁞ Burnley ⁞ Chorley ⁞ Fylde ⁞ Hyndburn ⁞ Lancaster ⁞ Pendle ⁞ Preston ⁞ Ribble Valley ⁞ Rossendale ⁞ South Ribble ⁞ West Lancashire ⁞ Wyre.
Constituencies in Pendle
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Pendle
Pendle is divided into 12 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barnoldswick
- Barrowford & Pendleside
- Boulsworth & Foulridge
- Bradley
- Brierfield East & Clover Hill
- Brierfield West & Reedley
- Earby & Coates
- Fence & Higham
- Marsden & Southfield
- Vivary Bridge
- Waterside & Horsfield
- Whitefield & Walverden
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data.
Parishes in Pendle
Pendle is fully parished: 18 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Barley-with-Wheatley Booth
- Barnoldswick
- Barrowford
- Blacko
- Brierfield
- Colne
- Earby
- Foulridge
- Goldshaw Booth
- Higham-with-West Close Booth
- Kelbrook and Sough
- Laneshaw Bridge
- Nelson
- Old Laund Booth
- Reedley Hallows
- Roughlee Booth
- Salterforth
- Trawden Forest
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
Built-up Areas in Pendle
Pendle covers 13 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barnoldswick
- Barrowford
- Brierfield *
- Burnley *
- Colne
- Earby
- Fence
- Foulridge
- Higham (Pendle) *
- Nelson (Pendle)
- Padiham *
- Sough
- Trawden
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Pendle.)
Pendle compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Pendle compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Pendle has 12 electoral wards.
Pendle has a population of 99,777 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Pendle can be found on the ONS statistics for Pendle.