The parish contains part of the Pike Hill and Brownside suburbs of Burnley, the village of Worsthorne although this finishes at the sunshine houses and the hamlet of Hurstwood and the rural area east of the town.
The second element in the name Worsthorne is probably from the Old Englishþorn, a thorny bush. Its first is less certain, possibly worþ (homestead) or a personal name as in Worthing. With Hurstwood, hyrst is thought to mean a wooded prominence, as 'wood' (OE wudu) has been appended, it may just mean a prominence in this case.[2]
After the Norman conquest of England, the area may have been part of Briercliffetownship, and the lords of Clitheroe appear to have divided Worsthorne among a number of free tenants. In 1292 Henry de Lacy granted the homage and service of the free tenants of Worsthorne to Oliver de Stansfield, his receiver for Pontefract. In 1311 Worsthorne was listed as a manor, and by 1332 it was regarded as an independent township. Control of the manor would stay with the Stansfield family until 1560.[8]
Hurstwood and Cant Clough reservoirs are in the south-east of the parish, both are passed by the Mary Towneley Loop section of the Pennine BridlewayNational Trail and the Burnley Way footpath.[11] Swinden and Lea Green reservoirs are in the north on the boundary with Briercliffe.[12]
The Member of Parliament for Burnley, the constituency into which the parish falls, is Oliver Ryan of the Labour Party, who was first elected in 2024.
Demography
According to the United Kingdom Census 2011, the parish has a population of 2,963, a decrease from 2,986 in the 2001 census. This represents a decline of 0.8% over ten years. The parish has an area of 1,452 hectares (5.61 sq mi; 14.52 km2), giving a population density of 2.04 inhabitants per hectare (530/sq mi; 204/km2).[1][17] The developed parts of the parish were included in the Burnley Built-up area, defined in the 2011 census which had a population of 149,422.[18]
In 2011 the average (mean) age of residents was 44.7 years, with a distribution of 51.1% female and 48.9% male. The racial composition was 99% White (98% White British), 0.6% Asian and 0.6% Mixed. The largest religious groups were Christian (77.6%) and Muslim (0.2%). 71.6% of adults between the ages of 16 and 74 were classed as economically active and in work.[1]