Darwen

Darwen is a small market town in Lancashire, which extends onto the West Pennine Moors. Darwen is part of the Blackburn with Darwen borough, which has been a unitary district since 1998.

Like many towns in Lancashire, Darwen was a centre for the production of textiles during the industrial revolution. The most important textile building in Darwen is India Mill.

One of Darwen's biggest claims to fame is that it hosted a visit from Mahatma Gandhi in 1931.
The River Darwen passes through the town, subsequently joining the River Ribble, one of the longest rivers in North West England.

Overlooking the town from the moors to the west is Darwen Tower (officially 'Jubilee Tower'). Built in celebration of both Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and of the successful campaign the same year by the people of Darwen for free public access to Darwen Moors, it stands at an altitude of 1225 feet and is 86 feet tall.