Blacko 2970216 219827612 2008-06-17T01:26:45Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{infobox UK place| |country = England |latitude= 53.869 |longitude= -2.217 |population= 595 ([[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census]]) |official_name= Blacko |shire_district= [[Pendle]] |shire_county = [[Lancashire]] |region= North West England |constituency_westminster= [[Pendle (UK Parliament constituency)|Pendle]] |post_town= NELSON |postcode_district = BB9 |postcode_area= BB |dial_code= 01282 |os_grid_reference= SD856415 |london_distance= }} '''Blacko''' is a village and [[civil parish]] within the [[Pendle]] district of [[Lancashire]], [[England]]. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 595. The village is on the old [[turnpike trust|turnpike road]] to [[Gisburn]] ([[A682 road|A682]]). The village enjoys views towards [[Boulsworth Hill]] to its south east, the former cotton town of [[Nelson, Lancashire|Nelson]], about two miles to its south and [[Pendle Hill]] to its west. Overlooking the village is Stansfield Tower (also known as Blacko Tower), which was built around 1890. A local grocer, Jonathan Stansfield, built this circular rough stone tower to provide himself with a view over [[Ribblesdale]] from the top, but the height fell somewhat short. A [[Bronze Age]] axe, believed to be 3,500 years old, was found near the tower in 1952. Blacko is set on a hill overlooking [[Pendle Water]] and in 2002 was the winner of the Lancashire Best Kept Village competition. Blacko was runner-up in the competition in 2005, being beaten by the village of [[Wrea Green]]. Blacko was the childhood home of Lancashire [[comedian]] [[Jimmy Clitheroe]] (1921-1973), famous for his [[BBC]] radio series ''[[The Clitheroe Kid]]'', who lived there from 1922 to 1935. Jimmy went to school in Blacko and appeared in many amateur concert party entertainments in the village's [[Methodist]] chapel, before turning professional in 1936. Also during the 1930s it was the home of the comedian [[Tommy Trafford]], who played many summer seasons in the Lancashire seaside resort of [[Southport]] between the 1960s and 1980s, so many in fact that he was affectionately known in Lancashire as 'Mr Southport'. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/image_galleries/blacko_gallery.shtml BBC Sunday Stroll in Blacko] [[Category:Towns and villages in Pendle]] [[Category:Parishes of Lancashire]] {{Lancashire-geo-stub}}