Broadclough
| Broadclough | |
|---|---|
 Grassland in the centre of Broadclough |
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 Broadclough
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| Broadclough shown within Lancashire | |
| OS grid reference | SD866239 |
| District | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bacup |
| Postcode district | OL13 |
| Dialling code | 01706 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Broadclough – historically Broad Clough (meaning "broad valley") – is a village located to the north of Bacup (where population details are included), previously having been a part of the old Borough of Bacup and now with Rossendale borough of Lancashire and part of the Greenclough Ward. It is part of the Rossendale and Darwen constituency, with Jake Berry having been the Member of Parliament since 2010. Like much of Bacup, Broadclough is rapidly becoming a commuter area for towns such as Manchester, Burnley, Accrington, Preston, Blackburn, Rochdale (and further afield).
Broadclough is serviced by Broadclough Lodge which is a special school and the mixed maintained Northern Primary School which sits at the top of the ridge of the clough from which the village gets its name. Children at Northern Primary School may take an 11 Plus exam to be considered for selection to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School.
The Goidelic Celts occupied the area around Broadclough and wolves were encountered in the hills around the clough as late as the 13th century.
The village is significant in that there exists what has been argued to be the most important archaeological site in the East Lancashire area, namely Broadclough Dykes. It has been claimed that in the 10th century, the Anglo-Saxons battled against Gaels and Norsemen at Broadclough, with some arguing this was the setting for the site of, or an encampment of an army before the Battle of Brunanburh.
Although the Dykes near Dykes House Farm have been studied, there are other earthworks, specifically those that run next to the Roman road and Lane Head Farm, Bacup Old Road and Plantation View in neighbouring Weir, which have yet to be investigated. In addition there are other properties which aren't associated with the Dykes such as Dikes Barn Farm which suggest there may be other locations in Broadclough that need to be analysed.
Others have suggested these are of Roman rather than Saxon origin, whilst others believe it is of Bronze Age origin, sharing its history with other Bronze Age features nearby.
The prevailing train of thought places Broadclough Dykes as an ancient structure, however there is a suggestion that it may actually have an industrial origin as open-cast site for extraction of fireclay, from beneath an exposed coal seam.
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Wikipedia