Pleasington

Infobox UK place
parish=Pleasington
population=467 (2001)
official_name= Pleasington
country= England
region= North West England
os_grid_reference=SD642263
post_town= BLACKBURN
postcode_area= BB
postcode_district= BB2
dial_code= 01254
constituency_westminster= Blackburn
civil_parish= Pleasington
unitary_england= Blackburn with Darwen
lieutenancy_england=Lancashire
latitude= 53.7338
longitude= -2.5440

Pleasington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, England. It had a population of 467 in the 2001 census. [ [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Neighbourhood Statistics Home Page ] ]

It is a rural village set on a hillside above the River Darwen. The village was listed in the Domesday Book as "Plesigtune", a name which means "a settlement owned by Plessa's People". [ [http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/leisure/touristguide/display.var.947207.0.tourist_guide_to_pleasington.php Tourist Guide To Pleasington (from Blackburn Citizen) ] ]

Pleasington railway station is on the East Lancashire Line with trains to destinations including the nearby towns of Blackburn and Preston.

The Roman Catholic church in the village, known as Pleasington Priory, was built between 1816 - 1819 in a Gothic style. [ [http://www.lancashirechurches.co.uk/pleasington.htm Lancashire Churches - Pleasington ] ] It is one of only two Grade I Listed buildings in the borough of Blackburn with Darwen. [ [http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?LANGUAGE=eng&pageID=1338 Pleasington Priory ] ]

Pleasington Old Hall is another historic building, built in 1587 [ [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Pleasington/ GENUKI: Pleasington, Lancashire genealogy ] ] , and is Grade II Listed [ [http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?language=eng&pageID=1343 Listed Buildings ] ] . A nature reserve [http://www.lancswt.org.uk/Our%20Reserves/pleasington_old_hall_wood_&_wildlife_garden.htm] near the hall was declared in 2006. [ [http://www.english-nature.gov.uk/text_version/special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?ID=1327 English Nature - Local Nature Reserves - Details - Text ] ]

Also near the village is Pleasington Playing Fields, a large outdoor sports facility with 12 football pitches [ [http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4358 Playing fields : Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council ] ] opened in 1963 by the Duke of Edinburgh as King George's Fields. [ [http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?LANGUAGE=eng&pageID=2929 Blackburn Encyclopaedia K ] ] . Witton Country Park is connected to the playing fields by a bridge over the River Darwen. Overlooking the area is Pleasington Cemetery, the main cemetery and crematorium for the Blackburn area.

Pleasington is on the National Cycle Network Route 6, one of the main national bicycle routes in the UK, which is planned to connect Windsor to The Lake District.

References

External links

* [http://www.lancashireparishcouncils.gov.uk/parishes/parish_display.asp?parishid=204 Pleasington Parish Council]