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Brierfield
Brierfield  Brierfield shown within Lancashire
Population	8,199 (as of 2001 census)[1]
OS grid reference	SD850361
District	Pendle
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NELSON
Postcode district	BB9
Dialling code	01282
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Pendle
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Brierfield

The town is served by Brierfield railway station.

There are three primary schools, and one secondary school in Brierfield. The primary schools are Reedley Road, Walter Street and Holy Trinity. The secondary school is Marsden Heights Community College.

The town's war memorial features a large pewter lion roaring. The town is well known for its part in the Quaker movement. A Friends meeting house can still be found in Brierfield.

The town's small cinema was replaced by a branch of Dixy Chicken. The cinema is now a double glazing outlet, with Dixy Chicken further down the road in a new unit. The town is home to a cyber cafe, which is a part of the Brierfield Action In The Community initiative which aims to improve the social and economical wellbeing of Brierfield residents. The town is also home to a gym, a number of churches and a mosque.

Pendle Community Radio commenced broadcasting on 103.1FM in September 2005. Licensed by Ofcom as a distinct community radio service, it aims to target the borough's Muslim population, a large number of which reside in Brierfield.

The building of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, the Blackburn to Addingham Turnpike road and the railway line from Preston to Colne led to the town of Brierfield developing during the early 19th century. Before these new transport links were constructed, there was just a scattering of farmhouses forming part of the township of Marsden, which also covered what was to become Nelson. The construction in 1832 of the first cotton mill, just off Lob Lane (now Clitheroe Road) close to the Marsden coal pit, led to the massive growth of the settlement during the mid-1800s. New mills were quickly established along the banks of the canal and people flocked to the area to work in the cotton industry, many coming from the mining areas of the North Riding of Yorkshire as the lead seams were worked out. The cotton industry continued to be the main employer until well into the 1960s, and it was only in 2006 that BSN (formerly Smith & Nephew) finally ceased production of woven cloth at Brierfield's mills.

Mordor, the evil land in The Lord of the Rings, was reportedly based on the town of Brierfield. J. R. R. Tolkien would often visit the small neighbouring town of Fence, where there is a clear aerial view of Brierfield. At the time he was writing the book, Brierfield would have been covered by a large amount of thick, black smoke coming from the factory chimneys. He realised that this was how he envisaged Mordor, and therefore based it on Brierfield.^{[citation needed]}

Saj Karim, European Parliament member.

Mohammed Afzal Khan, Lord Mayor of Manchester 2005–06.

Several members of celebrated 1960s pop group The Hollies came from Brierfield, including long-time bass guitarist Bernie Calvert.

Alan Buck, drummer with the The Four Pennies of "Juliet" fame.