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Blackburn Cathedral
Attractions in Blackburn

In Blackburn: Blackburn Cathedral and one other place worth a visit

7 of the 11 places to visit in and around Blackburn are castles or historic places. Mapped inside Blackburn’s built-up area are 2 places to visit, and within 5 km of its edge another 9. One of the places on the list is maintained by English Heritage. The centre alone has 2 within 1 km. English Football Hall of Fame lies 33 km out, the pick for a day trip.

Photo: Blackburn Cathedral, JohnArmagh (Public domain)
In Blackburn
2
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
9
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
4
in or near town
Castles & historic places
7
in or near town
Cared for
1
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Start with these in Blackburn

After Blackburn Cathedral come 2 museums, 2 historic houses and an abbey or priory.

CathedralBlackburn Cathedralin townMuseumBlackburn Museum and Art Galleryin townAbbey or priory · English HeritageWhalley Abbey4.4 km outside town, to the northeastHistoric houseHoghton Tower2.2 km outside town, to the westHistoric houseSamlesbury Hall3 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumHaworth Art Gallery4.9 km outside town, to the east

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Mapped

Furthest from the centre is Whalley Abbey, 9.7 km away.

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The dashed line is Blackburn’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

What you can see

Castles or historic places are the biggest group (7), then museums or galleries (4).

Museums & galleries 4 museums1 in town · 3 nearby
Castles & historic places 3 historic houses · 2 historic sites · 1 cathedral · 1 abbey or priory1 in town · 6 nearby

Green: inside Blackburn. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Whalley Abbey).

Every place

Everything on the list

The 2 inside Blackburn come first, then 9 more within 5 km of its edge.

The 2 inside Blackburn come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

81 listed buildings and 1 scheduled monument are on Blackburn’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Blackburn →

Big names nearby

Names further out

Day trips number 12; the best known is English Football Hall of Fame, 33 km off.

MuseumEnglish Football Hall of Fame33 km southeastAttractionBlackpool Tower38 km westCathedralManchester Cathedral33 km southeastArt galleryManchester Art Gallery34 km southeastMuseumThe Manchester Museum35 km southeastBig drawMuseumScience and Industry Museum34 km southeast · 830K visitors a yearMuseumImperial War Museum North33 km south · 2K visitors a yearMuseumChetham's Library33 km southeastCastleLancaster Castle40 km northwestMuseumBolton Art Gallery, Library & Museum19 km southMuseumNational Football Museum33 km southeastMuseumPendle Heritage Centre22 km northeast · 100K visitors a year

Places well known beyond Blackburn (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Common questions about Blackburn

What are the main attractions in Blackburn?

The best known inside Blackburn’s built-up area are Blackburn Cathedral and Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 9 more within 5 km.

Does Blackburn have a museum?

4 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Blackburn: Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, Haworth Art Gallery, Ribchester Roman Museum and Accrington Dome.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Blackburn?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Blackburn, 1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Whalley Abbey).

What are the best-known days out near Blackburn?

Within 40 km: English Football Hall of Fame (33 km), Blackpool Tower (38 km), Manchester Cathedral (33 km), Manchester Art Gallery (34 km).

Where are Blackburn’s historic buildings listed?

Blackburn has 81 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Blackburn when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (20)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.