Bonnie Colne Upon The Hill

Colne is built upon a small hill in East Lancashire and has ancient origins, predating many of the other towns in the local area. People are thought to have first settled here in AD 79 following the defeat of the County of Lancaster by the Roman general Gnaeus Julius Agricola. The name of the town possibly derives from the Latin term "colonia" meaning "a settlement". Despite its antiquity Colne was not mentioned in the Domesday Book (compiled 1084-86), though this is probably because at that time it formed part of the Parish of Whalley, not forging its own identity until 1865.

In 1610, a map of the County of Lancaster drawn by John Speede showed Colne to be one of its 15 largest towns. During the Industrial Revolution Colne established itself as a centre for cotton manufacture. Other industries of the time included quarrying, mining, hat making, and leather manufacturing. Today Colne forms part of the Borough of Pendle, an area renowned for its natural beauty and infamous witches.