Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies 21 mi north of Manchester and 25 mi east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.It began life in the early medieval period as a number of farming hamlets surrounded by manor houses and royal forests, gaining a market over 700 years ago. Its main period of expansion came during the Industrial Revolution, when it grew into one of Lancashire's most prominent Mill towns. At its peak, it became one of the world's largest producers of cotton cloth and a major centre of engineering.Today, Burnley has a post-industrial economy and landscape, and is increasingly a dormitory town for Manchester, Leeds and the M65 corridor.