The ‘Singing- Ringing Tree’
At Crown Point high above the town stands Burnley’s exciting new panopticon the ‘Singing-Ringing Tree’ – a unique musical sculpture in the form of a tree bending against the wind, designed by award-winning architects Tonkin-Liu. As the wind blows it produces a low and mellow hum through pipes which are tuned so that they do not disturb the wildlife.
The folklore and mythology surrounding the ‘Singing-Ringing Tree’ involves handsome princes, beautiful princesses and wicked dwarfs and dates from the time when Europe was covered in primeaval forest. If you remember the BBC children’s television series of the late 1960’s that gripped children with its scary tales and fairy stories based around the legends of the ‘Singing-Ringing Tree’, you cannot fail to be intrigued by this amazing structure.
A path from the nearby car park leads to the panopticon with its fantastic views over the town from Pendle Hill to Worsthorne Moor. For the more energetic you can walk the Wayside Arts Trail from Towneley Park following the Lancashire oak carved marker posts and bricks that form a treasure trail to the site.
By 1886 Burnley was the largest producer of cotton cloth in the world and was making more looms than any other place in the country.