created in 1866 from the township of Haslingden in the ancient parish of Whalley. A local board was formed for the town in 1875 and the district it governed was extended to cover parts of the townships of Henheads, Higher and Lower Booths in the parish of Whalley, and Musbury and part of Tottington in the ancient parish of Bury. Subsequently, Haslingden was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1891 and in 1894 the civil parish was extended to match the borders of the borough. Following the local government reorganisation in 1974 Haslingden became part of the Borough of Rossendale. In 2005 the Audit Commission rated Rossendale District Council performance as 'Poor', and was listed as the worst performing district council in the country in their Comprehensive Performance Assessment. By 2009 the council was described as 'performing well' by the Audit Commission, rating Rossendale Council as three out of four stars. Landmarks St James's Church and the 'Top of the Town' Haslingden's Anglican parish church, dedicated to St James the Great, was rebuilt in 1780 on a site occupied by a church building since at least 1284. Murray's Guide says "it stands well and is plain Georgian, dully Gothicised inside". In 1296 a deed of gift of the Earl of Lincoln to the monks of Stanlaw granted them the parish of Whalley. Haslingden was recorded as being one of Whalley's seven independent chapelries, and was served by two priests. The church is locally known as the 'top church' by reason of its dominating position. St James's Church now sits well to the north of the town centre, but until the 1930s it was adjacent to the 'Top of the Town' - the area between Town Gate and Church Street, and the old centre of Haslingden. This was an area containing several public house drinking places, the original market, the town stocks, and Marsden Square, where travelling shows pitched their tents. Clearance began in 1932 and the area is now largely housing. By the west side of the church entrance is a large Plague Stone, with two carved holes. There is some uncertainty about its exact purpose, but most opinion is that such stones were used in times of plague to enable food (or other alms) to be offered to plague victims while avoiding direct contact. A Saxon Cross is mentioned in the Clitheroe court rolls of 1547, and the stone