Kelbrook School is in the centre of the village. The tallest building in the village is the village church, St Mary's. Other local towns and villages are Barnoldswick (2 miles/3.2 km northwest), Earby (1 mile/1.6 km north), Salterforth (1 mile/1.6 km northwest), Thornton in Craven (2 miles/3.2 km north), Foulridge (2 miles/3.2 km south) and Colne (3.5 miles/5.6 km south).
Elisabeth Beresford, the creator of the Wombles, wrote much of the second Wombles book, The Wandering Wombles, whilst staying in a cottage on Dotcliffe Road in 1970. The Kelbrook and Sough Wombles, a local litter-picking group, is named in tribute to this connection.[1]Edward Woodward lived in Kelbrook for six weeks in 1973 whilst preparing for his role in The Wicker Man.
The residents of Kelbrook are affectionately called Kelbricks.
During a wedding it is tradition for young residents of the village to lock the church gates and demand money from the bride and groom.[2] A more recent custom is to make scarecrows of literary characters from children's books[3] and to race ducks[4] on Kelbrook Beck.
Tourism
The main A56 road runs through the village. Kelbrook has one public house named the Craven Heifer,[5] named after a local cow, the eponymous Craven Heifer, which was born in 1807 and achieved nationwide fame because of its size.[6] The public house was previously named the Scotsmans Arms, and changed name between 1853 and 1891.
Other attractions include the Kelbrook Pottery factory[7] and the annual art exhibition.[4] The village also has a petrol station with a shop.[8]
