Countryside campaigner Cosima Towneley

Cosima, daughter of Sir Simon Towneley and the late Lady Mary Towneley, is a woman with a fierce loyalty to Burnley, which has been home to her family for centuries.

Never one to mince her words, Cosima is keen to talk about her love of art, horses and the Burnley countryside, and her frustrations at being a local councillor.

Born in the family home of Dyneley, Cliviger, Cosima is the sixth child of seven, and would be the first to admit her childhood was not the average for a Burnley youngster.

Yet, despite her privileged upbringing, Cosima retains a very down-to-earth quality, perhaps shaped by years of mucking out stables and the rough-and-tumble of life with six siblings.

“All the children were born here in Dyneley and I went to Park Hill School in the town. Dyneley was originally a 14th Century hunting lodge and I had a very happy childhood there. Obviously, as there were seven of us within 12 years of each other it could be quite hectic at times.”

Dyneley was part of the Worsthorne estate that passed to Lady Alice Reyntiens in 1921, a daughter of the seventh Earl of Abingdon and Caroline Towneley.

Cosima returned to Dyneley several years ago after an exodus that took her around the world.

A warm and funny person, Cosima is also fiercely proud of her town and particularly its, sometimes unappreciated, countryside.

It was this desire for action that prompted her to stand for election to Burnley Borough Council in 2007, a position she still holds. Another reason was her belief that Burnley politics were too urban-centric. While enjoying her role as a councillor, she admits to being frustrated by the sometimes arduous mechanisms of local government.

“I am a doer and feel meetings breed more meetings when I want to see action. It is frustrating but I’ve enjoyed it, too.”

After attending the private boarding schools of Hanford in Dorset and Moreton Hall, Shropshire, Cosima studied history and history of art at Oxford Brookes University. Officer training at Sandhurst followed but, befitting a woman who “doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty”, Cosima acquired an HGV drivers’ licence and served in the Territorial Army as a Second Lieutenant.

A trip to China followed before Cosima put her degree to use working at the famous Christie’s auction house in London. It is this love of art that draws Cosima’s thoughts to Burnley and the original family home Towneley Hall – now housing an art collection rather than a family.

“I am immensely proud of Towneley Hall and I’m so pleased its artwork is there for the people of Burnley to enjoy. What’s the point in art if people can’t see it? Towneley looks superb at the moment. Hats off to Susan Bourne (the former curator) who has done a splendiferous job! She has searched high and low for new acquisitions over the years.”

Cosima’s other great love, again formed in childhood, is her passion for all things equine and her belief that horses are crucial to the local economy. She has been instrumental in improving routes for riders and walkers around Burnley’s countryside, building on the work of her mother, who created the Mary Towneley Loop.

“There are 2,000 horses and more riders who do so much for the local economy but are still undervalued. These are ordinary people who enjoy riding as a leisure pursuit. It costs around £4,500 a year to keep a horse, money which goes to local farriers, feeders and equipment suppliers.

“The Pennine Bridleway was an idea to create an arterial route using as many old highways and forgotten routes as possible. We wanted a full safe bridleway network for everybody. I’ve taken great satisfaction in how that’s evolved.”

So what does the future hold for Cosima? Never one to sit still, she has recently tried her hand at baking and would love to see a cottage industry develop in Burnley.

“I’ve always longed to see a co-operative of farmers and allotmenteers producing quality home-grown local produce here in Burnley. It would be fantastic to see.”