Entwistle, situated in the County of Lancashire, England, is a small ancient township (village) lying between the major Lancashire towns of Bolton, Darwen and Bury. It is surrounded by the villages of Edgworth, Quarlton and Turton, and is on the railway line between Manchester and Blackburn.

The now un-manned railway station at Entwistle lies beside its only pub', the former Station Hotel, now known as the Strawberry Duck. The rugged country in the lower Pennine hills forms a scenic setting for the present day Entwistle Hall, the family seat whose most famous former occupant was Bertine Entwistle. 

Sir Bertine is reported to have been knighted on the battlefield at Agincourt in 1415 by King Henry V himself. He later perished at the 1st Battle of St. Albans fighting for Henry VI and the House of Lancaster in the Wars of the Roses.

Entwistle, which lies to the North Eastern corner of the old Turton Urban District (which also includes: Edgworth, Quarlton, Bradshaw, Harwood, Turton and Longworth) is about 1000 ft above sea level and consists of some1668 acres. 

Originally part of Edgworth, Entwistle the separate Township dates from the early 1200s from the Manor of Entwistle (Hennetwisel) held then by the Entwistle Family of the Hospitallers which was joined with a settlement of land given by William de Radcliffe to Robert de Entwistle on his marriage to Radcliffe's daughter. 

It is possible that this coming together of the two parcels of land led to the common references to the "Old Living" and "New Living" each one consisting of a number of farmsteads. The original Entwistle Hall is believed to have been built around 1200 and was occupied by the family until 1555, when its ownership passed to the Tyldesleys. 

Sir Bertine Entwistle was born at the Old Hall and on his return from Agincourt built his New Hall, being either Lower House or Lower Crow Trees, the latter being used as a farmhouse until being submerged under the Wayoh Reservoir extension. The current Hall was rebuilt in the 1600s on the old site and since 1657 has been divided into three dwellings.

The Old Roman Road from Manchester to Ribchester runs through Entwistle going south to north past Pike House Farm at Whittlestone Head and possibly dividing the Township at the boundaries of the Old and New Livings. The Bolton to Blackburn Turnpike built in 1797 runs along the Western boundary of Entwistle at Bull Hill.

The Entwistle Reservoir was built in 1832 with a capacity of 726 million gallons and a top water area of 94 acres. The dam is 360 feet long and 108 feet high, the highest in Britain at the time it was built.

Several Farms were lost when the Entwistle and Wayoh reservoirs were built, but a greater impact on the community came with the building of the railway in 1848. Three Thousand men, women and children were encamped in the area during the construction which involved the cutting of Cranberry Moss Tunnel, over 1 mile long from Whittlestone Head to just short of Darwen. The whole project including the viaduct at Entwistle took three years and three lives were lost.