Save the Mills

Helmshore Mill Textile Museum and Queen Street Mill in Lancashire together make up the last surviving example in the world of spinning and weaving of the Industrial Revolution.

Recognised by Arts Council England, through their designation scheme as 'world class collections' which 'are a lasting source of inspiration and enjoyment for generations of users'1 our museums are now under threat of closure as Lancashire County Council plans to close them in a bid to save £262M by 2020.

This is a completely short sighted view. Of the overall cuts which need to be made, the closure of five Lancashire Museums will achieve only a saving of around £5M in this timeframe2. That's only 1.9% of the savings that need to be made. One percent over 5 years and we lose over two hundred year's of Lancashire's unique Industrial heritage.

Helmshore and Queen Street keep alive the otherwise extinct process of cotton spinning and weaving in Lancashire- once the industrial heart of the country. In these museums you can 'trace the history of weaving and spinning through the displays of handlooms, power looms, flying shuttles, dobbies, jacquards, water frames, drop spindles and powerful spinning mules. Many contain original machines, and a number are still in working order and demonstrated on a regular basis. Queen Street Mill contains a unique collection of machinery which has been preserved in situ, including the original Lancashire boiler, the 500 horse power tandem compound steam engine ‘Peace, the line shafting throughout the mill and the 19th century looms connected to it.'3

By 1860 there were 2650 cotton mills in Lancashire, employing 440 000 people and producing half of the world’s cotton4.

We now have two left. We can't afford to lose them.

Save the Mills is a blog to track the progress as we work together to #SaveTheMills