Description
This is the last surviving 19th century steam powered weaving mill.
By early 1982 the mill was only operating 440 looms and was no longer financially viable. It finally closed on 12 March 1982, and the mill was mothballed. The mill was rescued by Burnley Borough Council in 1983. It was reopened in April 1986 as a working textile museum. It passed to Lancashire County Council's Museums Service who carried out major refurbishments assisted by English Heritage, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. It re-opened again in 1997. The mill again produces cloth as a result of the demonstration, and the machinery is deemed a collection of national importance.
The weaving shed was used in a scene in the 2011 film The King's Speech. The museum was also used to portray the Milton steam mill in the BBC series North & South and Life on Mars.