Helmshore Mills Textile Museum
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2018 03 23 Helmshore Mills Textile Museum
Sightseeing day during Erasmus+ transnational learning/teaching/ training activities in England Blackburn Saint Wilfrid's Church of England Academy.
Erasmus+ project Motion picture at en exhibition (MoPic)
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Helmshore Mill Textile Museum
Nestling side by side in the quiet village of Helmshore in the stunning Rossendale Valley are two original Lancashire textile mills: Higher Mill and Whitaker's Mill together known as Helmshore Mills Textile Museum.
Visit our website for more information:
Helmshore Mill
History and background
Higher Mill, which is held in conjuncture with the Higher Mill Trust, was constructed in 1789 and Whitaker's Mill in the 1820s by the Turner family, textile manufacturers from the Blackburn area.
Although a considerable part of Whitaker's Mill was destroyed in a fire in 1857, it was rebuilt shortly afterwards and continued in operation until 1978, at which point it was under the ownership of L. Whitaker & Sons. Helmshore Mills Textile Museum covers a three acre (just over one hectare) site, most of it running alongside the charming River Ogden. In this peaceful and relaxing setting you can explore the lodge banks as far as the weir and railway viaduct and discover a wide variety of riverside plant, insect and animal life.
The chimney of Whitaker's Mill can be seen on a nearby hilltop. The chimney is connected by a flue that runs over the river, under the road and up the hillside. It is located there because it was far cheaper and more effective to build the chimney away from the mill on the hilltop, where the air currents could more easily carry the smoke away, rather than building a very tall chimney next to the mill in the bottom of the valley.
The mill yard has three tunnels running beneath it. One serves the present waterwheel while the other two are redundant tailraces for the original waterwheels that once powered Higher Mill. The two buildings offer a fascinating insight into the development of mill construction during the Industrial Revolution.
Explore the industrial archaeology of the late 18th century Higher Mill, with its wooden beamed ceilings, and mullioned windows, flagstone roof and random stone walls, in contrast with Whitaker's Mill, whose iron pillars, slate roof and dressed stone walls represent later Victorian building methods.
The historical importance of the mills and their surroundings is conveyed by the fact that the site holds Scheduled Ancient Monument status. A new visitor orientation and information building is now situated on the site of the original boiler house, between Whitaker's and Higher Mills.
The buildings have also become a popular filming location, regularly used in TV documentaries such as What the Victorians Did for Us and drama series such as the BBC's 2004 period dramatisation of Mrs Gaskell's North and South starring Richard Armitage.
On the ground floor of Higher Mill is the fully operational, large waterwheel with five pairs of fulling stocks.
There is evidence in the internal architecture of two earlier waterwheels in the form of stone arches and blocked up openings. The first floor of Higher Mill is home to a new, interactive wool story display. Whitakers Mill houses a unique collection of industrial machinery in an authentic setting. The upper floor includes the impressive spinning floor and an exhibition gallery.
Helmshore Mills
Description
** WORKING COTTON MILL ** Helmshore Cotton Mill & Wool Mill | Lancashire
Amazing Machines! Last Working Cotton Mill in Rossendale. Mill Tour - Raw Cotton to Finished Yarn. How does it all work? See and hear the machinery in action. Subtitles Available. Books on the Lancashire Cotton Mills:
* Helmshore Cotton Mill:
* Check out my Playlists for more Textile Inspiration:
* ‘Meet The Artist’ :
* ‘Learn How To’ :
* 'Stunning Embroidery Exhibitions' :
* ‘Fabulous Quilt Exhibitions’ :
* Arnold’s Attic:
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* My name is Katie. I was raised in Wardle, Lancashire and now live near London.
* Share my Stitchery journeys through Patchwork & Quilting, Embroidery, Felting and the wonderful exhibitions I visit throughout the year.
* ARNOLD’S ATTIC — Arnold’s family worked in the Lancashire textile mills for generations.
* I’m now custodian of the wonderful, vintage textiles & haberdashery found in his attic… a never-ending source of inspiration.
Views in Helmshore
Holcombe Moor & Scout Moor in Helmshore, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. Only a 20 minute walk from my house :) I love where I live with views like this
Helmshore Railway Station_Open Day_1970_East Lancashire Railway_ Part 2_People
Helmshore Station, Rossendale, Lancashire.
A photo slide show of Helmshore Railway Station reproduced from 35mm slides.
The station site has in recent years become a residential housing development. Very little remains of the Station site. The Signal Box and Station Masters house which are now Private Dwellings can still be seen from Helmshore Road.
For further more detailed information and history, visit Wikipedia.
The Helmshore and District Railway Preservation Society, sought to preserve the 3.5 mile section of line from Stubbins through Helmshore to the breach at Grane Road Haslingden. In April 1968 it was decided that the Helmshore & District Railway preservation society would be disbanded, and the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society came into being with Walter Baker as the Chairman.
By the end of 1969 the society had achieved a membership of 120 and had raised £150 towards buying the line off British Railways. At a meeting with BR in January 1969, BR put their price for the line and track at £40000 and £6000 for the land. Not only this but BR demanded a 10% deposit almost immediately with the balance on transfer of ownership.
At the annual General meeting in June 1971 ELR admitted that the Helmshore project had failed and it was impossible to raise the required funds to buy the land and track. They then decided to look for an alternative site to preserve. The last BR passenger train from Bury to Rawtenstall ran on 3rd June 1972, so the ELR shifted their efforts towards negotiations with BR about operating a weekend passenger service, allowing the coal services to continue running Mondays to Fridays. The rest is History as they say...
Hope this is informative for you.
Mid Pennine Arts: 'No Match' by Claire Morgan at Helmshore Textile Museum
The Little Piecer
A great folk song by Dave Brooks
Big Lix @ The Station, Helmshore.
Big Lix and Jak performing Mollys Chamber by Kings of Leon
Mill
Short Motion piece produced for a uni proejct
Locations used - Queen Street Mill, Helmshore Textile Museum and Quarry Bank Mill.
Music by Robert Baldwin
Helmshore Spinning Museum, Burnley - Spinning floor Part 1
River on boxing day in helmshore
Water mill at Helmshore Textile Museum 14th May 2016
Helmshore From Above July 2018
Produced with CyberLink PowerDirector 16
Lightning Bolt Helmshore
Took this vid when there was a storm in my village. Live in a small village in north west england, although it rains a lot we dont get that much thunder storms so its pretty rare. The thunder bolt happens near the end of the clip, about 45 seconds in.
Holcombe Moor Descent to Helmshore
Descent from Holcombe Moor to Helmshore
Lancashire And Yorkshire Railway and cotton industry in Lancashire, circa 1910. Film 18551
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and cotton processing. Lancashire And Yorkshire Railway and the cotton industry in Lancashire.
Trucks and horse drawn cart pass the camera position. They are loaded high with bales of raw cotton. Interior and exterior of cotton mill. Point of view from railway of mills. Lots of large mills and tall smoking chimneys. Point of view as locomotive enters railway station. Platform. Panning shot of railway wagons with men apparently removing rolls of cloth? from them. Horse drawn carts laden with wicker baskets leaving works. The cotton train which has many open wagons and trucks each covered in a tarpaulin. Presumably the finished goods leaving the local station in Lancashire or Yorkshire.