Industrial Heritage

Explore the industries that helped shape modern Lancashire. Discover Lancashire's fishing industry, and find out more about the industries that grew as a result of overseas trade. Follow the footsteps of thousands of Lancashire's textile workers to uncover the story of the textile industry through authentic sights, sounds and smells.

Lancashire Museums hold some amazing buildings and collections that tell the story of Lancashire's industrial past - and of the people who shaped, prospered from, and worked within it. 

We are particularly lucky in Lancashire to have several original mills with genuine working machinery, which in some cases, are the last surviving examples in the world.

Although traditionally an agricultural area Lancashire was transformed by the industrial revolution. The effects of the textile industry shaped the county's towns and countryside. Explore Lancashire's industrial heritage through our two atmospheric cotton mills. Discover why the textile industry grew in Lancashire and follow the story of cotton from raw material to finished cloth. Or why not explore the maritime history of Morecambe Bay's fishing industry and overseas trade which led to the growth and development of industry in the towns and ports along the coastline.

Helmshore Textile Museum

Discover the story of the development of Lancashire’s textile industry. Explore the restored buildings of Higher Mill built 1789 and Whitakers Mill built 1857. See the different machinery needed in the process of turning raw cotton into spun yarn ready for weaving.

• Atmospheric, preserved mill buildings
• Working water wheel and millpond that once powered the mill
• Visit the spinning floor and see demonstrations of the huge spinning mules
• Nationally important collection of textile machinery including a John Kay’s ‘Flying shuttle’ and James Hargreaves’ ‘Spinning Jenny’
• The only complete Arkwright ‘Water Frame’ left in the world
• Fantastic interactive ’Revolution’ gallery telling the story of the textile industry
• Set in a rural village location within the beautiful Rossendale Valley in the heart of East Lancashire’s walking country

More information about Helmshore Mills Textile Museum

Lancaster Maritime Museum

Lancaster Maritime Museum is an award-winning museum set within the Port of Lancaster’s former Customs House. Discover more about the development of the Port of Lancaster, overseas trade and the impact on the growth and development of the city and its industries. Find out more about the local fishing industry and the species that live in Morecambe Bay.

• Former Customs House and warehouse buildings on St George’s quay
• Fabulous Georgian architecture with Italian portico designed by architect Richard Gillow (of the Gillow furniture making family)
• Discover the history of the Lancaster Canal and climb aboard a replica packet boat.
• Discover Lancaster’s ’Golden Age’ of trade and prosperity
• Fabulous collections relating to the Morecambe Bay fishing industry and booming tourist trade, overseas trade, shipbuilding, slavery and the natural history and ecology of the area.
• Quayside location close to Lancaster’s other main attractions

More information about Lancaster Maritime Museum

Queen Street Mill

From yarn to cloth, continue the story of cotton at Queen Street Mill. Once so common across Lancashire, this mill is now the last surviving operational steam powered weaving mill in the world. A time capsule of the 19th century, visitors can truly see, hear and smell what it was like to work in a Victorian cotton mill.

• Traditional Victorian mill architecture with north light roof
• Scheduled Ancient Monument status
• Regular demonstrations of original working machinery including Lancashire boiler, impressive 500hp steam engine ‘PEACE’ and weaving shed holding 300 19th century Lancashire looms.
• Nationally important collection of textile machinery including a Hattersley Jacquard (tapestry) loom currently under restoration
• Set within a preserved industrial landscape of mills and terraced housing little changed in 100 years.
• Commanding view of the surrounding landscape, close to the South Pennine Moors.

More information about Queen Street Mill Textile Museum