Helmshore Mills Textile Museum

About the museum

Helmshore Mills Textile Museum is made up of two neighbouring mills in the Rossendale Valley. Higher Mill, built in 1789, has always been a wool fulling mill, and Whitaker’s Mill was built in the 1820s. Both were built by the Turner family, textile manufacturers from the Blackburn area. For its first century Whitaker’s Mill switched between wool and cotton, and by the late 1920s it processed only recycled cotton.

Higher Mill closed in 1967 and was taken over by the Higher Mills Trust, which kept it as a museum. Whitaker’s Mill was damaged by fire in 1857, rebuilt soon after and stayed in production until 1978, when the council acquired it. The two mills were then joined as one museum, now run by Lancashire County Council as part of Lancashire Museums.

The railway built through Helmshore in 1849 cut across a corner of Higher Mill, and the compensation paid to the owner helped fund a larger breast-shot water wheel, which is still in use. The museum shows the wool story in Higher Mill and the cotton story in Whitaker’s Mill, with original carding engines and spinning mules demonstrated working, and hands-on displays.

Highlights

• Large working breast-shot water wheel in Higher Mill
• Original machinery demonstrations, including carding engines and spinning mules
• Wool story in Higher Mill and cotton story in Whitaker’s Mill
• Spinning floor with the original machinery
• Family-friendly hands-on interactive displays
• Mill used as a location for television and film

Permanent exhibitions

• The wool story in Higher Mill – A wool fulling mill with a working water wheel and original machinery.
• The cotton story in Whitaker’s Mill – A cotton spinning mill with carding engines, spinning mules and a spinning floor, showing how raw cotton became yarn.

Operated by

Lancashire County Council (Lancashire Museums)

Admission & discounts

Friends of the museum enter free with proof of membership. The Xplorer pass costs £25.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that it has full disabled access, with ramps and lifts. The old flagstone floors and the outdoor areas are uneven. An access statement is available on the museum page, or visitors can phone for advice. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum describes itself as family friendly, with hands-on interactive displays and machinery demonstrations. Children up to 18 are admitted free. Special event days, seasonal fairs, workshops and trails are held at times.

Getting there & parking

Helmshore is one mile south of Haslingden on the B6235.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

The museum has a café and a gift shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit