Helmshore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helmshore
The White Horse public house
Helmshore
Population	5,805 (2011.Ward)
OS grid reference	SD782212
District	Rossendale
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ROSSENDALE
Postcode district	BB4
Dialling code	01706
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Hyndburn, Rossendale and Darwen
List of places UK England Lancashire 53°41′13″N 2°19′44″W / 53.687°N 2.329°W / 53.687; -2.329

Helmshore (/hɛlmˈʃɔːr/) is a village in the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire, England. It's located south of Haslingden, about 16 miles (26 km) north of Manchester. In 2011, about 5,805 people lived there. Helmshore has different kinds of homes, from older terraced houses to newer housing estates built since the 1970s.

History of Helmshore

Early Times

The land around Helmshore is mostly moorland, which means open, uncultivated land. After the last Ice Age, this area was covered in forests. You can still find ancient bog oak on the flat, peaty hilltops. Over time, these forests disappeared, partly due to climate change and partly because of human activity.

There's proof that people lived here during the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age). Stone tools have been found on Bull Hill and in the Musbury valley. There are also old tracks that crisscross the area, used for both local travel and longer journeys.

The Medieval Park

The village is overlooked by Musbury Tor, a striking flat-topped hill. This area was once the center of a medieval hunting park, or 'Forest'. On either side of Musbury Tor are two valleys: Alden Valley to the south-west and Musbury Valley to the north-west.

In the 13th century, this land was given to John de Lacy. Later, in 1294, permission was given to create a 'free warren', which was a protected area for hunting small game. By 1304, a fence was built around the park. Deer are still sometimes seen in the area today. Many local place names still remind us of this old park.

Old Pilgrim Routes

One important old track that went through Helmshore was a route from the south, starting near the Pilgrim's Cross on Holcombe Moor. It then passed through Haslingden on its way to Whalley. This route also connected to Watling Street, an ancient Roman road.

In Anglo-Saxon times, Whalley church was a very important church for a huge area. Later, in the medieval period, smaller chapels were built to make it easier for people living far away to attend church services. Some historians believe these routes were used by pilgrims, but others suggest they were more likely used by drovers, who moved livestock like cattle and sheep from grazing areas to markets.

South of Helmshore, on the old pilgrim road, is Robin Hood's Well. Above that is a memorial stone for Ellen Strange. People used to believe she was a young girl murdered by her lover, a story told in a Victorian ballad. However, it's now known that she was a wife murdered by her husband in 1761. These old routes were mostly used only by people walking after new turnpike roads were built in the 19th century.

The Industrial Revolution

Helmshore grew a lot because of its damp climate, which was perfect for making wool, cotton, and linen textiles. In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, from the 1790s, small mills were built in the river valleys, like Alden Valley. Many mill owners were also farmers back then.

However, by the late 1800s, these small mills became less important. The industry grew hugely as mill owners, like the Turner family, built rows of houses for the many workers needed to run their cotton mills. These new mills were built close to roads and railways. During this time, Helmshore slowly became the main name for the community, replacing Musbury.

Helmshore became a village centered around mills. It had many wool and cotton mills and homes for workers, all built along the River Ogden valley. The Turner family started this development. In 1789, they bought land and built Higher Mill as a woollen fulling mill, powered by water wheels. One of their family members, William Turner, later added a larger mill for wool carding and spinning in the 1820s. This mill was powered by steam, and its chimney can still be seen on the opposite hillside.

The area expanded even more when the railway opened in 1848. New buildings included the Station Hotel and St Thomas's Church. William John Porritt was another important mill owner. His mills were known for making industrial felts, some of which were used to produce banknotes. In 1922, Porritt gave the Memorial Gardens with its clock-tower to the village.

The Holden Wood Manufacturing Company, also known as the Bleach Works, was located north of the village. During World War II, it secretly produced a special fuel for aircraft. It closed in 1997.

1860 Rail Crash

A major railway accident happened in Helmshore in September 1860. Eleven people died, and 77 were injured. The accident took place near Helmshore station. About 3,000 people were returning from a trip to Belle Vue Gardens in Salford on three special trains.

The second train, carrying about 1,000 passengers in 31 carriages, stopped at Helmshore Station. When the guard released the brakes, 16 carriages broke away from the train. They started rolling backwards down the track. The superintendent tried to warn the third train, but it was too late. The runaway carriages crashed into the oncoming train.

Early Bus Service

Helmshore was part of one of the world's first public bus services! In 1907, Haslingden Council started a bus service linking Helmshore to Haslingden. The 18-seat Leyland bus made 14 trips a day and could go up to 16 mph (26 km/h). In 1919, they introduced a smaller 12-seater bus. The driver also sold tickets, making it one of the first bus services operated by just one person.

First World War

On September 25, 1916, a large German military Zeppelin airship flew over Helmshore during a bombing mission. It was likely following the railway, trying to damage the transport system. One bomb fell near Clod Lane in Haslingden, where there was a factory. Ewood Bridge station was destroyed by bombs. After passing Helmshore, the Zeppelin continued to Holcombe, causing more damage.

Second World War

During World War II, Rodwells was Britain's biggest chicken supplier. They had a large poultry farm south of Helmshore. The West Pennine Way guide mentions that American soldiers set up camp on Musbury Tor. They practiced parachute drops and field exercises with live ammunition before D-Day.

Local Ghost Stories

Local historian Chris Aspin has written about several ghost stories from Helmshore. After the 1860 rail accident, people have reported hearing the whistle of a ghost train in the Snig Hole area. There's another railway ghost story about a murder in a hut along the old railway line between Helmshore and Ramsbottom.

The Old Railway Line

The railway line that ran through Helmshore closed in 1966. This was part of the Beeching Axe, a plan to cut down on railway lines in the UK. However, parts of the old railway remain. The Helmshore viaduct, near the textile museum, is now a footpath. The Ravenshore viaduct is also still there. Work has been done to these viaducts to make them part of a cycle route called 'The Scenic Route Branch Line', which is part of the National Cycle Network Route 6.

Recent Times

Since the 1970s, Helmshore has grown a lot with many new housing estates being built. Many people who live here now commute to Manchester for work. However, parts of the village and the surrounding countryside are still very beautiful.

Culture

Music

In 2001, an American music group called The Factory Incident released an EP (a short album) titled Helmshore. One of the guitarists, Karl Hill, named it as a tribute to his late mother, who was born in Haslingden and grew up in Helmshore.

Helmshore Mills Textile Museum

A spinning room in the Helmshore Mills Textile Museum.

The Helmshore Mills Textile Museum was originally called Higher Mill. It's a water-powered mill and a 19th-century cotton spinning mill with working machines. The Turner family built it in 1789. Later, in the 1960s, it was saved from falling apart by Derek Pilkington and Chris Aspin.

Today, the museum is managed by Lancashire County Council Museums Service. It shows how textile technology has changed over the last three hundred years using interactive displays. You can see mill ponds, weirs, sluice gates, and an aqueduct. There's also a working 19th-century waterwheel, machines for finishing woollen cloth, an original Arkwright water frame, and a Hargreaves Spinning Jenny. The museum also has a shop that sells books about local textile history.

In 1856, Joseph Porritt started Sunnybank Mill, a huge mill that once had the world's largest spinning mules. The Whitaker family was another important mill family in Helmshore, and one of their mills is now part of the Textile Museum.

The Tor Mile Race

Every year, an athletics race called The Musbury Tor Mile takes place in Helmshore. The race first started in 1911, and it might even be older. Originally, runners ran to and around a large stone on Musbury Tor. However, the route had to be changed because the farmer no longer allowed runners on his land. The new route is actually two kilometers long, which is about 1.2 miles. Since 2004, the race has been held again and is part of the local fell running tradition.

Gallery

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  Helmshore Signal Box. Rebuilt as private housing by Alan Dunn in 1990

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  Helmshore railway station in 1970, looking west along Helmshore Road with the signal box (left)

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  Helmshore Road

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  Helmshore Road

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  Helmshore Store

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  These cottages on the B6214 Helmshore Road were built in 1783

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  Helmshore Mill Museum

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  Memorial Gardens

See also

• Listed buildings in Haslingden