Weavers' Triangle facts for kids
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| Established | 26 August 1980 |
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| Location | 85 Manchester Rd, Burnley, Lancashire, England |
| Type | Historic textile-producing area with a cotton museum |
The Weavers' Triangle is a special part of Burnley in Lancashire, England. It's filled with old factory buildings from the 1800s, located near the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. This area is super important because its cotton mills and other buildings show how Burnley grew and how its weaving industry changed over time. Since the 1980s, people have been working hard to fix up and reuse these historic buildings.
Contents
Discovering the History of Weaving
In the 1700s, Burnley was known for making wool, just like other towns nearby. But in the early 1800s, it switched to making cotton.
A machine called the spinning jenny was invented in 1767. It helped spin yarn much faster. Later, a power-driven machine called the water frame came along. It was even more powerful but not very popular at first. In fact, some people were so against these new machines that they destroyed them! This pushed inventors and spinners to move towards Manchester. It took many years before a spinning mill was built in Burnley.
Canals and Cotton Mills: A New Era
In the 1790s, work on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal started again. This canal was very important because it helped transport coal, which was needed to power the new steam engines in factories. The canal's opening helped the cotton weaving industry grow in Burnley.
The 1840s were a big turning point. Canal companies allowed mills to use water directly from the canal for their steam engines. Also, new railway lines opened, making it easier to move goods and materials. Because of this, many new cotton mills were built along the canal, especially in the area that became known as the Weavers' Triangle.
By the late 1800s, Burnley became the most important cotton-weaving town in the world! The Weavers' Triangle officially became part of the town in 1894. By 1911, the town's textile industry was at its peak, with about 99,000 power looms working. Burnley's population grew from 4,000 in 1801 to over 100,000 people.
After World War II, the English cotton industry faced big problems. Many mills were torn down in other parts of town. However, most buildings in the Weavers' Triangle were saved. Today, they stand as reminders of Burnley's amazing past.
Exploring the Buildings of the Weavers' Triangle
The Weavers' Triangle is special because it has so many old 19th-century buildings close together. Let's look at some of the interesting types of buildings you can find here.
Canal Warehouses: Storage by the Water
Near Manchester Road Wharf, there are three warehouses, each built at a different time.
- One warehouse from 1801 is two stories tall and made of stone. It was built right next to the canal so boats could unload goods directly using special cranes.
- Another warehouse from the 1890s is one story tall and open at the front. Its roof is held up by tall iron columns.
- A third warehouse from 1841 is four stories tall and also made of stone. It has a loading area that sticks out on the road side.
Weaving Sheds: Where Cloth Was Made
A typical weaving mill had a two or three-story area where yarn was prepared. It also had an engine house with a powerful stationary steam engine, a boiler house, and a tall chimney. The engine's power would go into a large, single-story weaving shed. These sheds had a unique sawtooth roof with windows facing north to let in even light.
Weaving was the main activity here. The "Burnley loom" was a narrow loom that made plain grey cloth, ready for printing. You can still see many stone-built mills like the Waterloo Shed, Wiseman Street Shed, Sandygate Shed (around 1860), and the brick-built Woodfield Mill (1886).
Spinning Mills: Making the Yarn
Victoria Mill, built in the 1850s on Trafalgar Street, was an early four-story spinning mill. It was used for "throstle spinning," which made strong yarn. It also had a small weaving shed attached.
Combined Mills: Spinning and Weaving in One Place
Trafalgar Mill is an example of a "combined mill." This means it did both spinning and weaving in the same place. It was a four-story stone building from 1840, originally for "mule spinning." Later, weaving sheds were added. Around the 1880s, sprinkler systems became important for safety, so a water tank was added.
Clock Tower Mill was another combined mill, built around 1840. It had four and five-story spinning mills by the canal and a six-story building with a clock tower. Its weaving shed was to the east.
Foundries: Making Machines and Tools
Burnley was home to large engineering companies like Burnley Iron Works. They made huge mill engines, including one displayed in the Science Museum in London! Other companies like Butterworth & Dickinson, Harling and Todd, and Pemberton had foundries here and built looms (weaving machines).
Globe Iron Works was taken over by Butterfield and Dickinson in 1870. The Waterloo Iron Works was owned by Onias Pickles, who made plain Burnley looms. In 1887, the Pemberton Brothers bought it and continued manufacturing until 1963.
Visiting the Weavers' Triangle Centre
In 1977, a group was formed to save Burnley's history. The Weavers' Triangle Toll House museum opened on July 26, 1980. It was first in two rooms of old canal offices but grew into the nearby wharfmaster's house in 1987. It was then renamed the Weavers' Triangle Visitor Centre.
In 1993, the centre took over the engine house and chimney at Oak Mount Mill. A project began in 1996 to fix up the steam engine there. It was finished in 2001, and now an electric motor powers the engine (because replacing the boiler was too expensive). Both the engine and the building are now protected as historic sites.
The Geography of the Weavers' Triangle
The Weavers' Triangle is a 19th-century industrial area on the southwest side of Burnley's town centre. It's next to the town's main civic, cultural, and shopping areas. Old houses border it to the southwest.
The River Calder flows through the town and is joined by the River Brun. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is the main feature of the Weavers' Triangle. It was built in 1796, giving Burnley access to Liverpool and a supply of cotton from places like the Mississippi Basin and Egypt. It also provided coal to power the steam engines.
The canal is more than 10 meters (about 33 feet) higher than the rivers. It crosses the river valleys on a long, straight embankment called the Burnley Embankment, which is about 1,350 meters (1,476 yards) long and 18 meters (60 feet) high.
The historic part of the Weavers' Triangle is bordered by Manchester Road, Trafalgar Street, Westgate, and Queen's Lancashire Way. The Burnley Way walking path goes through this area and along the canal towpath, starting and ending at the Visitor Centre.
Bringing the Weavers' Triangle Back to Life
Since the 1980s, there have been many efforts to bring the Weavers' Triangle back to life.
1990s: Restoring Old Buildings
Between 1990 and 1996, Trafalgar Mill was extensively refurbished. This work included fixing the roof, repairing walls, and replacing windows. Parts of the building are now rented out to local businesses.
In the mid-1990s, Burnley wharf (where the visitor centre is) was restored. This project cost £1 million and included adding a bar and restaurant in one of the old warehouses.
In 1996, a project started to turn Finsley Wharf into a marina and leisure complex. There were also plans to create an arts centre and public square, and to widen the canal for more boat moorings.
In 1998, a company bought Sandygate Mill with a plan to turn the Slater Terrace weavers' cottages into a fancy hotel by the canal. However, the plan didn't work out. In 1999, a fire badly damaged the upper floors of Sandygate Mill.
Also in 1999, work began to restore the old Proctors' Iron Works in Hammerton Street. The hope was that a nightclub and hotel complex would encourage more investment in the canal area. The nightclub part of the project was successful.
2000s: New Plans and Challenges
In 2001, a deal was made to redevelop Finsley Wharf. The £1.2 million project included plans for office space and a pub and restaurant by the canal.
In 2004, two companies bought several mills in the area. One company, St. Modwen Properties, planned to use Healey Royd Mill for housing and turn Finsley Gate into business spaces. Another company, Hurstwood Developments, bought other properties and started new plans for the area.
In 2006, a huge £260 million master plan was created to attract developers to redevelop the entire area. St. Modwen then shared their £10 million plan for their site. Later that year, Hurstwood submitted their £50 million plans, which included a music venue, restaurants, offices, and homes.
In 2007, a fire damaged George Street Mill. Plans were also released to redevelop the Victoria Mill complex into a mix of a textile museum and a fashion design centre.
By 2008, the world financial crisis began to affect these plans. Many projects were put on hold. A large part of Woodfield Mill was torn down after a fire.
In 2009, a new group was formed to help restart the project. Burnley Council bought some of the sites. Repair work began on Victoria Mill and the Neptune Building. Sadly, some mills like George Street Mill, Finsley Gate, and Healey Royd mills had to be demolished.
2010s: A New Footbridge
In 2014, a new canal footbridge was put in place at the heart of the Weavers' Triangle. This 50-ton Sandygate canal footbridge crosses the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Trafalgar Street. It opened to the public in December 2014, making it easier for people to explore the area.
Images for kids
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Steam engine, Oak Mount Mill
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The Burnley Way passing Sandygate Bridge
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Burnley wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
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Former warehouse at Burnley wharf
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Finsley wharf
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Former Iron Works and Hammerton St
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Slater Terrace
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Healey Royd and Finsley Gate Mills, Finsley wharf
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Woodfield Mill following the fire of 2008
