Greater Manchester, Lancashire & Cheshire Museums

Museums & Exhibitions
around Greater Manchester & Cheshire

Bolton Steam Museum

Mornington Road, Bolton BL1 4EU
Tel: 01257-265003 or 01204-846490.

The museum is located in an original cotton store on the old Atlas Mills site off Chorley Old Road (approx 1½ miles North West of Bolton town centre) and has on display a superb and extensive collection of fully restored textile mill steam engines.

These were in common use throughout the North of England from the early 1800's until the 1960's when textile production declined dramatically and many mills closed.

There is a notable and rare 1840 twin beam engine and a unique 1893 "non-dead-centre" machine. Most engines are in running order and can be seen in motion, a boiler is installed, and runs the engines in steam on several public Steaming Days each year.. Access to the museum is via Morrisons Supermarket car park, and is adjacent to the petrol station. Parking is free.

Telephone for specific dates or informal visits or see their website at: http://www.nmes.org.

Photos: Gary Burns

Holcombe Road, Helmshore, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 4NP. Tel: 01706-226459.

This is a full working museum with demonstrations of machinery, set in an original 18th century building with its magnificent water wheel, and two authentic working mill museum galleries. Visitors may experience the original (not reconstructed) textile mill with all of its real sounds and smells. The Higher Mill was built in 1789 by the Turner family with the purpose of finishing woollen cloths, and had an unbroken working family connection until its commercial closure in 1967.

The adjacent Whittaker's Mill, conversely, has had a somewhat chequered career, though by 1920 it had become a cotton spinning mill. Its machinery is still installed as it was as a working mill, with no changes whatever made in the interests of 'tourism'. The visitor may experience the full range of activities that have been carried out here over the past two centuries, including spinning, weaving, carding and fulling. The celebrated Water Frame, which is still powered by the great water wheel, came originally from Richard Arkwright's own factory.

Other famous machines may be seen here including Spinning Mules, Hargreaves' Spinning Jenny, and many others. Talks on "The Lancashire Loom", the story of the Lancashire Textile Industry every half hour throughout the day, and a video "Hand to Wheel" at a quarter past and a quarter to the hour. There are attendants around who are happy to explain and demonstrate the working of the mills.

There is a Museum Shop on site, a Cafeteria, Picnic Area, a Riverside Walk and almost full disabled access.

Opening Times
Open to the public from 1st April - 31st October from Monday-Friday 12noon-4.00pm, Saturdays and Sundays 12noon-5.00pm. There is an admission charge. Pre-booked groups and school parties by arrangement. Free car parking. Please note that times may change and that you should check before setting out.

Location
Helmshore is located on the A56 Haslingden bypass or via Rawtenstall town centre at the northern end of the M66 motorway. Follow the brown signs. There is an hourly bus service from Rawtenstall and Haslingden.

Cheshire Military Museum

The Castle, Chester. Telephone : 01244-327617.

The Cheshire Military Museum at Chester offers a fascinating exhibition telling the story of four famous regiments connected with the county of Cheshire. Regiments represented include "The Carabiniers", "The Skins", the Cheshire Yeomanry and "The Cheshires". The Carabiniers were an amalgamation of the 3rd and 6th Dragoon Guards, who were involved in the successful Heavy Brigade charge at the battle of Balaclava.

One of the oldest exhibits is a pike and sleeve of the colour carried at the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland in 1690. The Skins were a troop raised by Sir Thomas Grosvenor at Chester in 1685, composed of the 5th Dragoon Guards and the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons.

The Cheshire Yeomanry came into being in 1797 and still exist as an active regiment today, raised initially to keep the King's peace in the county. They were the last regiment to fight on horseback in the Second World War.

The Cheshires were raised in 1689 and have fought in battles from the Boyne in 1690 to Bosnia in 1993. There are also tribute exhibits to Captain Oates, the ill-fated martyr of the Scott Antarctic team, and of Lord Baden Powell in South Africa, founder of the Boy Scouts movement.

The museum is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm all year round except from 18th December to 2nd January, but check before setting out. A small entrance fee is payable with concessions for children, Senior Citizens and the Disabled. School parties are welcome and Teacher Resource Packs are available on request.