Lancashire Museums

Lancashire Looms

Has the weaving shed always been this size ?

No, today it's only one third the size of the original weaving shed.

How many looms are there?

There are currently 308 Lancashire looms housed here, although at the height of production there were 1138 looms running (including some which were kept at the neighbouring Primrose Mill).

Where did the looms come from?

All of the looms on display were made in Burnley by Harling and Todd or Pembertons. They date from the 1890s.

What is different about Lancashire looms?

Lancashire looms use only one shuttle, so basic stripes or plain cloth were the only things that could be made here.

Why were the old looms used right up to the 1980s?

The Queen Street Manufacturing Company was mainly made up of mill workers and there would have been little spare money available to enable them to afford to modernise all of the necessary machinery. This did mean that they were unable to compete with textile manufacturers abroad who were able to produce a wider range of cloth more quickly and cheaply.

Did people go deaf because of the noise?

Many weavers did go deaf from the noise but others were luckier. The advice given was to sing or talk to yourself to take your mind away from it!

Is it true that the weavers communicated using sign language?

Yes, as the noise level was so high when the looms were running they communicated using sign language and lip reading. The weavers would develop their own systems of sign language with their friends.

Do you still make things today?

We still weave cloth which we use to make a range of products called Simply Textiles. These items are available at both Queen Street and at Helmshore Mills Textile Museum . We do hope to have an online ordering facility in the near future. If you would like more details on these products please contact the Museum.