The Weavers' Triangle is an area of Burnley in Lancashire, England consisting mostly of 19th-century industrial buildings at the western side of town centre clustered around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The area has significant historic interest as the cotton mills and associated buildings encapsulate the social and economic development of the town and its weaving industry. From the 1980s, the area has been the focus of major redevelopment efforts.
History
In the 1700s, Burnley, like Marsden and Colne, was a centre of the wool industry. It switched to cotton in the first half of the 1800s. Hargreaves' hand-operated spinning jenny was introduced in Blackburn in 1767; the model patented had 16 sixteen spindles and was treated with suspicion. The spinning jenny produced thread suitable for weft. Arkwright's power-driven water frame, which produced the greater twist suitable for warp, was even more unpopular. In 1777, Arkwright built a mill at Birkacre in Chorley. By 1779, the momentum against power-driven spinning machinery was such that rioters destroyed it. Spinners and investors were driven from Blackburn and Burnley towards Manchester, and it was many years before a spinning mill was built in Burnley.
In the early 1790s, construction of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal resumed after a decade-long suspension caused by the American War of Independence. During this time, the increasing economic importance of coal led to a change in the agreed. but disputed, route of the canal. It was moved south, away from Clitheroe's agricultural lime, to a more expensive route via the Burnley Coalfield. At Burnley, the route almost encircled the town, passing through fields outside of it. Although weaving existed in the area, it was a woollen industry for local markets. The canal's opening coincided with the rise of cotton weaving and the use of steam power in textile mills, allowing greater freedom in their placement.
The 1840s proved pivotal to the development of the area. The canal company began allowing mills to take the water they needed for steam engines directly from the canal. In 1848, the East Lancashire Railway opened to the barracks near the western end of Trafalgar Street. And in 1849, the Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a branch from Todmorden to Burnley (extended soon after). A goods shed was sited at Thorneybank at the eastern end of Trafalgar Street, where the town's cinema stands today. Of the many new cotton mills subsequently constructed along the canal, this meant that the greatest concentration formed in what was then part of the township of Habergham Eaves.
The second half of the 19th century saw Burnley develop into the most important cotton-weaving town in the world. The area later to be known as the weavers' triangle, officially became part of the town in 1894. By 1911, the town's textile industry was at the height of its prosperity, and there were approximately 99,000 power looms in operation. The town's population had grown from 4,000 (1801) to over 100,000.
The almost terminal decline of the English cotton industry in the decades that followed World War II, brought great difficulties to the local economy. During successive attempts to regenerate the town, many of the mills were demolished, however most in the triangle area were protected and today stand as monuments to the past.
Architecture The Weavers triangle is notable for the juxtaposition of so many 19th-century buildings rather than specific building. However, Ashmore, in his work on industrial archaeology, does point out certain specific buildings of interest.
Canal warehouses At Manchester Road Wharf on the northern side of the canal, there is a group of three warehouses each of a different age and style. On wharf I (SD8387 3228) there is an 1801 two-storey, stone warehouse of seven by three bays. It was built parallel to the canal allowing direct unloading from the barges using catshead cranes. On wharf II (SD 8385 3235) there is a single-storey, open-fronted stone warehouse. This was built in the 1890s. The roof is supported by four rows of full-height cast-iron columns. This type of warehouse remained a feature of dock architecture well into the 20th century. On wharf III at SD8383 3232 is a four-storey 1841 stone-built warehouse, that is parallel to the canal. The floors and the queen post truss roof are supported by cast-iron columns. On the road side there is a projecting three-storey loading bay.
Weaving sheds A traditional weaving mill would have a two- or three-storey preparation area for pirning the yarn, beaming and sizing attached to an engine house with a 500 hp mill engine, boiler house and chimney. The line shafts from the engine would pass into a large single-storey weaving shed with its characteristic sawtooth roof with north lights. Weaving was the principal activity here, the larger spinning mills of the Oldham Limited of the late 19th century ware built in towns further south. The Burnley loom was a narrow loom that produced grey cloth suitable for printing. Here we find many such stone-built mills such as the Waterloo Shed north of Trafalgar Street and the Wiseman Street Shed, the Sandygate Shed (c1860), and the brick-built Woodfield Mill (1886).
Spinning mills Victoria Mill SD833326 early four-storey spinning mill from the 1850 built on Trafalgar Street for throstle spinning, There was however a small attached weaving shed.
Combined mills Trafalgar mill to the west of Waterloo shed is an example of a combined mill- one that did the spinning and then passed the yarn to its own weaving sheds. This was a four-storey stone built in 1840 as mule spinning mill and later extended with attached weaving sheds. Sprinkler systems became essential in the 1880s and a water tank was added. Clock Tower mill, on the north side of the canal east of Sandygate was another. It was built c. 1840 by George Slater; there were four- and five-storey spinning mills by the canal and a six-storey 5-by-9-bay with a clock tower, the weaving shed was to the east. John Watts (Burnley) Ltd ran the mill from 1890 to the 1980s.
Foundries Burnley was the home to the Burnley Iron Works SD 836326 a large engineering firm, which made mill engines including the Harle Syke engine displayed in the London Science Museum. Butterworth & Dickinson, Harling and Todd and Pemberton had foundries and built looms here. Globe Iron Works was firstly used by but was taken over in 1870 by Butterfield and Dickinson. The Waterloo Iron works was owned by Onias Pickles, who acquired the business of Thomas Sagar manufacturing plain Burnley looms. In 1887 it was bought by the Pemberton Brothers who continued in manufacturing until 1963.
BuildingBuiltDemolDescriptionNotesCoordinates Albert Mill 1870(c) - Cotton Mill Built as a Spinning mill for Thomas Pomfret Belle Vue Mill 1863 - Cotton Mill Built as a weaving mill Burnley Wharf 1796 - Wharf and stables on Leeds and Liverpool Canal Site of the Weavers' Triangle Visitor Centre Caledonia Mill 1835 pre 1998 Cotton Mill Built as a Cotton mill and Boiler works. Cotton mill only after 1860. Only small part survives Canal Street Shed 1880 2008 Cotton Mill Built as a weaving mill. Occupies part of the former Burnley Iron Works site. Only small part survives Celtique Mill (Waterloo Shed) 1860s - Cotton Mill Weaving Shed Charlotte Street Mill 1848 - Cotton Mill Built as a Weaving mill called Queen Street Mill. Renamed in 1916 Clock Tower Mill 1840 2004 Cotton Mill Built as a spinning mill. Extended in 1857, Clock tower added in 1867 George Street Mill 1878(c) 2008 Cotton Mill Built as a weaving mill. Occupies part of the former Burnley Iron Works site. Only a small part survives Globe Iron Works 1830–1848 2004 Iron Works One of the sites of Butterworth & Dickinson loom maker Habergham Eaves Parochial School 1840 - Former School Built by Holy Trinity Church as a day School Hope Works 1874 - Cotton Mill Weaving Shed built for Thomas Carr Lord Nelson Inn ??? - Public House Still in use as a pub, now called the Ministry of Ale Meadow Mill 1910 - Cotton Mill Stands on the site of the earlier Walker Hey Mill. Rebuilt in 1950 following a fire. Mount Pleasant Baptist Chapel 1835 - Church Originally constructed by the Protestant Wesleyan Methodist Society, bought by Baptists in 1868. Nelson House 1805 - Georgian Villa Built by the Holgate family; Currently used as a Masonic Hall Neptune Inn 1825(c) - Public House Oak Mount Mill 1840 - Cotton Mill Cotton spinning mill built by William Hopwood to replace woollen mill. Converted to weaving. Extended in 1849 and 1887. Old Malthouse 1850–1890 - Warehouse Malt Warehouse probably connected to Massey's Bridge End Brewery nearby Plane Tree Inn ??? - Public House Built by William Hopwood as a private home, converted to an inn in 1897 Sandygate Mill 1859 - Cotton Mill Built for George Slater Sandygate Shed ??? pre 1998 Cotton Mill Built for George Slater Slater Terrace 1850 - Cotton Mill Built for George Slater as 11 workers houses over a canalside warehouse. Ceased use as housing in 1900 and converted for use by Sandygate Mill Thorneybank Mill c1860 - Cotton Mill Built for Graham and Shepherd as a spinning Mill, converted to weaving in 1884 Trafalgar Mill 1846 - Cotton Mill Built as a Mule spinning Mill. Owned for many years by the Thompson family Trafalgar Shed 1860(c) 1980(c?) Cotton Mill Weaving Shed. Now the site of a garage. Some original walls survive Victoria Mill 1855 - Cotton Mill Built as a Throstle spinning Mill. Tower and 2-storey shed added in 1889 Waterloo Hotel 1865(c) - Public House Waterloo Foundry 1885 - Iron Works Built for O. Pickles & Co. Taken over by Pemberton & Sons loom makers in 1890. 4-storey Trafalgar Street extension in 1907, only part survives. Westgate Shed 1886 - Cotton Mill Weaving shed Woodfield Mill 1888 - Cotton Mill Weaving shed Source: Lowe, John (1985). Burnley. Phillimore. .
Visitor centre
In 1977, the Burnley Industrial Museum Action Committee was formed to work for the preservation of the town's heritage. The Weavers' Triangle Toll House museum was established on 26 July 1980, and opened by Brian Redhead. and is staffed by volunteers the Weavers' Triangle Trust. It was initially housed in 2 rooms of the former canal offices on Manchester Road, but expanded into the adjacent wharfmaster's house in 1987 and was renamed to the Weavers' Triangle Visitor Centre. It has also received accreditation from Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. In 1993 they took over the engine house and chimney at Oak Mount Mill. In 1996, a project began to restore the steam engine at Oak Mount Mill with funding from the National Lottery, Burnley council and the Museums and Galleries Commission. The restoration project was completed in 2001, with an electric motor powering the engine as replacing the boiler was deemed too expensive. Both the engine and the building are now listed as scheduled monuments.
Geography
The Weavers Triangle's 19th-century industrial landscape forms the south western edge of the town centre in Burnley, it adjoins the civic, cultural and commercial centres of the town. It is bounded on the south-west by established housing. The River Calder passes through the town, and is joined by the River Brun. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is the spine around which the Weavers Triangle developed when it was built in 1796 giving Burnley access to Liverpool and a supply of cotton from the Mississippi Basin and Egypt, and coal to power steam engines. The level of the canal is more than above that of the rivers. The canal passes southwest of the Calder, before turning north by northeast and crossing the two river valleys on the straight long high Burnley Embankment. It passes over the Calder at and the Brun at .