PLANS to set up a village museum celebrating its links with the industrial revolution and the methodist movement have been announced.

Members of the Stanhill Village Residents’ Association said the project would be housed at the Methodist Chapel in Nab Lane.

The village, on the edge of Oswaldtwistle, is famous as the former home of James Hargreaves and the site of his revolutionary invention – the Spinning Jenny.

Richard Hooper, who is leading the scheme, said: “It would be a combined Methodist/James Hargreaves heritage centre. This has the support of the national Methodist Heritage.

“We were approached by the methodist church to see if there was anything we could do. Now we are at the very early stages of planning for the heritage centre, which could take two or three years.”

He said discussions have been launched between the group and Lancashire County Council’s museum service and it was hoped that they could also work with Oswaldtwistle Mills, which has its own heritage centre.

Mr Hooper, who helped form the residents’ association three years ago after a fight to stop a housing development in the village, said the centre would be sited in a community hall at the chapel.

And he said the centre would also feature a history of the village.

He said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who has any items or information on life and history in the village. We are also looking for photographic or film records of Stanhill.

“It is quite a big project but we have a really good community spirit in the village and we are excited to be able to make this project happen.”