THE National Trust has teamed up with Lancashire County Council to offer half-price entry for its members to iconic mill museums.
The National Trust and Lancashire County Council will welcome new visitors to two iconic Lancashire mill museums this summer, with an exclusive offer for members.
Members of the National Trust, along with any friends or family members who join them, can claim half-price entry to Queen Street Mill and Helmshore Mills for a limited time in May and June.
The offer gives more than 5.6 million history-loving National Trust members the opportunity to experience the earth-shaking power of the mills’ machinery and discover how Lancashire played its part in the Industrial Revolution.
The Trust, which cares for another example of the North West’s textile heritage at Quarry Bank in Cheshire, has partnered with Lancashire County Council to explore ways to develop and support the local authority’s two mill museum sites, which have recently re-opened after the winter break.
Grade I listed Queen Street Mill, on the outskirts of Burnley, is the last surviving example of a steam powered weaving mill in the world.
Featured in the 2010 film The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth, and in Mike Leigh’s 2018 drama Peterloo, the mill’s steam engine ‘Peace’ is kept alive thanks to a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who provide regular tours of the site for visitors.
Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, in the Rossendale Valley, is a schedule ancient monument which tells the stories of life and work at Higher Mill and the adjacent Whitaker’s Mill.
With the original spinning machinery still in place and in full working order, visitors to Helmshore’s mills can see first-hand how Lancashire’s textile industry changed the world with its links to both wool and cotton.
The offer for National Trust members forms part of a wider partnership between the charity and Lancashire County Council, which is being made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The partnership aims to share knowledge between the two organisations and showcase these two significant museums, encouraging people living in Lancashire and beyond to discover the county’s industrial past.
National Trust assistant director of operations for the North West, Eleanor Underhill, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Lancashire County Council to explore a brighter future for Helmshore Mills and Queen Street Mill.
"Starting with our half-price offer for National Trust members, we want to give many more people the opportunity to experience what these iconic mill museums have to offer.
“With our knowledge of caring for industrial heritage sites like Quarry Bank in Cheshire, and thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, our team have been working closely with Lancashire County Council’s museums team to share learning and help to keep these important Lancashire mills open for everyone to enjoy.
“As a charity that cares for and protects places that matter, we want to play our part in helping more places deliver public benefit for all – not just those places in our care.
"It’s this spirit of collaboration that’s driving other major partnership projects for the National Trust, including our work at Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester City Centre which will open to the public this summer.”
Helmshore Mills is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12-4pm.
Queen Street Mill is open Wednesday to Saturday 12-4pm, and will also be open Sundays 12-4pm in May and June as a trial during the offer period.
National Trust members can claim the half-price offer by simply showing a valid National Trust membership card when they visit Queen Street Mill or Helmshore Mills during May and June this year.
Find out more about the offer for National Trust members and plan a visit at: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/finding-a-future-for-lancashires-historic-mills
Share