Historic Burnley mill given lifeline

Burnley's historic Queen Street Mill is to re-open.
Queen Street MillQueen Street Mill
Queen Street Mill

Proposals agreed at Thursday's Lancashire County Council Cabinet meeting mean that the museum will open between Easter and the end of the October for the next two years.

A provisional opening date of Saturday, July 7th has been set, to coincide with the return, after a 10-year break, of the Briercliffe Gala.

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This date is dependent on a number of factors and can't be confirmed at the moment. However, when it does re-open it will be on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The factory floor inside Queen Street MillThe factory floor inside Queen Street Mill
The factory floor inside Queen Street Mill

Queen Street Mill closed in 2016 as part of the authority’s huge cost-saving measures.

A care and maintenance regime has been in place while Lancashire County Council continues to explore options to secure its long-term sustainability.

This will now be extended to make sure that the building and collections are properly cared for during the times of the year when it is closed.

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County Coun. Aidy Riggott, Lancashire County Council's lead member for economic development and cultural services, speaking about Queen Street Mill and Helmshore Textile Mill, which is also being reopened, said: "The council has been working hard to ensure that these museums are once again available to the public, with our efforts focused on talking with organisations which have expressed an interest in taking them on. In the meantime we've continued to maintain the collections and buildings.

The factory floor inside Queen Street MillThe factory floor inside Queen Street Mill
The factory floor inside Queen Street Mill

"I'm pleased to say that the county council has agreed to reopen the museums for three days every week from Easter to the end of October each year.

"In recognition of the immense cultural and historical significance of the mills, we are currently working with an organisation to explore what options are available so that the long-term sustainability of these nationally significant assets is secured.

"We have agreed to reopen the mills for three days each week while these discussions are ongoing."

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Throughout the care and maintenance regime at all of the museums, they have been available for school parties and for visits by other organised groups.

School visits will continue to be offered at the museums each day, and not only on the days that they are open. This is to ensure that learning opportunities continue to be available for the benefit of young people, and their education.

For more information about Lancashire museums visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/museums