Ellenroad Mill

Ellenroad Mill is a five-story brick spinning factory with a large preserved steam engine still housed in the building. The machinery inside demonstrates how workers once processed raw cotton into yarn using industrial power systems.

The factory opened in 1890 as a cotton spinning mill and was rebuilt after a major fire in 1916. Following the fire, it adopted new spinning techniques that were more efficient for production.

The mill shows how textile work shaped the lives of people in Lancashire over many decades, from the skills they learned to the way they organized their communities. Walking through the building, you sense how central this factory was to the region's identity and daily rhythm.

The site has a preserved engine house that opens regularly for visitors to watch the historic machinery operate. It helps to check ahead for demonstration dates, as they do not run every day.

The steam engine here is one of very few examples of its type that still operates regularly. Its power was distributed through thick ropes running across the floors to drive spinning machinery throughout the building.

GPS coordinates: 53.60110,-2.10630

Latest update: December 9, 2025 12:20