The third edition of the British Textile Biennial, taking place in October, will trace the routes of fibres and fabrics across continents and centuries to and from the north of England. The event features commissions and exhibitions in museums, galleries, former mills, theatres and historical buildings across east Lancashire. In the buildup, visitors can explore the region's industrial heritage through a summer tour of spaces left behind by the textile industry.
Lancashire's textile trail forms a lopsided reverse V from Preston through Blackburn and Burnley down to Bacup, Bolton and Bury, splintering off to Oldham, Rochdale and Manchester. While smoking chimneys and clogs are long gone, remnants of labour history remain in canals, conservation areas, repurposed mills, stately homes and museums. Digital resources such as the Lancashire Textile Gallery provide additional access.
The region's textile history began with flax and wool before the arrival of American cotton driven by slavery. Landmark innovations like the water frame and spinning jenny transformed not just economics but human life. The industry gave rise to radical politics, trade unions and leisure, creating a rich social fabric alongside beautiful manufactures and beastly conditions.
Notable sites include Gawthorpe Hall, a Victorian Gothic pile managed by the National Trust and Lancashire county council. It houses the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, a small sample of 30,000 items established by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth. The hall also holds the region's largest collection of portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. Open Wednesday to Sunday, admission £6 for adults.
In Padiham, artists Chris Butcher and Gavin Renshaw have created murals on Church Street and Station Road. One mural conflates the town's industrial heritage with old trams and textile history; the other celebrates Whit walks and traditional parades. Meanwhile, initiatives like the Northern England Fibreshed and Homegrown Homespun regenerative fashion project in Blackburn show living culture today.
