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Former Ribblesdale Hotel, Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Initiative, Blackburn

The first grant project of the Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Initiative, Blackburn is now successfully completed.

The Ribblesdale Hotel was built just after 1900 and in more recent times was known as ‘Baroque’ owing to it’s corner dome. It’s really a blend of Jacobean and Elizabethan features in a busy style made popular by the Victorian architect of London’s Palace Theatre, Thomas Edward Collcutt (1840-1924), who also designed Blackburn Museum not so far away.  Whether Collcutt also designed the Ribblesdale Hotel is not known but the style was used by many other architects.

The Old Ribblesdale Hotel as it was before the conservation work

The restoration was undertaken by the surveyor Andrew Davies of Blackburn with Darwen Council guided by the Council’s Conservation Officer, David Morris. The original colour scheme was restored after paint samples were taken. The project has been a great success and the transformation shows how conservation can transform the character of our heritage areas for the better.

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Future of The Pendle Heritage Centre Hangs in the Balance

For 41 years, The Pendle Heritage Centre has held a long lease from Pendle Borough Council. Although we used to receive a small grant, we have had nothing for several years now.

So how have we kept going? We have ramped up our commercial activity considerably. We host weddings and parties, conferences and meetings, and all manner of events – check out our Five Star Facebook ratings! Continue reading “Future of The Pendle Heritage Centre Hangs in the Balance”

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Sir Roger Bannister

Sir Roger Bannister, who was the first person to achieve the ‘impossible’ by breaking the four minute mile, has died at the age of 88. We offer our sincere condolences to his family and all who knew him. Sir Roger was a descendant of the Bannisters of Park Hill and a great supporter of the Heritage Centre since its inception. We shall miss his enthusiastic support and encouragement.

His famous one mile run in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds took place at the Iffley Road Ground in Oxford on 6th May 1954. It was a true landmark of physical human achievement. He later became an important doctor and academic. Continue reading “Sir Roger Bannister”

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Stunning Selvedge Fair: 23rd September

Travelling North for the first time, the Selvedge Fair is beautifully curated by the team behind Selvedge magazine and features some of the best in contemporary textiles and crafts. A collection of 26 makers and merchants will come together to showcase their work. Free workshops will be offered throughout the day, led by Textile Designer, Priscilla Jones and Kate Whitehead, and the fair will host a demonstration from milliner, Chrissie King.

There will also be a drop in workshop from Graduate, Lisa Scarlet with a minimum payment of £3.50 for making a brooch. Lisa’s work is displayed at Gawthorpe as part of the Fabrications Festival happening all of September. Continue reading “Stunning Selvedge Fair: 23rd September”

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Future of Queen Street and Helmshore Textile mills thrown into fresh doubt

The future of Queen Street and Helmshore Textile mills heritage destinations is again under threat after Lancashire County Council suddenly and unexpectedly shut them down last year. English Heritage, seen by many as the museums’ saviour,  has now pulled out of taking them over because the scale and risk of the two projects are too great for the new fledgling charity. It is shocking that the future of such world class heritage destinations could be passed around in this chaotic way.

Here are two newspaper reports…

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/15208883.Plans_to_reopen_historic_Lancashire_mills_thrown_into_fresh_doubt/

http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/helmshore-mills-blow-english-heritage-12853755