Conservation of Textile Mills and Weaving Sheds

Textile mills are a prominent feature of our landscape - a legacy of the industrial revolution.

Here in Pendle, many of these mills also have distinctive north-light sheds, where row-upon-row of cotton weaving looms were housed. 

Recognising that mills are being lost across the country, often with no permanent record of their existence, Historic England has commissioned a number of studies. These studies show that, with imagination and ingenuity, textile mills and their weaving sheds can be brought back into viable new uses. These uses provide new and interesting places for people to live, work and visit, whilst retaining their historic character and key features. Here in Pendle, the new Northlight mixed use development is a fine example.

Historic information on the mills in Pendle is in the following documents:

Design Code

We are working with Historic England to prepare a Design Code. This Code will help to highlight best practice in the refurbishment and re-use of textile mills and weaving sheds.