Home to the largest working Mill Steam Engine in Lancashire, Bancroft Mill Engine Museum offers Steaming Days on certain Sundays so you can see the engines in action. Established in 1982, the aim is to maintain a link to the town’s cotton heritage, by preserving and demonstrating the engine which powered over 1,000 looms in the mill from 1920 until its closure in 1978. On Steaming Days, you can see the Roberts engine in operation, running at its original speed. In the weaving shed, the museum has three looms, one of which is believed to have been used at the mill before it closed. The Pilling loom has a Jacquarette and is used to weave souvenir tea towels, which you can buy in the shop, the Cooper loom produces a plain cloth, very much like the bulk of the production at the mill when it was in operation. Also on display is a large collection of artefacts from the weaving industry, which brought so much employment to the region. Upcoming steaming days: June 8th 2025 June 29th 2025 July 20th 2025 August 10th 2025 August 31st 2025 September 21st 2025 October 12th 2025