The history
of Bancroft Mill

The Beginning

James Nutter was born in 1845, the son of an agricultural labourer. By 1914 he was running a business operating 900 looms in rented space when he decided to build his own weaving shed – Bancroft Mill. Sadly James died suddenly in February 1914 and later that year the start of the Great War put building work on hold and the Mill was not completed until 1920. In March of that year Eliza Jane Slater, the eldest child of James Nutter performed the opening ceremony and named the two cylinders James and Mary Jane after her parents.

Ownership

The mill ran under the ownership of the family, with Wilfrid Nutter as Managing Director until his death in 1958. The business was then sold to a Stockport company who ran it until economic conditions in the cotton industry forced its closure at the end of 1978. To learn more about James Nutter click here.

The last pay packet

In September 1978 the mill was only running at half capacity when they were threatened with legal action if they did not take steps to reduce the smoke from the chimney. This was the last straw, which led to the closure of the mill at Christmas 1978.

There was sufficient local interest for a working group to be formed in conjunction with Pendle Borough Council, which led to the Engine and Boiler Houses being saved from demolition, and a charity being established to run the museum, which opened to the public in March 1982.