Although Blackburn and Darwen relied heavily on cotton for employment it was not the only industry. This section shows the many diverse industries the two towns possessed. We learn about the history of paper making in the area and how Darwen was a leading player in the trade. It also discusses the chemical industry.
There is a large section on the coal mines that were once prevalent in the area, and in places were you might not expect to find them such as Mill Hill and Cherry Tree.
We then move on to another industry that played a big part in the life of people of the area, “Brewing”, and, in particular, the two largest families in that trade, Thwaites and Dutton.
Another industry that played a large part in the life of the area was Engineering and Electronics.
The theme finishes with a look at the smaller but no less important work of bleaching, dyeing, brickmaking.
Please use the links above to navigate to the section you wish to discover more about.
