What are the opening hours?

Wednesday 10am - 3pm Friday 10am - 3pm Saturday 10am - 3pm

Darwen Heritage Centre

Name: Darwen Heritage Centre
Address: Railway Road, Darwen, BB32RG, GB
Telephone: 01254433140

Home
United Kingdom
Darwen
Darwen Heritage Centre

Darwen Heritage Centre COMMUNITY | HERITAGE | ARTS Doctor James T Ballantyne later owned Holker House when he became Mayor in 1898. It was used as office space until 2015.

In the1870s Dr George Hindle built Holker House on Railway Road to the design of George Wightman of Darwen, He named it after Holker House, which comes from the family home of the Hindles in Hoddlesden which was built in 1591. To celebrate his Mayoral term, he presented the town with our town hall clock which still lets us know the time today. Subsequently it became the Divisional Education Office

for Darwen Division until 1974, when it became the Area Education Architects' Office. From 1985 until 2005 it was used by Blackburn College. Unfortunately, it was abandoned by the College and allowed to fall into disrepair until acquired in late 2007 by Steven Milligan who meticulously renovated the building. In February 2016 The Livesey Foundation charity bought the house with intensions to make it available to the people of Darwen for a variety of community projects. Our intention is to make it available to the town for a variety of community purposes such as Charity/social meetings and events, exhibitions, venue for councilors, tourist information and much more. But most importantly it will become home to The Darwen Heritage Centre where we will be able to display to the world the history, culture, past and present of our amazing town! Holker House will be not-for-profit and will become a major attraction and community focal point for the town. If you would like to contribute to this exciting project, please contact us……..

17/02/2025

Another group in Darwen over the years has been the St John Ambulance group - headquarters formerly on Duckworth St and latterly on George Street. Joined in with the Gala processions and floats. Great in competitions and winners of many a trophy. Could you handle a triangular bandage? We have many photos and artefacts related to St John Ambulance members in Darwen at the Darwen Heritage Centre.

16/02/2025

Were you ever a Morris Dancer for Darwen? Perhaps one of the Co-op Dinkies? Morris dancing used to be very big in Darwen and the various troupes would attend all the fairs around the County. They also appeared at the Darwen Gala in competitions against visiting troupes. Here are just a few of our items in the Morris Dancing collection at the Darwen Heritage Centre.

15/02/2025

Were you a member of the Scouts or Guides in Darwen? Which of these did you have as part of your uniform? Have you spotted the main difference?

14/02/2025

Did you know that the Darwen Weight Lifters broke one of the Guinness World Records in a collective lift over a time challenge? Have you heard of Bill Hunt? I wonder if this trophy would have broken a World Record for Bill. This and many more photos, stories and histories on the Darwen Weight Lifters, including Bill can be found at the Darwen Heritage Centre.

13/02/2025

Is Football your thing? We have a good selection of programmes involving Darwen FC, plus photos and trophies of professional and amateur footballers and teams at the Darwen Heritage Centre. Do you know what the connection is between this medal, Sudell Road School Football Team, the Team Sheet from the Darwen FC Programme and Arsenal FC?

12/02/2025

If your interest is Cricket then why not come and see what we have on Darwen Cricket Club at the Darwen Heritage Centre? This is just one of a number of Cricket Score Books which we have, plus Official Handbooks on DCC as well as photos.

11/02/2025

Did you know that Darwen had its own Synchronised Swimming Team in the 1950s? They featured in the Water Carnivals at the Darwen Baths and appeared on the front cover of the programmes in 1951, 1953 and 1955. You can see these and more at the Darwen Heritage Centre.

10/02/2025

The Darwen Coal Mining Industry display can be seen at the Darwen Heritage Centre now. Taylors Green Colliery later became the home of Knowles Pipe Works. This item was made at Knowles Pipe Works but what is it?

09/02/2025

In the good old days your milk was delivered in glass bottles to your door by the local milkman. How many milkmen operated in the Darwen area? Here are some.

08/02/2025

The February Draw for the Darwen Heritage Centre is as follows. You can join the 100 Club by visiting the Heritage Centre, picking up an application form and creating a Standing Order for just £3 per month. Four prizes awarded each month and you will be helping the Heritage Centre to maintain its collection.

07/02/2025

At the Darwen Heritage Centre we have items relating to the Spring Vale Ramblers. The Programme of events books run from 1936 through to 1964 almost complete. It would be good to find others from the earlier days if anyone has them. We also have a few photos and newspaper cuttings giving accounts of the routes they walked. There is also an advert for the Ramblers in the Centre as they still operate.

06/02/2025

Continuing to photograph the items held at the Darwen Heritage Centre these two appeared the other day. They were used at the Provident Co-op on the corner opposite Hollins Road. Great use of colour and still vibrant today. Do you have anything like this that we could use in the Darwen Heritage Centre?

05/02/2025

Parked up in Darwen today to open the Darwen Heritage Centre to find the wheel in the Market Square. Photos taken from the Heritage Centre garden - so now no-one can say where is the Heritage Centre. Get on the wheel and you will be able to see us.

04/02/2025

Two paintings which are currently on display were donated to the Darwen Heritage Centre by the artist Bob Waters. One depicts the Spitfire over Darwen Town Centre and the other is a familiar sight to those who lived in Darwen through the latter part of the 20th Century.

02/02/2025

Not all of the framed pictures at the Darwen Heritage Centre are paintings - some are photographs. This one shows an excellent view of two of the most prominent mill chimneys in Darwen. India Mill chimney and the Darwen Paper Mill chimney - but which was taller? I have given the answer previously and I think that this photo shows which is taller, but do you know the answer?

01/02/2025

Another painting in our collection this time by Albert Hurst. Only takes the slightest touch of paint on the horizon to tell you where you are - subtle or what.

31/01/2025

Another item I photographed today at the Darwen Heritage Centre brings back many memories. The 1965 All Scout R***e in which I sang part of the song " If I Had Not To Go To School". As a former teacher I sang it again at my retirement and split the audience into three. My part was as a "Railway Guard I'd be" - Blow the Whistle, Wave the Flag, Off we go on Time. Speeding them up so they sounded like the train leaving the station then off I went to my happy place - the Darwen Heritage Centre.

30/01/2025

We are busy at the Darwen Heritage Centre photographing all our collection to make up a digital catalogue of items. It's often said in the Centre by visitors that they find it amusing that the displays contain a lot of items which they themselves remember using as they grew up. Here is one which I remember from Lower Chapel County Primary School - the brown one with the cat on one side and the dog on the other. The blue one I don't remember. Did you use these class books in your Primary School?

Address

Railway Road
Darwen
BB32RG

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 3pm
Friday	10am - 3pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

01254433140

Website

http://darwenheritagecentre.org.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Darwen Heritage Centre posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Darwen Heritage Centre:

Videos

Almost December and the #DarwenHeritageCentre will be closing for Christmas at the end of Saturday 14th December. You only have two and a bit weeks to get in for a unique Christmas present - one of Hubert Bentley's paintings. We still have 2025 Calendars for sale and Christmas cards featuring Hubert's paintings.

Darwen in the Snow

#darwenheritagecentre visiting the top of #Darwentower today in the snow and sunshine. Bit windy on top - sorry for the interference.

Last 2 chances to pick up a late Christmas present from the Darwen Heritage Centre. Open Friday 15th and Saturday 16th December from 10am to 3pm. For those who have bought paintings by Hubert Bentley don't forget to pick them up.

The next temporary display at the Darwen Heritage Centre concerns three Darwen men who signed to play for Arsenal FC. George Holden, Norman Smith and Leslie Pilkington. Did you know any of these three? I certainly had the privilege of meeting Leslie Pilkington as he lived across the street from me when I was growing up. He used to take us to watch United at Old Trafford in the 1968/69 season - great days to follow football.

Quick look along the line of new cupboards and cabinets. Looking forward to seeing them with the glass shelves and doors with the lights on and all full of artefacts.

Something different for you tonight. If you haven't yet seen it then make sure you come along to the Darwen Heritage Centre to see the exhibition of Morton paintings. 23 of his paintings on show plus his sketch book and loose sketches.

New Year and new display in the front room at the Darwen Heritage Centre. Photos of old Darwen from 1880-1920.