Bolton is a large town near to Manchester with a population of 262,000. It has a large shopping centre featuring a Victorian market hall and is dominated by an imposing town hall and civic centre.
The town's origins stretch back as far as 1067 when the Montgomery family owned the Manor of Bolton. Wool trading was introduced around 1337 when Flemish weavers settled in the region. This was the beginning of textile trading Bolton's and ultimately led to the cotton boom in the region. As a result Bolton's industrial heritage is mainly built around cotton and numerous other supporting industries such as bleaching and machine building.
Some of these machines can be seen in action at the Bolton Steam Museum open days which are run by the Northern Mill Engine Society.
At one time the skyline would have been cluttered with chimneys and the air heavy with pollution. Now only a few of the original mill buildings remain standing and the chimneys have all but disappeared. The smog has thankfully receded.
Some of the momentum for the growth in the cotton industry was driven by Samuel Crompton's Spinning Mule. This was invented at Hall i' th' Wood in 1779. This machine drastically increased the supply of quality, locally spun cotton so fuelling a massive growth in the production of woven textiles to mills all over the UK.
The only surviving Spinning Mule built by Samuel Crompton is on display at Bolton Museum Aquarium and Archive.
The room where Crompton first used this invention can be viewed when Hall i' th' Wood Museum opens for public events. Details about these can be found on the Bolton Museum and Archive Service web site.
Before the Second World War Bolton became the focus of a study of the population called Mass Observation. Bolton was referred to as "Worktown" for the study which offered a unique insight into the everyday life of ordinary working people. Photographer and artist Humphrey Spender took a fascinating series of photographs for the project which are also on view at Bolton Museum.
The Bolton Museum, Archive and Aquarium holds a broad range of objects all of which have links to the town's involvement in the cotton trade. Visitors are also encouraged to come along to the History Centre where it is possible to research the local history using the extensive records that are available.