Welcome To Horwich Heritage Centre
Horwich Heritage was formed in 1985 following a series of public meetings aimed at re-establishing a sense of local pride in the wake of the closure of Horwich Locomotive Works the previous year.
The Society first began holding its meetings in the Public Hall, moving to Horwich Resource Centre in 1990 where its monthly meetings still take place. It opened its first Heritage Centre within the Resource Centre in 1995 and moved into its current premises in 2006. It gratefully acknowledges the support given by Horwich Town Council, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and the Resource Centre in the development of its activities.
Membership currently numbers around 200 and the Society not only runs its own Heritage Centre and meetings but produces its own books and DVDs on subjects of local interest.
The groups aims are:
- To stimulate public interest in and appreciation of our area.
- To provide suitable premises for the display of social and industrial history.
- To secure the preservation, conservation and improvement of features of general or historic interest.
- To promote tourism and encourage use of the surrounding countryside as part of a heritage framework.
- To encourage research into the history of Horwich and Rivington and to publish the results.
- To provide a social and educational service, giving advice and information and to act as a coordinating body to cooperate with local services.
- To raise funds to enable the pursuit of our objectives.
On this website you will find details of how to become a member Horwich Heritage, dates of forthcoming meetings and events, a list of publications available frm the society and information about the exhibitions and archives at the Heritage Centre.
As the Society approaches its 31st year, we look forward to further developing our activites based on our much-admired Heritage Centre where we have the opportunity to do justice to the rich and varied history of Horwich and all the people who have helped to make us so proud of the town today.
We hope you find that Horwich Heritage has something to offer and welcome your interest, suggestions and support.
Stuart Whittle, Chairman
ANNUAL TRIP
Saturday 17th September
South Lakes And Beautiful Leven Valley
FORTHCOMING PROGRAMME OF SPEAKERS
- 13th Sept: Holy & Unholy matrimony - Rita Greenwood
- 11th Oct: St Kilda & the Lonely Isles - Steve Halliwell
FORTHCOMING OPEN DAYS / EXHIBITIONS
(10am - 1pm)
- 'The History of Churches & Schools in Horwich' until Dec. 2016
- 10th Sept: Family History/Heritage Weekend
Latest News
Our annual Horwich Heritage trip to the Haverthwaite Railway and a historic working farm proved a big hit with 52 members and friends enjoying all day sunshine and steam driven machinery!
Who could ask for more?
Family History Course
Val Leese will be teaching a Course, lasting ten weeks, for anyone who wants to find out about their own Family History.
The course costs just £25 payable to Horwich Heritage for the whole ten weeks and begins at 11am, in the Horwich Heritage Centre on Monday 26th September 2016.
Anyone wishing to enrol for the course can Val on 01204 468126 or 0778 473 7660 or val.leese@btinternet.com.
WHY NOT JOIN US IN OUR 31st YEAR?
This year's programme is turning out to be another good one and the leaflet with the list of speakers & Open Days for the second half of 2016 is now available from the Heritage Centre. Please renew your membership now. If you are not a member why not join? Only £10 for 11 talks.
HORWICH HERITAGE CENTRE is open every weekday 2- 4pm & Saturdays 10 - 12.30pm. It has a shop, shows and sells films about Horwich and has a range of professional exhibitions and displays to delight all the family. Help is also available for family history and other research. ADMISSION IS FREE!
The monthly OPEN DAYS provide additional exhibitions on topics of local interest. Special EXHIBITIONS currently running include: Horwich Loco Works, A Victorian Kitchen, The Way We Were, World War II, Winter Hill Mines & the Turnpike Roads. School Parties and other groups welcome. Contact 847797.
