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Bolton Steam Museum
Come to Bolton Steam Museum and see the largest collection of working mill steam engines in the country.
The Bolton Steam museum was established by the Northern Mill Engine Society whose volunteers have been working since 1966 to preserve some of the stationary steam engines which used to drive the mills of the textile industry. Most of these magnificent machines, which were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, had already been scrapped by the 1960s and immediate action was essential if some examples were to be preserved. The Society was one of the first organisations to carry out this type of work and there were many problems in the early years. However, our efforts were eventually successful and in 1983 the first museum was opened in one of the original engine houses at Atlas Mills where 4 of the engines could be seen running. In 1990, the Atlas Mills site was purchased for total redevelopment by Morrison Supermarkets who provided new premises for the museum on the far side of their site in an original cotton store warehouse. All the engines were carefully dismantled and the components were moved to the new building where the Society’s members have spent the last 17 years attending to the mammoth task of rebuilding the collection once again.
In 2006 a new boiler house was built and a new boiler installed so that the engines can be seen working in steam once again on Steam Days. Much still remains to be done and work on the interior is still underway so volunteers are always welcome, regardless of their experience.
The Engines
The museum houses an impressive collection of 27 restored stationary engines of the type that once powered the cotton mills of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The engines range from a giant 40 ton McNaughted beam engine and a unique “nondead- centre” design built by Musgraves of Bolton, down to small boiler feed pumps and barring engines. The collection has been assembled to show the widest possible range of different engine types. These were the engines which powered the mills and factories of the Industrial Revolution in the north of England. A visit to the museum offers an opportunity to see at close quarters how these magnificent machines operate and how they were built - some of them over 150 years ago
The Society’s volunteers are usually working on site on Wednesdays and Sundays and interested visitors are welcome to drop in to view the engines under static conditions. However, if you are coming any distance, other than on a Steam Day, please phone in advance to check
David Lewis 01204 846490 John Phillp 01257 265003
Further information is available on our website www.nmes.org
Where to find us
The museum is located on Morrison’s Supermarket site (next to the petrol station) Mornington Road, off Chorley Old Road, Bolton, BL1 4EU
We are situated 1.5 miles north-west of Bolton town centre on bus routes No 125/6 (Stagecoach) & No 519 (First Bus) which run on Chorley Old Road
Open every Sunday and Wednesday (static) and on regular working Steam Days 10 am - 4 pm
IN STEAM -- 2008
Sunday & Monday 25 - 26 May
Sunday & Monday 24 - 25 August
Saturday & Sunday 13 - 14 Sept
Saturday & Sunday 3 - 4 January 2009
10am - 4pm
Admission Free
Donations to Northern Mill Engine Society are welcome.
