The Weavers' Triangle is an area of Burnley in Lancashire, England consisting mostly of 19th-century industrial buildings at the western side of town centre clustered around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

The area has significant historic interest as the cotton mills and associated buildings encapsulate the social and economic development of the town and its weaving industry.

[1] Hargreaves' hand-operated spinning jenny was introduced in Blackburn in 1767; the model patented had 16 sixteen spindles and was treated with suspicion.

[2] In the early 1790s, construction of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal resumed after a decade-long suspension caused by the American War of Independence.

The canal's opening coincided with the rise of cotton weaving and the use of steam power in textile mills, allowing greater freedom in their placement.

A goods shed was sited at Thorneybank at the eastern end of Trafalgar Street, where the town's cinema stands today.

Of the many new cotton mills subsequently constructed along the canal, this meant that the greatest concentration formed in what was then part of the township of Habergham Eaves.

The almost terminal decline of the English cotton industry in the decades that followed World War II, brought great difficulties to the local economy.

During successive attempts to regenerate the town, many of the mills were demolished, however most in the triangle area were protected and today stand as monuments to the past.

The line shafts from the engine would pass into a large single-storey weaving shed with its characteristic sawtooth roof with north lights.

Weaving was the principal activity here, the larger spinning mills of the Oldham Limited of the late 19th century ware built in towns further south.

It was built c. 1840 by George Slater; there were four- and five-storey spinning mills by the canal and a six-storey 5-by-9-bay with a clock tower, the weaving shed was to the east.

The Waterloo Iron works was owned by Onias Pickles, who acquired the business of Thomas Sagar manufacturing plain Burnley looms.

Download coordinates as: In 1977, the Burnley Industrial Museum Action Committee was formed to work for the preservation of the town's heritage.

In 1996, a project began to restore the steam engine at Oak Mount Mill with funding from the National Lottery, Burnley council and the Museums and Galleries Commission.

The canal passes southwest of the Calder, before turning north by northeast and crossing the two river valleys on the straight 1,350 yards (1,234 m) long 60 feet (18 m) high Burnley Embankment.

In planning terms the Weavers' Triangle development area expands further south-west, and along the canal to Finsley Gate bridge.

[16] In 1998 Liverpool-based Millview Developments purchased Sandygate Mill as part of a plan to turn Slater Terrace weavers' cottages into a luxury canalside hotel.

[24] In May, Rossendale-based Hurstwood Developments purchased the Millview properties and began work on a new plan for the area and acquired Victoria Mill.

[25] In April 2005, Amberfell Estates received outline planning permission to demolish part of Thorneybank Mill in Nelson Square, with a view to building 24 homes.

Under this plan Healey Royd Mill and the surrounding land would be used for housing and Finsley Gate would be converted into a business space complex.

[27] On a related visit to the town, English Heritage Chief Executive Dr Simon Thurley announced the appointment of two new specialist advisors to the project.

[28] Towards the end of the year Hurstwood submitted £50 million plans for properties on the site, including an 800 capacity music venue, restaurants, offices and homes.

[39] In January 2009, former chairman of English Heritage, Sir Neil Cossons was appointed to chair the steering group responsible for reinvigorating the site.

[40] At the start of April a £4.9m NWDA grant enabled Burnley Council to purchase Hurstwood's sites and the neighbouring premises of Dexter paints.

[23] In September, repair work, funded by Burnley Council and NWDA, began on Victoria Mill and the Neptune Building.