Best of Burnley.

The sun came bursting round the corner of the covered warehouse and the solar panels lit up. Another lovely day afloat had begun! After a few chores aboard we set off to explore Burnley.

The covered warehouse just down the tow path is a great example of how a working building can still be aesthetically pleasing and reminded me of being down in the Coventry Basin.

The swinging crane seems to be one of the most complete I have seen for a long time. It even has the brake band still in place. It swivels round the post on a lip, and in the distance you can see the pillar with the lip on without the crane above it.

The other side of the wharf where the cranes are situated are these big doors for access and loading of the wagons to take the bales of cotton to the various mills. The covered roof in the background is from a separate warehouse attached.

This would be the first of the warehouse at Burnley Wharf to be built and the one to be converted into a pub that closed earlier this month. The building looks lovely and I like cobbled yards. Perhaps if I wore high heels more often I would have a different opinion!

Across the yard are these brick buildings that are offices but were built as stables. There are not many views of Burnley that will not include a chimney or two, and that is now, just think how many there would have been in the height of the cotton industry.

Burley did not become a Borough until 1861 and then there was not Town Hall. There was a choice of two buildings a pub or an old fire station. They bought the fire station. That lasted until 1868 when they moved into a building built in 1861 as a theatre and swimming baths, called the Albert Baths. The concern hit money difficulties and the Council moved in. It sufficed for about twenty years until they built the current building in 1885 and moved in in 1888

Next dorr to the Town Hall is the Burnley Mechanics Institute. It was opened in 1855 as and educational establishment for the working masses. As the Cotton industry died down and education changed and the Institute closed in 1959. The Council bought the building in 1960 and it was used as a music and arts venue as well as a bingo hall etc. In 1979 it had a massive refurbishment and became a theatre when it was reopened in 1986 by Queen Elizabeth.

Looking under Manchester Road bridge past the covered warehouses to 'Holderness' moored up.

The Weavers's Triangle Visitor Centre didn't open until 1400 and when it did we went for a look see. The toll office is largely unchanged, with the window for paying the dues is still there and the rest is largely unchanged.

The top photo was taken from a picture on the wall of the toll office and the reflection are not too hot. It was of the wharf taken from the bridge in 1910. Not a lot has changed from the modern picture taken from more or less the same place, except the lack of activity.

The original Coop shop was opposite these buildings but these make a beautiful facade. In fact there are three buildings here. The first was built in 1885. The one opposite was erected in 1862. The first building, nearest the camera, has Burnley Central Cooperative Society Stores carved in the front. The second phase was built in 1885 and is the middle section of the facade. It has Central Stores on it, plus a beehive. The last phase was erected in 1899 and has Burnley Central Cooperative Society Stores.

The central section has this beehive carved on it. I have seen many beehives on Coop buildings but not the words 'sweets of industry' with it.

I'm not sure if you can see this etched glass in the original part of the building but it say 'The office of the Burnely Equitable Co-operative and Industrial Society Limited'.

The Boot Inn is a Wetherspoon's and they have another lovely building. It was originally built in 1911 on the site of a previous pub of the same name. It is a Grade II listed building. Wetherspoons took it on in 2009. I had a nice pint from Ellands Brewery and one from Blackburn Moorhouse, Pendle Witch. Both were very nice. It started to get very busy when Turf Moor was throwing at after a very boring 0-0 draw against Huddersfield, so I am told.

Our berth was very quiet last night so we thought we would stop again. I'm not sure what it would be like with the pub open. We have found Burnley to a fine place, plenty of history and nice buildings and not too many charity shops, and best of all the folks are very chatty and have an accent more akin to Yorkshire than Manchester or Liverpool. Reminds us of home.