COLDHARBOUR Mill is offering a family day out rich in history this weekend when it steams up its Victorian Lancashire boiler, its landmark chimney.

The volunteer steam team, led by steam curator John Jasper, will run all the historic steam engines that used to power the machines when the mill was a working factory.

These include a Kittoe and Brotherhood beam engine dating from 1857 and a 1910 Pollitt and Wigzell engine. The fully restored water wheel built for the mill in 1821 will also be in action.

Inside the mill, visitors can take a tour to see history brought to life in a unique way, with demonstrations of how the Victorians turned wool fibre into knitting yarns and fabrics on the spinning frames and shuttle looms restored by a team of volunteers.

For younger visitors a special ‘Find the Sheep’ trail around the mill will be on offer along with an opportunity to see a display of dolls’ houses and Culm Valley Model Railway Club’s layouts, some of which visitors can operate.

Local jazz musician Charlie Hearnshaw will also be there playing his distinctive music and the cafe will serve a selection of hot and cold drinks, snacks and cakes. The site and buildings are disabled-friendly, with lifts to all floors within the main building, including a newly installed lift down to the basement Combing Shed where a display of the wool preparation process can be viewed.

The mill is five minutes from J27 of the M5 – follow the brown signs to Working Wool Museum. The steam-up on Sunday runs from 10.30am-4pm.

For more information visit www.cold

harbourmill.org.uk or Coldharbour Mill’s Facebook page.