Heritage skills showcase

The Townscape Heritage Project will be showcasing architectural heritage company Darwen Terracotta and Faience and the Whitebirk Sink Co. at this year’s Festival of Making in Blackburn Town Centre.

Come along to our pop-up shop at 29 Northgate on Saturday 12th and 13th May.

See the amazing heritage products that are still manufactured here in Blackburn and meet some of the people involved in keeping traditional craftsmanship alive and profitable!

DARWEN TERRACOTTA AND FAIENCE

When one of the UKs oldest and most highly respected terracotta companies, Shaws of Darwen, closed its architectural division, years of history and heritage was saved by its former employees who set up a new business and re-employed the skilled craftspeople. Darwen Terracotta and Faience now carry on this nationally important heritage tradition, working on restoration and new build projects for some of the most prestigious buildings in the UK, Europe, North America and Canada.

www.darwenterracotta.com

THE WHITEBIRK SINK CO.

It was right here in Blackburn that the very first traditional fireclay sinks were made, all the way back in the late 1800s. Centuries later, the Whitebirk Sink Co. are proud to be continuing this fine Lancashire tradition with its beautiful range of heritage and modern fireclay sinks, handmade in Blackburn by master craftspeople.

www.whitebirksink.co

For the full festival programme visit the FoM webiste

Advertisements

Clayground at Festival of Making

We’ve teamed up with the festival team and Darwen Terracotta to help bring ‘Clayground’ to this year’s National Festival of Making, 12th and 13th of May.

A tonne of raw Staffordshire modelling clay will be dropped off in Blackburn by the Clayground Collective in a FREE, drop-in event for everyone aged 5 and up.

Come and help us fashion Blackburn’s biggest ever communal sculpture!

Saturday and Sunday 11am-4.30pm, King William Street, Blackburn.

TH SOCIAL

The second meeting for businesses and property owners in the Townscape Heritage Project Area will be held next Tuesday 1st May from 4.30pm.

This time the event is kindly hosted by Hugos and as well as being a great opportunity to meet everyone, we’ll be talking all things Blakey Moor, Northgate and Lord Street West.

Hope you can join us.

Blackburn’s Townscape Heritage Project celebrates another major step forward today. After months of negotiation, the Council has now secured the acquisition of properties that have been holding up delivery of a major regeneration scheme to the Blakey Moor area.

New cinema designs approved

The Planning Application was approved last month for the new eight-screen cinema complex on the former Waves site next to Blakey Moor. This will undoubtedly have a massive positive impact on the economic regeneration of the town, but how comfortably will this modern building sit within the heart of our Conservation Area?

Live Project: 29 Northgate

We have some amazing renovation plans for 29 Northgate, but until we are ready to get started we are really happy that the building is providing the perfect training ground for construction students from Blackburn College.

Cinema plans becoming REEL

Regeneration of the Blakey Moor area takes another major step forward as the planning application for the Reel Cinema development was submitted yesterday.

The new eight-screen cinema to be built on the former Waves Water Fun Centre site will bring an exciting mix of Hollywood, Bollywood and independent film to Blackburn. It will also include a 100 space underground car park and food and drink outlets that spill out onto a pavement seating area on Nab Lane.

We are working closely with the landscape designers to ensure that the external improvements here blend seamlessly with our own plans for public realm improvements to Blakey Moor.

Festival of Light success

Some great videos and photos from this years Festival of Light in Blackburn Town Centre. Some amazing sights and sounds where seen on Blakey Moor and Northgate as the parade passed through. Well done to everyone involved.

video from Huckleberry Films

video from Racoon Media

video from Greenbrook Media

Lancashire Telegraph article and photos.

We especially enjoyed these historic guys.

The Lemon Tree

Nice article and photos today in the Lancashire Telegraph about The Lemon Tree opening.

James and Katy to the rescue

An exciting new phase in the history of 29 Blakey Moor has begun.  James and Katy (of the Drummer’s Arms, King William Street) agreed to take on this historic pub and help us ensure it isn’t left vacant while we undertake improvement works.

Despite the property being in a terrible condition, the pair took the challenge head-on and got straight to work. Miraculously, within just a few weeks they managed to transform the place, and last week re-launched as The Lemon Tree.