The town’s brickworks were known for making the densest and hardest bricks in the world used for the 'construction of the Empire State Building and the foundations of the Blackpool Tower'.
Coal mining was carried on around the outskirts of the town which attracted foundries from which textile machinery manufacturing emerged. There was tinplating and calico printing machinery, dye and chemical works.
A cotton town with forty seven mills at one time and calico printing. It was home to machinery manufacturers for the textile and cotton industries. The largest machinery manufacturer, Howard & Bulloughs, were the largest employer in the town.
Courtaulds set up a plant for machine making after the Second World War but closed it in the fifties preferring to buy from third party manufacturers.
Entwisle & Kenyon founded in 1864 began with manual washing machine but later made the much loved Ewbank carpet sweeper.
In the Second World War a shadow factory produced Bristol aero engines; the factory was later sold to English Electric, later GEC, which manufactured steel fabrication and aircraft structures.
Lucas (Rists) manufactured their wiring systems.
Further reading:
- Michael Rothwell, A Guide to the Industrial Archeology of Accrington 1979
- Jack Nadia, Coal mines around Accrington and Blackburn
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