History

Musbury Tor is the dominating hill that overlooks Helmshore, originally in the 13th and 14th.centuries this area was an enclosed deer park owned by the Earl of Lincoln , outlines of the enclosing ditch can still be seen today in the Alden and Musbury areas.

Deer are still to be seen, particularly in the nearby Grane Valley reservoir areas.

The village of Helmshore owes its very existence to the surrounding hills that provided perfect conditions for the production of textiles.

The cottage based industries were swept away by the Industrial Revolution ,paramount in this was the local woollen manufacturers the Turner family. A William Turner 1793-1852 was a major driving force in the expansion of the local textile industry.

Turner lived at Flaxmoss House within close proximity to his four mills; Higher ,Middle (later to house the Airtours /MyTravel company), Bridge End and Tanpits. Turner a local magistrate was infamous in the locality ;being known to fine his workers for shoddy workmanship. At its height the business employed some 2000 workers, many living in the properties constructed by Turner In 1847 the construction of Higher Mill viaduct brought the railway to Helmshore ,this was partly financed from the proceed of an earlier fire insurance claim.

Turner died in 1852 and although he had 11 daughters from two marriages, he had no male heir. This and other factors brought about the closure of the mills and the mass exodus of hundreds of former mill employees .It was to be over a century before the population returned to the mid 19th.century levels.

The 1960's saw a major expansion in housing in Helmshore with large estates being constructed, the opening of the motorway link brought about a growth in houses providing homes for commuters to Manchester and beyond.