Visiting The Leyland Heritage Centre 2024

Leyland Heritage Centre was open on Hough Lane for approximately six months over the winter, and contained artefacts from the likes of Iddon Brothers, the town bleach works, Leyland Motors, Leyland Paints and the rubber works. It also featured interviews with staff members, from from labourers to managing directors. This was its second time of opening.

It was all the idea of the Leyland Historical Society, who wanted to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2018 with several special projects. The group managed to attract a Heritage Lottery Grant, and set about producing a new edition of their Industrial Heritage of Leyland and Farington book. They then took over an empty shop in Hough Lane to show what the society had discovered about the history of Leyland over the previous 50 years.

Leyland Heritage Centre was open on Hough Lane for approximately six months

In 2024, they were able to open the Leyland Heritage Centre on Hough Lane again. Initially, it was intended to only be for ten weeks from Saturday 31st August. However, with the help of their local South Ribble Borough Council they were able to extend their tenure. That was great news generally, and also specifically for me. I hadn't been able to fit in a visit during the initial opening period, but had finally managed to get there at the end of November. By then the planned opening period had already been extended once. With further extensions of the opening period, it was finally able to carry on into February 2025. During that time the exhibitions were visited by over 3,300 people.

Leyland Heritage Centre exhibitions were visited by over 3,300 people

As part of the Leyland Heritage Centre exhibits, the Leyland Historical Society documented the story of each of the shops along Hope Terrace from Thurston Road to Sumner Street. They also displayed some of the findings in each of the current businesses. They also invited people to bring along any photographs of Leyland through the ages, so that members of the Leyland Historical Society could scan them on the premises and return them straight away.

Leyland Historical Society documented the story of many place in the town

For me, there were lots of personal connections to Leyland, and the things on display brought back a lot of memories. I'd worked for a company that had bought machinery from Iddon Brothers, Dad worked at BTR and also played football for the Leyland Motors football team, Grandpa had been an engineer in the Leyland Motors Spurrier Works and my Aunt and her family lived in the town, to name a few.

The displays that included hundreds of photographs and explanations

It was great looking at the displays that included hundreds of photographs and explanations. I know that you can do all of this stuff online these days, but it's nice to see them in this format. Not everybody wants to sit behind a smartphone, tablet or computer, etc. It was also interesting to look at a number of old brochures and catalogues from many businesses that were once based in the town.

A number of old brochures and catalogues from many businesses that were once based in the town

Old brochures and catalogues from businesses that were once based in the town


Old brochures & catalogues from businesses that were once based in the town

Old brochures & catalogues from businesses that were once based in the town

Whilst I was there, a gentleman and his wife were visiting from Merseyside. Although they had predominantly come to the town to visit friends and family, they had specifically made a detour to visit the Heritage Centre. He had played for a football team against Leyland Motors, albeit in era slightly before my Dad was there, and was looking for information about the players, etc.

My intention was to post this during the time it was still open but, whilst I did share a number of posts by the Leyland Historical Society about it, this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to think about it properly again. My involvement with Preserving Preston’s Heritage has eaten in to some of the time that I normally spend researching, visiting things and posting. However, some of the conversations that the group have had relate to the possibilities of running a similar Heritage Centre in Preston. Hence, I am revisiting this topic.

South Ribble Museum and Exhibition Centre

With regard to the Leyland Heritage Centre, one of the factors that influenced the reopening during the last autumn and winter months was that the South Ribble Museum and Exhibition Centre has unfortunately been closed for a considerable amount of time. It offered an alternative whilst the museum has been closed. That's been since 2020 and, although there are plans to reopen this facility, that has been affected by a number of setbacks. Amongst other things, it has been delayed by infestations and mould. All of which need to be carefully dealt with before normal service can be resumed.

Plans were approved for the restoration of the South Ribble Museum and Exhibition Centre in June 2024. However, the latest delays have been caused by bugs invading some of the collection hosted at the site. The building dates back more than 400 years and was originally a grammar school. When open to the public, the museum offers a permanent exhibition upstairs and an ever-changing display gallery in the old school room on the ground floor.

"Through the Lanes of Leyland", compiled by Peter Houghton of the Leyland Historical Society

"Through the Lanes of Leyland" - compiled by Peter Houghton of LHS

It's perhaps a bit late now, but it would have been nice, perhaps, to have opened a Preston Heritage Centre during the period while the two main museums in the city have not been open to the general public. Oh well, having one now (well in the near future) would be good anyway. Perhaps it could take some of the excellent ideas of the Leyland Historical Society and maybe even improve on them.

My Lancashire - My accounts of the local area

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