Tel:01282 698662
Fax:01282 694267
sales@acornfabrics.co.uk
Acorn Fabrics (Cumbria) Ltd    
13 Kenyon Road, Lomeshaye Estate
Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 5SP   
of England
Arther Chatburn founder of Acorn Fabrics visiting a mill in japan in 1960.
Mill manager Arther Hartley with taklers and weavers, in front of northrop s model looms
Drawing & twisting department, showing sized warps and warps with healds ready for the looms.
The story begins in the early 1900's when , to meet the demand for quality shirting fabric, a
Lancashire cotton mill started weaving and finishing 100% two fold cotton, primarily for gentlemen's
bespoke shirts.  
A.R. Chatburn viewing an Eexperimental loom in 1960.
During this period in history, in this region, there were numerous mills
and at its peak there would have been more than 80 mills producing
cotton fabrics. At that time most of the mills were weaving heavier
cloths, many contracts granted by the government for the war effort.
Post war, there was a period of prosperity but 1920 saw the beginning
of a depression that would last for almost 2 decades.
Steam engines used to power a thousend looms.
During the 1940's and the 1950's, the Chatburn Mill recognised
that it was time to change direction  from weaving individual
contracts to developing a range of shirtings that were supplied
from stock. This move to trade "up market" and supply a "stock
service" allowed the mill to survive whilst many others closed.
acorn