Steam museum scoops heritage award

Ellenroad Steam Museum impressed North West in Bloom judges so much, they gave it a special award.

Ellenroad Steam Museum has been presented with the ‘Heritage Award’ at the prestigious North West in Bloom Awards. 

The home of the world’s largest working steam mill engine was singled out for the accolade by judges who were so impressed that they wanted to recognise the historical attraction with its own award.

The museum, located in Newhey, was presented with the award during a ceremony in Southport which marked the culmination of the annual competition.

Chairman of the Ellenroad Trust, Irene Davidson who has worked with the museum for 22 years, said: “The steam engine is one of the borough’s real assets and attracts people from across the region so we are all very proud it has been recognised in this way. It is a fantastic piece of living history. We really weren’t expecting an award, so it was a wonderful surprise.”

The museum houses the only fully-working cotton mill engine with its original steam plant - the 3,000 horsepower Victoria and Alexandra, a coal-fired Lancashire boiler, the newly-restored Marsden Engine and the Whitelees Beam Engine. The engine house and boiler house are all that remains of a huge cotton mill that once occupied the site.