Facilities

A peek at our facilities...

  • Easy access to side of building on Church Street avoiding steps
  • Tea and Coffee
  • Disabled Toilet
  • Shop selling items related to Darwen
  • Display space for outside agencies/groups
  • Illustrated Talks
  • Interactive whiteboard
  • WiFi
  • Large Meeting Room for Hire
  • Small Meeting Room for Hire
  • Permanent Display showing Darwen’s Heritage
  • Temporary Display with a specific themed focus
  • Digital and Printed Photo Library
  • Reference Books

PLEASE NOTE:  We can accommodate school and other social groups and have experienced staff who have delivered presentations on various aspects of Darwen’s past to Guides/Scouts/Brownies and Primary Schools.  Contact the Centre with your requirements.

The Darwen Heritage Centre is housed in Holker House on the corner of Railway Road and Church Street, in sight of St Peter’s Church and overlooking the Market Square.
There is an easy access point on the side of the building which avoids all the steps at the front of the building. The entrance is through the wrought iron gates which are always open during normal opening hours.
Once inside, the visitor is greeted by a fine Entrance Hall with a magnificent tiled floor. There are signs to direct visitors around the Centre and all of the Heritage Centre rooms are on the ground floor.
The first room on the right of the hallway is the Sales Area. Here you can buy books and small gift items, all relating to Darwen and the Heritage Centre.
A door through from the sales area leads to the Sitting Room where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee whilst chatting, reading or simply viewing our extensive photo library in printed form or digitally on our computer.
The room on the left of the hallway is the Front Exhibition Room. Here you will find our current exhibition. This exhibition will change at least four times a year The exhibition will be advertised on the notice board at the front of the building, and on our social media sites ie facebook, twitter and our website. All Members of the Heritage Centre will be invited to a free Preview Evening, with refreshments each time a new exhibition is opened.
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At the end of the Entrance Hall are the toilet facilities which include disabled access.

Our Meeting Room...

At the back of the building is the Meeting Room which can be hired for a variety of uses.  Please contact the Centre for details.

The Meeting Room contains a wide range of Heritage Items related to Darwen including Models, Photographs, Maps, Paintings, Books and Artefacts in themed display cases.  Visitors are free to browse as they wish, and volunteers will be on hand to offer advice and answer questions to enhance your visit.

The room can be arranged in different ways to accommodate your requirements, and the following photos give an idea of how it has been used already.

Below are some examples of how our meeting room has been utilised.

Meeting Room set up for a Darwen Town Council Meeting

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A school visit
A stall at the Volunteer Groups Open Day
Regular Meetings of the Music Group
Sean Taylor King selecting photographs for his Photographic Exhibition
One of our many Illustrated Talks
Darwen Art Group at their weekly Friday gathering
Theatre Style set-up for an Illustrated Talk
Art Exhibition opened by the Mayor of Darwen