<p>This  item is in the collection<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Street_Mill" class="extiw" title="w:Queen Street Mill">Queen Street Mill</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harle_Syke" class="extiw" title="w:Harle Syke">Harle Syke</a>, a suburb to the north-east of Burnley, Lancashire. The mill was built in 1894 for the Queen Street Manufacturing Company. It closed on 12 March 1982 and was mothballed, but was subsequently taken over by Burnley Borough Council and used as a museum. In the 1990s ownership passed to Lancashire Museums. Unique in being the world's only surviving steam-driven <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/weaving_shed" class="extiw" title="w:weaving shed">weaving shed</a>.
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This image shows the side weft fork motion used to automatically feel for the weft thread. It will stop the loom when the shuttle weft runs out or breaks to prevent the loom weaving faulty cloth. One of the roller temples which grip the edges of the cloth to keep it at a constant width can also be seen as well as the opening in the warp yarn, called the 'shed', through which the shuttle flies at 45mph.
Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent.
CC BY 3.0
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>