The Darwen mill bought by John Lewis as experiment in 1953 – which they kept secret for a whole decade

A thriving textile mill in Darwen that was snapped up in 1953 as an ‘experiment’ is celebrating 70 years of success.

The mill was snapped up by the John Lewis Partnership in 1953 from Herbert Parkinson Ltd. Herbert Parkinson Ltd – described by the John Lewis Partnership as a ‘hidden gem’ – was founded by Mr Herbert Parkinson of Buncer Lane, Blackburn, in 1934 to weave jacquard furnishings.

For more than a decade the mill was kept a ‘strict secret’ to allow for experimental designs, techniques and to produce textile products without John Lewis’ competitors knowing. Today, seven decades on, Herbert Parkinson remains a flourishing example of UK design, quality and craftsmanship with its Partners investing real pride back into the business they own.

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Stuart McDonald, Head of Branch at Herbert Parkinson, said: “What a milestone this is – celebrating seven decades as part of the John Lewis Partnership.

The acquisition may have started out as a secret all those years ago, but today we’re proud to be shouting about the amazing work we do – producing quality John Lewis soft furnishings, curtains, cushions, duvets, pillows, roller blinds and more.

In fact, we’re the only remaining John Lewis Partner manufacturer and the secret to our ongoing success has to be our partner’s commitment to quality – it’s in the Herbert Parkinson DNA and runs deep through absolutely everything we do.”