Beliefs and Politics

Faith and politics are woven into the fabric of Towneley Hall. The Towneley Collection showcases the diverse faiths and political views of Burnley’s communities.  It features trade union badges, church banners, holy books and commemorative pottery.

Displayed outside The Chapel are The Whalley Abbey Vestments (1390-1420), an extremely rare set of Catholic vestments that survived the Reformation of the Church in England.

Despite the 1559 ruling that made practising Catholicism illegal, the Towneley family maintained their strong faith across several generations. This faith is reflected in the architecture and collections at Towneley Hall.