WHEN we saw coaches from Liverpool, Birmingham and Shrewsbury parked outside Oswaldwistle Mill we realised that this is a popular place.

And when it is just half an hour's drive from Bolton there really is no excuse not to visit.

It was my wife who wanted to go, I was easy as, in common with many people, I thought of the place as "just" a mill shop.

It is, I found, far more than that.

Mainly of course Oswaldwistle Mill is a retail outlet -- a lot of shops close together under one roof. There are crafts, luggage, candles, leather goods, textiles, furniture, household goods... even an Accrington Stanley (who're they?) shop.

Then I should not forget the garden centre, the china shop, the sweet shop and the art gallery. Or the shoes or perfumery and bath "smelly stuff".

Believe me, you can spend a day just looking at the things for sale (well, SHE can, if you let her). I stood for a long time watching a young lady painting a portrait of someone's dog from a photograph. Presumably this was a commission, but the paintings surrounding her appeared to be for sale and were excellent.

However, the owners of the mill, who are related to James Hargreaves of Spinning Jenny realised a long time ago that it would be a good idea to give dads and children something else to do other than stand around while mum "oohs and aahs" over towels and bedspreads. I wouldn't mind, but as far as I can tell our bedding and towels are as good as the day we bought them.

Which brings me to the fact that we will be going back to Oswaldwistle Mill in the Summer.

Why? Because it was cold and windy on the day we went, and, although we had a look around outside we could not really get the full experience.

Outside, in the Mill grounds, we found a putting green and a croquet lawn, a picnic area and a children's play area.

There are two mill lodges, well fenced off for safety's sake, which have been turned into bird sanctuaries with ducks and geese and a pair of Black Swans.

If you have never seen a Black Swan then a visit to Oswaldwistle Mill is worth it for that alone. Plain old white swans are nice enough but in black, with bright red bills, they are simply majestic.

A lot of time and trouble, not to say money, has been spent in the grounds, on tree planting and landscaping. Yes, we do have to go back in nicer weather for the full effect.

This time, however, we were quickly driven back indoors by the January weather.

Oswaldwistle Mill is, of course, a former textile mill and here we were never far from the historical side of our heritage.

The Textile Time Tunnel lays out the history of the Mill, and the textile industry over ther past three hundred years or so in tableau form. Unfortunately this was closed during our visit but an old lady we talked to in the coffee shop (we always end up talking to people in cafes and coffee shops) said that it brought back memories of her time in a local mill.

The management at Oswalwistle Mill are not daft, they know what the weather is like and, in addition to the outside play area they have created a large play area inside the mill.

Now that our grandchildren are grown up we had no reason to visit, but, knowing I would be writing this piece, we had a quick look -- there's a bouncy castle and all manner of soft items that will keep the kids quiet (well, noisy but not bored) for hours.

One part of our visit that both of us were looking forward to was Stockley's Sweet Factory and shop.

Now I know that this is close to being world-famous because I have seen a Stockley's Sweet tin in a house in the USA.

First of all there is the sweet shop itself. Filled with all those favourites from years ago, Pear Drops, Coltsfoot, Pear Drops, Dolly Mixtures, Pear Drops, Sarsaparilla Sticks; Pear Drops, Humbugs, Aniseed Balls... you name it. We were instantly taken back fifty(ish) years.

After I had stocked up on Pear Drops (which you may have guessed) and my wife bought something, we paid £1 to go into the Sweet Factory itself.

This, at one end of a reconstructed Victorian factory yard, is a real working factory where we watched, through windows, sweets being made in the traditional manner. There is also a short film show and tableaux telling the history of Stockley's and with lots of information about how sweets are made.

A totally absorbing, if short, tour for those with a sweet tooth of any age.

We enjoyed our visit to Oswaldwistle Mill, we (well one of us, the other one paid) shopped; we had lunch, which was tasty and not expensive; we had coffees, which were superb and ground, and we saw enough to know that we will have to go back again when the weather improves.

And when I run out of Pear Drops.

FACTFILE

* Entrance to the Oswaldwistle Mill is free.

* Coach trips, including other places of interest like a canal boat trip, or visit to Downham village, are available.

* Group guided tours are available.

* Craft workshops are also available.

* For details on the tours, workshops and trips, telephone 01254 871025.

* Opening hours Monday-Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm, Sunday 11am-5pm.

* There is disabled access to all parts of the complex.

How to get there:

TAKE the M65 motorway.

From junction 7 take the A6185 signposted Accrington.

Turn right at the traffic lights onto the B6231 signposted Oswaldwistle.

Turn right at the next traffic lights and almost immediately turn left at the next lights -- you are still on the B6231 -- on to Union Road.

Go under the railway bridge and turn left immediately after the New Palladium into Moscow Mill Street.