RENOWNED 17th century scientist Richard Towneley was "at home" in Towneley Hall, Burnley, this weekend.

Visitors were able to see Mr Towneley and his family coping with the workings of a Lancashire country estate in the aftermath of the Civil War.

The two performances were staged by members of the bringing History Alive Group, who will be back at the hall on May 27 recreating life as it was for the landed gentry in the 1680s.

The group will be at Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham, on May 20 inviting visitors to go back to the Victorian era and join Lady Blanche Shuttleworth, her butler and housekeeper as they prepare for a weekend house party in the 1890s.

Characters from the 1820s will be at Helmshore Textile Museum on May 27. Visitors can see handloom weaver Ann and her brother Robert coping with the drama of the power loom riots.

They can then move forward in time to join in the banter of Joy the carder and Frank the mule spinner as the industry declines in the 1960s.

On May 28, Queen Street Mill, Harle Syke, Burnley, offers the chance to be transported back to the 1930s when characters Elsie Stubbs and Bertie Clegg will share their experiences of work and play in pre-war times.

The special days offer visitors a unique opportunity to step back in time and get a taste of what life was like in the county's museum buildings.