This typical Lancashire textile town could be considered to be at the heart of the industry since it was whilst staying here at what is now Stanhill Post Office that James Hargreaves invented his famous 'Spinning Jenny' in 1764. Although he was forced to leave the area after sometimes violent opposition to his machine from local hand spinners the town's prosperity is largely due to textiles and in particular calico printing.

However Oswaldtwistle is a much older settlement that its rows of Victorian terraced houses would suggest as the name means the boundary to the kingdom of Oswald, who was a 7th century Northumbrian King.