X-Ray Vision

The Burnley Empire has many intriguing and fascinating features. One of the most striking but hidden is the double helix staircase; Two staircases that never meet and arrive at different destinations inside the building.

Here is an image produced in 2019 from the commissioned survey work carried out to improve our knowledge of the building, understand its condition and to help plan the next steps. This work was made possible thanks to the support from the #NationalLotteryHeritageFund and #TheatresTrust

This survey image shows the double helix staircase on the right side of the building ( towards the end of Cow Lane).