 In the mid-19th century a group of men from Haggate founded the village's first cotton mill, which is today known as 'Oxford Mill', which became the base of many Burnley cotton firms during the time when Lancashire was one of the cotton capitals of the world.There was a cricket field in the village where many Lancashire cricketers played at the invitation of the Smith family who lived in the village.Haggate School, originally a sunday school for the Baptist Church, was built on the site of the cricket pitch in 1882.