Bolton has a proud and distinctive identity. Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th century introducing a wool and cotton-weaving tradition but it was the introduction of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution that saw the town's rapid urbanization and development. Through the the 19th and early 20th centuries Bolton was a boomtown and one of the largest and most productive centers of cotton spinning in the world, but Britain's cotton industry declined sharply after World War I, and by the 1980s cotton manufacture had virtually ceased in Bolton, forcing the town to come to terms with the inevitable further changes that followed. This extraordinary history is embodied in the many fine buildings that have shaped this former mill town and Bolton in 50 Buildings explores this history through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures. From the medieval finery of Smithills Hall to the imposing Neoclassical Town Hall to more recent additions such as the Macron Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers, and the modern university, this unique study celebrates the town's architectural heritage in a new and accessible way. Local photographers Ray Jefferson and Jeff Layer guide the reader on a tour of Bolton’s historic buildings and modern architectural marvels.