Eden's Orphanage, Thorns Road, Astley Bridge, was opened in 1879 as a bequest by James Eden of the firm Eden & Thwaites, who owned the Waters Meeting bleach works. He died in 1874 bequeathing £10,000 for the cost of the building, plus an endowment fund of around £40,000.

The institution, by the terms of the will, was for the care, support and upbringing of destitute orphans, whose parents at the time of death, lived in the area of the Bolton Poor Law Union.

The site, of just over four acres, used to contain a farm called Taylor's tenement. It was forced to close in 1966 due to increased running costs. The building was later demolished and the site now contains flats.