List of mills in Oldham

This list of mills in Oldham Borough, lists textile factories that have existed in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.

From the Industrial Revolution until the 20th century, Oldham was a major centre of textile manufacture, particularly cotton spinning. During this period, the valleys of the River Beal, River Irk, River Medlock and their tributaries were dominated by large rectangular brick-built factories, many of which still remain today as warehouses or converted for residential or retail use.

A–E

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Abbey / Neville Mill	A.H. Stott	Neville Street  [1]	1875	1936	59
	Notes: Built by Abbey Mill Spinning Company, renamed between 1884 and 1889 as Neville Mill. Extended in 1891.
Ace	P.S.Stott	Hollinwood SD897037 53°31′48″N 2°09′25″W / 53.530°N 2.157°W	1914	Standing	53
	Notes: [2][3]
Acorn Mill		Lees
	Notes: Now housing
Albert Mills		Derker		2010
	Notes: Demolished in 2009/10 for Housing Market Renewal [4]
Albion		Bradshaw Street, Oldham [3][5]	1884	1938
Anchor	J. Stott	Featherstall Road North, Westwood 53°32′39″N 2°07′43″W / 53.5441°N 2.1285°W	1881	Standing	135
	Grade II Listed building No. 1282545 Daisy Street Notes: 5 storey iron frame and brick, 18 bays by 6 bays, with internal engine house with and upright shaft transmission; but external boiler house 1891 Anchor Spinning Co Limited, 53,136 spindles, 201/50, twist, 308/701 weft
Athens Mill		Lees Brook  SD9504	1905	1982>
	Notes: Built 1905, suffered fire damage early 1980s and demolished several years later
Bank Top Mill		Salem
	Notes: Now housing
Belgrave	Potts, Pickup and Dixon	Hathershaw	1885	Standing	127
	Notes: Prominent in the history of Bagley & Wright, used for sewing cotton. Later owned by Platt & Hill. The company bought land off Honeywell Lane, Oldham and erected Belgrave Mill in 1880s which subsequently became known as 'Belgrave Number 1 Mill' as a further three mills were erected on the site in the early part of the 20th century. Yarn produced at the Belgrave Number 1 Mill was bleached or dyed in an on-site facility. Belgrave No. 1 was designed by the architects Potts, Pickup and Dixon. Engine by Woolstenhulmes & Rye.[6]
Bell		Claremont St, Oldham	1904	Standing	112
	Notes: 1904 Bell Mill Co Ltd 1957 Ceased production
Broadway Mill	Joseph Stott	Goddard St & Scottfield Rd	1875	1964	89
	Notes: Enlarged 1890 and 1896, Production ceased March 1936, used as a warehouse. Burned 28 March 1964 (Easter Saturday). Goddard St wall demolished Easter Sunday by Connell & Finnegan to prevent it falling outward onto street and houses. Remainder demolished over following weeks. The northwest corner tower was demolished with explosives. The first charge was inadequate and a second charge had to be used. The chimney was the last structure to be demolished. The lodge (cooling water pond) was un-fenced and at least one person drowned in it. In the early 1960's the police and fire brigade used boats from nearby Alexandra Park in the search for a missing boy, the body of a teen age boy was recovered.[7]
Brook		Hollins		2010
	Notes: Demolished to make way for academy
Cairo	P. S. Stott	Greenacres Road, Waterhead 53°32′53″N 2°04′30″W / 53.5481°N 2.0749°W		Standing
	Notes:
Coldhurst Mill		Rochdale Rd, Coldhurst	1876	1974	86
	Notes: Extended in 1884, 1914 and 1922. 1891-Coldhurst Cotton Spinning Co, Limited, Coldhurst Mill, Rochdale road; 61,308 spindles, 508 twist,701 weft. Closed in 1962 but was used to store goods until 1967. After being left empty it was demolished in 1974 to make way for extensions to Boundary Park Hospital. [8]
Cromford Mill		Derker
Derker Mills		Derker
	Notes: 1891-James Greaves, (and velvet manufacturer), Derker Mills, Derker Street; 107,000 spindles, medium counts; 1,590 looms. Replaced with industrial units for Glyn Webb/Ferranti)
Devon Mill	George Stott	Hollins	1908	Standing	108
	Grade II Listed building No. 1210051 Chapel Road Notes: Cast-iron and steel-framed with brick walls. 4 storeys and basement, 36 bays by 10 with corner stair towers with raised parapets. Flat roof.
Dowry Mill		Lees/Waterhead (Turner St)
	Notes: 1891-Dowry Spinning Co, Limited, Dowry Mill, Waterhead; 66,760 spindles, 308/408 twist, 401/508 weft.
Durban Mill		Hollins Rd, Hollinwood 53°31′28″N 2°07′52″W / 53.5245°N 2.1311°W	1905	Standing	111
	Notes: To be demolished and site used for housing. Chimney demolished in 2015.
Earl Mill	P.S.Stott	Dowry St/Ashton Rd, Hathershaw	1860 (rebuilt 1891)	Standing
	Notes: 1891 Earl Spinning Co Ltd

F–J

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Fox Mill		Hollins
	Notes: Now housing
Glen Mill		Wellyhole St	1903	1970	35
	Notes: Ceased spinning cotton in 1938 and was then used as prisoner of war camp until 1947.[9]
Granville Mill		Derker (fire)
Greenacres Mill		Littlemoor
	Notes: Now Littlemoor Junior School
Greenbank Mills		Glodwick Road/Greengate Street
Gresham Mill		Westwood
	Notes: Burnt down
Hartford Mill	F.W.Dixon	Werneth	1907	Standing	52
	Grade II Listed building No. 1210026 Block Lane Notes: Built 1907 by the Hartford Mill (Oldham)Co Ltd. Extended 1920 and 1924. Closed 1959 and used by Littlewoods as a mail order warehouse until 1992. Architect was F.W.Dixon, there were 120,000 spindles and power was provided by a very impressive 1500 hp Urmson & Thompson engine. To be demolished for Housing Market Renewal
Heron		Hollins		Standing
	Notes: Ceased production 1960
Holroyd Mill		Waterhead
	Notes: Replaced by Orb Mill
Holyrood Mill		Higginshaw
	Notes: Fire in 1961
Honeywell Mill		Hathershaw	1874		142
	Notes: Fire in 1955

K–O

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Leesbrook	Stott	Lees	1884	Standing	132
	Grade II Listed building No. 1253536 High Street Notes: Cast-iron columns and steel beams carrying brick arches, externally, brick with multi-ridge slate roof four storeys and basement of 21 bays extended by four bays.
Littlemoor Mill		Littlemoor		Standing
Lowerhey Mill		Lees
	Notes: Replaced with Hey Junior School
Majestic	F.W. Dixon	Greenacres Road, Waterhead 53°32′52″N 2°04′23″W / 53.5479°N 2.0731°W	1903	Standing	79
	Notes: ceased production 1982
Maple 1	P.S.Stott,	Hathershaw, 53°31′34″N 2°06′26″W / 53.5262°N 2.1071°W	1904	Standing	112
	Notes: It was designed as a double mill by P.S.Stott, in 1904. The first mill was built then and the second mill in 1915. It worked as a mule spinning mill. It was taken over by Fine Spinners and Doublers in the 1950s.
Maple 2	P.S.Stott	Hathershaw SD9303 53°31′34″N 2°06′26″W / 53.5262°N 2.1071°W	1915	2009	94
	Notes: Was built as an addition to the existing Maple Mill in 1915. The building was destroyed by fire in 2009.[10] Some sections, including the tower remain standing. [11]
Orb Mill		Waterhead 53°33′02″N 2°04′19″W / 53.5505°N 2.0719°W
	Notes: Site now used for Waterhead Academy[12]
Orme	F.W. Dixon	Greenacres Road, Waterhead 53°32′52″N 2°04′26″W / 53.5478°N 2.0740°W	1910	Standing	50
	Notes:
Owl Mill		Lees
	Notes: Now housing

P–T

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Prince of Wales Mill		Derker
	Notes: Now industrial units
Rome Mill		Springhead Lees
	Notes: Now housing
Royd		Hollins SD 53°31′38″N 2°07′58″W / 53.527188°N 2.132708°W		2015
	Notes: The four tall arched windows mark the engine house that contained a J & E Wood inverted vertical triple expansion engine. The open doors in front mark the boiler house that contained a row of Lancashire boilers. It ceased production 1981. It was demolished in 2015 to make way for a housing scheme.[13]
Ruby Mill		Littlemoor
	Notes: Part of Littlemoor Estate
Springhey Mill		Waterhead
Tay Mill		Higginshaw

U–Z

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Vale Mill		Chapel Road, Oldham 53°31′32″N 2°08′09″W / 53.5255°N 2.1358°W	1868	Standing	78
	Notes: Extended twice — in 1882 and 1920. Was used for a wallpapering business which left the building in 2006. Refurbished in 2008 as the Chambers Business Centre [14]
Werneth Mill		Manchester Rd, Werneth 53°33′00″N 2°07′20″W / 53.5500°N 2.1223°W		Standing
	Notes: 1891 Daniel Dronsfield, 44,000 spindles, 108/608 twist and weft and 840 looms

References

• "1891 Cotton Mills in Oldham". Grace's Guide. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
• "1891 Cotton Mills in Royton". Grace's Guide. Retrieved 11 February 2016.

1. Gurr & Hunt 1985, p. 20
2. Gurr & Hunt 1985, p. 53
3. Chadderton Historical Society
4. Doherty, Karen (24 April 2009). "JCB Jackie leads mill demolition!". Oldham Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
5. Gurr & Hunt 1985, p. 51
6. Gurr, D. and Hunt, J. The Cotton Mills of Oldham, edition 3, ISBN 978-0-902809-46-8
7. The author of the Broadway Mill section lived at the corner of Goddard St. and Belgrave Rd. and witnessed these events.
8. Hayes, Cliff (1997). Oldham in Old Photographs (Britain in Old Photographs). Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 111. ISBN 0-7509-1692-3.
9. http://www.mcrh.mmu.ac.uk/pubs/pdf/mrhr_10_moore.pdf
10. "Generator probe as mill still burns". Oldham Evening Chronicle. 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
11. "Maple Mill - Now part demolished". Retrieved 2016-02-12.
12. Oldham chronicle article refers to frustration of the parents.
13. "New Lease of Life for Mill Sites". Oldham Evening Chronicle. 2015-08-11. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
14. "Vale Mill is revived". 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2016-02-14.

Bibliography

• Gurr, Duncan; Hunt, Julian (1998). The Cotton Mills of Oldham. Oldham Education & Leisure. ISBN 0-902809-46-6.