Big red brick mahoosive cotton mills have always interested me. You used to see loads of them, not near where I grew up exactly, but in all the surrounding areas. Returning from days out as a kid, if I started to notice them I knew we were nearly home. Similar to the Cooling towers at Agecroft. So I imagine that nostalgia is probably what fires my interest in them.
Anyway, obviously over the years the number of mills has dwindled massively. Not to say there isn’t still a lot about, just nowhere near as many as there should be. For instance Oldham alone had 320 Cotton Mills in 1921. 320! Thats over 17 million spindles and employing over 37,000 people. Just in Oldham! I’m waffling now as always.
In more recent years I’ve found myself drawn towards the engine houses. Probably to do with Dweeb and Hosts enthusiasm for them rubbing off on me. The tiling, the engineering, the scale of them is simply fascinating….. to me, at least. I know I’ve missed a lot of good un’s that met the wrecking ball and I kick myself at the one’s I knew about, but regrettably never got off my arse to see.
So last year/early this year I thought I’d go and see how may engine houses I can blitz around and see what’s still there. Most of this was done in a month or so, some revisits some new efforts.
It’s been quite fun, nowhere near as easy as you would imagine, It seems mill owners on a whole can be a bit bell endish. So I’ve stuck this report in here for that reason, a couple were permission, most were just the usual brazenness that gets us all into weird and wonderful places.
I know this won’t be to everyones tastes, not that I care engine houses are cool as shit.
Sadly there’s not too much ‘epic’ out there, if any. I’ve managed to find a couple that still have the odd charm though.
Right, It’s a pretty big post so, well I won’t apologise, but what I will do is I’ll link to an album of each one rather than posting too many photos. So I’m not being a “woah look at me look at my FlickR” bellend it’s literally so I’m not posting 300 photo’s in one post.
Just to add it is still an ongoing project there are a fair few I’ve got my eye on that could be awesome but Covid, dickhead owners, receptionists, me being a dickhead and a driving ban etc sort of stopped me in my swing. There are also a few I had arranged permission visits too but Covid ended them dreams. If I manage to tick any more off I’ll add them here.
First up, an old classic
Hartford Mill, Oldham
It’s a classic NW explore, eveybody has been but one part that evaded many for years, including myself, was the engine house. Derpy as hell yet absolutely magnificent. The mill is currently being demo’d at the moment but I believe the engine house is still there, for now.
The mill was powered by a Twin Tandem Urmson & Thompson built engine which developed 1500hp. Sadly it was replaced by electric drivers in 1957 and sent for scrap.
I’m trying to keep the number of photo’s down but this is the view looking out over the engine house, with Manchester in the distance with Gorse, Ace, Chadderton, Nile, Ram and Raven Mills not too far away. Woulda have been some view back in the day before many of the mills were flattened.
To see more of the whole Mill, Boiler and Engine House click the link.
Hartford Mill
Next up
Grape Mill, Oldham
I actually managed to find a way in here but it was a bit dodgy so on the off chance I asked at reception. The lady on the desk looked confused and passed me onto the caretaker. He seemed genuinely happy that someone of my age LOL was showing an interest. Turns out he worked on the engine when it was still there so was more than happy to show us around a few bits of the mill, sharing some of his stories. Top guy!
Grape Mill had a J. Musgrave cross compound drop valve engine built in 1905 and could produce 2000hp at 80RPM. It was scrapped in 1960. The engine house is disused now but houses some ventilation equipment from when it was still used as a spinning mill.
More here https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/28ej19896t
Imperial Mill, Blackburn
Housed a Twin Tandem Triple Expansion engine by Yates & Thom built in 1901. It was named King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, capable of 1700hp with a 38 rope 27ft flywheel. Scrapped for electric in 1963.
Most recently used as a joinery workshop? Been left a few years by the looks of it now. The tiling is clinging on for its life in some places but one I really enjoyed. Access was pretty interesting too.
More pics https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/0QBdmV
Eckersley’s Mill No 2 & 3, Wigan
No 2
Housed a large single crank tandem engine built by J Musgrave in 1884 which replaced a beam engine it originally used. It was scrapped in 1963.
This is an absolute deathtrap, I had to use some slings and my camera bag to get down into the depths, where I was greeted with quite a bit of Asbestos. Obviously.
The engine being scrapped
No 3
Far prettier than No 2, very very fetid but it has some amazing tilework.
It actually housed two engines this one, the main area had a J & E Woods Triple expansion vertical engine which was fitted in 1900 developing 1000hp. This wasn’t enough though and was overloaded. So in 1922 a small 300hp uniflow Robeys of Lincoln engine was installed in the small room/engine house next door. Between the 3 mills on the Eckersley complex there were 5 engines and 16 boilers in the 1940’s. Badass!
So this is No 3 with the smaller secondary engine house to the right
The Robeys engine
The same room today
And this is the main engine room where the vertical engine would have been.
More here Eckersley's 2&3
Heron Mill, Oldham
I’ve not seen this one before so I was pleasantly surprised to see it unused with a lot of original features. The mill is currently well in use by a textile company which is good. I can’t find too much info out about it other than it had a George Saxon inverted vertical cross compound engine pumping out 1400hp and as most, scrapped in the early 60’s.
The engine house in 1960 just before the engine was scrapped. The view is sadly not the same with only Devon Mill left in the background.
Two really bad photo’s of the engine but from what I believe they are the only existing photo’s of the engine. So better than nowt.
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More here https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/A00716
Devon Mill, Oldham
Moving on up the road another mill still in use, I managed to slip past security and have a good nosey around the engine house. Bit of a noob move really, because I would have been in and out undetected but whilst I was in the darkness of the engine house I heard some voices. I got out without them seeing how I’d got in but turned out that I’d parked my car in the turning circle and I’d forced a wagon to do some ridiculous point turn. I appeared from a bush and said I ws just taking externals they were ok with me so it wasn’t too bad.
Again I can’t find much out about this one other than it a had a George Saxon engine of 1200hp.
An old photo with a nice view of the mill from the nearby football pitches.
The engine house as it stands today, with ample parking….if you’re not a bell end like me.
Tiiiiiiiiiles. It was weird this one, it was still tiled at the lower level, which would usually just be full of steam pipes and grime. I’ll keep digging for more information on this one as it it’s pretty interesting.
More can be seen here https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/e04cV8
Anyway, obviously over the years the number of mills has dwindled massively. Not to say there isn’t still a lot about, just nowhere near as many as there should be. For instance Oldham alone had 320 Cotton Mills in 1921. 320! Thats over 17 million spindles and employing over 37,000 people. Just in Oldham! I’m waffling now as always.
In more recent years I’ve found myself drawn towards the engine houses. Probably to do with Dweeb and Hosts enthusiasm for them rubbing off on me. The tiling, the engineering, the scale of them is simply fascinating….. to me, at least. I know I’ve missed a lot of good un’s that met the wrecking ball and I kick myself at the one’s I knew about, but regrettably never got off my arse to see.
So last year/early this year I thought I’d go and see how may engine houses I can blitz around and see what’s still there. Most of this was done in a month or so, some revisits some new efforts.
It’s been quite fun, nowhere near as easy as you would imagine, It seems mill owners on a whole can be a bit bell endish. So I’ve stuck this report in here for that reason, a couple were permission, most were just the usual brazenness that gets us all into weird and wonderful places.
I know this won’t be to everyones tastes, not that I care engine houses are cool as shit.
Sadly there’s not too much ‘epic’ out there, if any. I’ve managed to find a couple that still have the odd charm though.
Right, It’s a pretty big post so, well I won’t apologise, but what I will do is I’ll link to an album of each one rather than posting too many photos. So I’m not being a “woah look at me look at my FlickR” bellend it’s literally so I’m not posting 300 photo’s in one post.
Just to add it is still an ongoing project there are a fair few I’ve got my eye on that could be awesome but Covid, dickhead owners, receptionists, me being a dickhead and a driving ban etc sort of stopped me in my swing. There are also a few I had arranged permission visits too but Covid ended them dreams. If I manage to tick any more off I’ll add them here.
First up, an old classic
Hartford Mill, Oldham
It’s a classic NW explore, eveybody has been but one part that evaded many for years, including myself, was the engine house. Derpy as hell yet absolutely magnificent. The mill is currently being demo’d at the moment but I believe the engine house is still there, for now.
The mill was powered by a Twin Tandem Urmson & Thompson built engine which developed 1500hp. Sadly it was replaced by electric drivers in 1957 and sent for scrap.
I’m trying to keep the number of photo’s down but this is the view looking out over the engine house, with Manchester in the distance with Gorse, Ace, Chadderton, Nile, Ram and Raven Mills not too far away. Woulda have been some view back in the day before many of the mills were flattened.
To see more of the whole Mill, Boiler and Engine House click the link.
Hartford Mill
Next up
Grape Mill, Oldham
I actually managed to find a way in here but it was a bit dodgy so on the off chance I asked at reception. The lady on the desk looked confused and passed me onto the caretaker. He seemed genuinely happy that someone of my age LOL was showing an interest. Turns out he worked on the engine when it was still there so was more than happy to show us around a few bits of the mill, sharing some of his stories. Top guy!
Grape Mill had a J. Musgrave cross compound drop valve engine built in 1905 and could produce 2000hp at 80RPM. It was scrapped in 1960. The engine house is disused now but houses some ventilation equipment from when it was still used as a spinning mill.
More here https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/28ej19896t
Imperial Mill, Blackburn
Housed a Twin Tandem Triple Expansion engine by Yates & Thom built in 1901. It was named King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, capable of 1700hp with a 38 rope 27ft flywheel. Scrapped for electric in 1963.
Most recently used as a joinery workshop? Been left a few years by the looks of it now. The tiling is clinging on for its life in some places but one I really enjoyed. Access was pretty interesting too.
More pics https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/0QBdmV
Eckersley’s Mill No 2 & 3, Wigan
No 2
Housed a large single crank tandem engine built by J Musgrave in 1884 which replaced a beam engine it originally used. It was scrapped in 1963.
This is an absolute deathtrap, I had to use some slings and my camera bag to get down into the depths, where I was greeted with quite a bit of Asbestos. Obviously.
The engine being scrapped
No 3
Far prettier than No 2, very very fetid but it has some amazing tilework.
It actually housed two engines this one, the main area had a J & E Woods Triple expansion vertical engine which was fitted in 1900 developing 1000hp. This wasn’t enough though and was overloaded. So in 1922 a small 300hp uniflow Robeys of Lincoln engine was installed in the small room/engine house next door. Between the 3 mills on the Eckersley complex there were 5 engines and 16 boilers in the 1940’s. Badass!
So this is No 3 with the smaller secondary engine house to the right
The Robeys engine
The same room today
And this is the main engine room where the vertical engine would have been.
More here Eckersley's 2&3
Heron Mill, Oldham
I’ve not seen this one before so I was pleasantly surprised to see it unused with a lot of original features. The mill is currently well in use by a textile company which is good. I can’t find too much info out about it other than it had a George Saxon inverted vertical cross compound engine pumping out 1400hp and as most, scrapped in the early 60’s.
The engine house in 1960 just before the engine was scrapped. The view is sadly not the same with only Devon Mill left in the background.
Two really bad photo’s of the engine but from what I believe they are the only existing photo’s of the engine. So better than nowt.
More here https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/A00716
Devon Mill, Oldham
Moving on up the road another mill still in use, I managed to slip past security and have a good nosey around the engine house. Bit of a noob move really, because I would have been in and out undetected but whilst I was in the darkness of the engine house I heard some voices. I got out without them seeing how I’d got in but turned out that I’d parked my car in the turning circle and I’d forced a wagon to do some ridiculous point turn. I appeared from a bush and said I ws just taking externals they were ok with me so it wasn’t too bad.
Again I can’t find much out about this one other than it a had a George Saxon engine of 1200hp.
An old photo with a nice view of the mill from the nearby football pitches.
The engine house as it stands today, with ample parking….if you’re not a bell end like me.
Tiiiiiiiiiles. It was weird this one, it was still tiled at the lower level, which would usually just be full of steam pipes and grime. I’ll keep digging for more information on this one as it it’s pretty interesting.
More can be seen here https://www.flickr.com/gp/albinojay/e04cV8
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