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Report - - Wear Mill, Stockport, Dec 20 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Wear Mill, Stockport, Dec 20

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albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
Grade 2 listed, Wear Mill, or as it is currently known Weir mill is located along the banks of the River Mersey slap bang in the centre of Stockport.

It was constructed in 1790 for John Collier and has since undergone many rebuilds and extensions. In 1824 it was purchased by Thomas Fearnley fine cotton spinners & doublers ltd The 1790 mill was rebuilt in 1884 and the only part remaining of that earlier mill is the lower levels of the Waterhouse. Unfortunately we couldn’t gain access to this and the upper levels were too far gone and a total deathtrap. Maybe one for another day on the kayaks.

The other mill was destroyed by fire in 1831 and replaced with a six storey eleven bay fireproof mill. This was powered by a beam engine with the internal engine house situated to the East end of the mill. Where the famous Stockport Viaduct was built over it in 1840.

Further to the East are the weaving sheds, which were powered by their own engine house which was built against one of the piers of the viaduct.

I’m unsure when cotton spinning ceased at the mill but it has, like many others been a mixed use site for many many years now. Furniture outlet, car parts, valet parking, engineering, art studios and the majority of the mill more recently for paintball and airsoft. The usual sort of businesses you find in these old mills.

It’s currently undergoing a conversion into apartments as part of the huge development plan Stockport MBC have agreed for the whole area. The bus station is being totally re done, quite a few industrial units in the area are going, Lundy’s, The Garage Door Company, Ironsides Lubricants, the bus depot etc are all due to be flattened in the next few years. So there’s potential for a few more things to check out. Nothing too interesting though IMO.

It’s well on the radar and I’m surprised it’s not had any attention yet. I actually gained permission to do it last week, but then when I returned with the camera the bloke fucked me off and lied to me saying that he never gave me permission. So out of spite I it was getting done one way or another, It is also camera’d up, and has one of them pre recorded shouty things.

Pics are a mix of phone, DSLR and scans from one of my books ‘Cotton Mills in Greater Manchester”

I’ll start with plan of the mill

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How the site currently looks

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Some recently released plans for the mill and the bus station. Speaking to one of the old boys on site last week he told me that the plans had changed and the two storey building at the front was going to remain as it’s in better condition than they thought, apparently.

Bus station plans with the A6 and Hatworks to the left.

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An old photo of the 1790 Waterhouse

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And today

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The East end of the 1831 fireproof mill showing the engine house

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Looking down to the weaving sheds and where their engine house would have been on the end, under the viaduct.

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And old view inside the 1831 mill

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An old photo of the unusual narrow vaults used in the construction of the 1884 part of the mill.

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The same floors today

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The mill has had some seriously butchery over the years so it’s quite hard to distinguish what’s what in some places. The following pictures show various parts of the two engine house’s labelled F and G on the plan posted above.

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Between these is what I imagine was where the vertical drive gear was installed, although it looks like a small rope race.

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Scoobysrt

Teim scoobs
28DL Full Member
I was going to do this after we went out of lockdown so its nice to see what I'm missing until then. Some nice history and pictures there.
 

HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Seen this place many times as I've sped past. Fab effort. Love the old and future pics too. Top report.
 

dweeb

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Yes to bridge mill! Always loved it's situation, a real 'iconic' building for me personally. That word gets banded around a lot by property developers but imo the buildings situation makes it a real landmark

Some nice dated bits too, id like to see this one myself.
 

host

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Great report and write up too. Love the old images. I’m sure this area will look amazing when done god knows Stockport needs it.
 

urbanchemist

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Proper grotty old mill that, it's great - particularly liked that ceiling mounted hoist, if that's what it is - or is it something to do with spinning (?).
 

albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
I was going to do this after we went out of lockdown so its nice to see what I'm missing until then. Some nice history and pictures there.

ta mate. Yeah it’s one i’ve meant to get in for years. I tried the bit at the front about 8 years ago and wandered in but then got spooked by some dodgy car stuff. The builders aren’t hanging around, some tenants are still in the process of clearing out.

Yes to mills, and good work on getting it done in spite of the lying man.

Cheers dude, yeah I don’t know why he lied about it. It was weird. Waste of my time and made me look a reyt knobber.

Seen this place many times as I've sped past. Fab effort. Love the old and future pics too. Top report.
Thanks mate, it’s looked empty for so many years now. So I’m glad I’ve finally been in.

Cool that. what actually is "the bomb?" very random that

Yeah it was a prop for the toy gun brigade.


Yes to bridge mill! Always loved it's situation, a real 'iconic' building for me personally. That word gets banded around a lot by property developers but imo the buildings situation makes it a real landmark

Some nice dated bits too, id like to see this one myself.
It’s amazing the East end with the Viaduct over it, the picture doesn’t really do it justice. It looks so strange being stood below it. I was pleasantly surprised at how dated bits were, I was expected it to be empty of features.

Great report and write up too. Love the old images. I’m sure this area will look amazing when done god knows Stockport needs it.

Cheers mate. It will be good if they keep it all. It’s pretty cool the centre of Stockport there’s quite a lot of decent old architecture It’s got some real character in places.

I wonder what happens to Kingston Mill up the road?

Proper grotty old mill that, it's great - particularly liked that ceiling mounted hoist, if that's what it is - or is it something to do with spinning (?).

Yeah sorry, it’s a terrible photo of a Jackson & Ogden of Oldham hoist.

I imagine t the pulleys and belts above the lifts were for the original hoist before the electric lifts got put in maybe?
 

Down and beyond

The true source of englands wealth is coal
Regular User
Nice one mate only just saw this ! Shame I ent going over that way I would of actually visited a site where I could see ! But your photos show it brilliant :thumb Thanks for sharing d&b
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Fab report. Liking the mix of old photos & plans, with what's left at present. Very comprehensive. I think when someone says yes, then no on return it makes us even more determined, well done. I really enjoyed this:thumb
 
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