HISTORY
There is evidence that a mill existed here in 1799, and the close proximity to a source of water for powering the mill from the numerous hillside cloughs made it an ideal location for a mill to be built.
There was a datestone over the mill door. In 1917 it was on the ground in the yard waiting to be restored. The stone is engraved 1800 JSC (John & Sarah Crossley of Scaitcliffe Hall, the owners of the land on which it stands)
One of the first known owners was Edmund Kershaw of Henshaw who ran it as a carding and spinning mill. The cotton would be carded and spun into spools ready to be taken to the homes of outlying farms and the like, to be worked by hand to provide an extra source of income for the farming families.
William Greenwood took over the running of the mill from his father-in-law, Edmund Kershaw. William was an easy come easy go sort of chap and the money he was paid, which was one shilling per pound, for putting the cotton through this process, soon slipped through his fingers.
Thomas and Henry Lacy took over the mill and receive a mention in the accounts books of Jeremiah Jackson, machine maker, in 1815, at which time only Thomas is at the helm. They spun weft on commission for some of the larger farms in the area, which in turn was delivered to the hand weavers in the immediate vicinity of Walsden. There is another mention in Jeremiah Jackson's accounts books in 1833 when Thomas Lacy is still the main man.
After the Lacys, brothers Hamer and Abraham Crossley, who already had a factory at COPPERAS HOUSE making and printing carpets, took over. They concentrated on the spinning and manufacture of wool and worsted.
They erected a dash wheel in the clough at Birks, just above the dam, so that the pieces could be washed before being dried and finished at the mill and made ready for the market.
REPORT
Today the mill stands empty and derelict with years of weathering and considering its age its no surprise to find out it was condemned and thus the reason it was never put back into use , now on the day this was my third and final target needless to say it was a bit of a bust no access was to be had although it did lead to another very private visit and much more enjoyable elsewhere although that's another story ...
any way theres still stuff to explore here its not a total was out I started round the back where the old water pipe draws water from the stream nice bit of woodland for all you nature boys and a little waterfall before the stream flows directly under the mill into a little culvert and out the back where the water wheel would of been .
In the main front yard there are some nice old E.R.L lorries and a 30s fiat coupe and a little farm machinery from the Jethro tull days lol any way some piks for ya
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There is evidence that a mill existed here in 1799, and the close proximity to a source of water for powering the mill from the numerous hillside cloughs made it an ideal location for a mill to be built.
There was a datestone over the mill door. In 1917 it was on the ground in the yard waiting to be restored. The stone is engraved 1800 JSC (John & Sarah Crossley of Scaitcliffe Hall, the owners of the land on which it stands)
One of the first known owners was Edmund Kershaw of Henshaw who ran it as a carding and spinning mill. The cotton would be carded and spun into spools ready to be taken to the homes of outlying farms and the like, to be worked by hand to provide an extra source of income for the farming families.
William Greenwood took over the running of the mill from his father-in-law, Edmund Kershaw. William was an easy come easy go sort of chap and the money he was paid, which was one shilling per pound, for putting the cotton through this process, soon slipped through his fingers.
Thomas and Henry Lacy took over the mill and receive a mention in the accounts books of Jeremiah Jackson, machine maker, in 1815, at which time only Thomas is at the helm. They spun weft on commission for some of the larger farms in the area, which in turn was delivered to the hand weavers in the immediate vicinity of Walsden. There is another mention in Jeremiah Jackson's accounts books in 1833 when Thomas Lacy is still the main man.
After the Lacys, brothers Hamer and Abraham Crossley, who already had a factory at COPPERAS HOUSE making and printing carpets, took over. They concentrated on the spinning and manufacture of wool and worsted.
They erected a dash wheel in the clough at Birks, just above the dam, so that the pieces could be washed before being dried and finished at the mill and made ready for the market.
REPORT
Today the mill stands empty and derelict with years of weathering and considering its age its no surprise to find out it was condemned and thus the reason it was never put back into use , now on the day this was my third and final target needless to say it was a bit of a bust no access was to be had although it did lead to another very private visit and much more enjoyable elsewhere although that's another story ...
any way theres still stuff to explore here its not a total was out I started round the back where the old water pipe draws water from the stream nice bit of woodland for all you nature boys and a little waterfall before the stream flows directly under the mill into a little culvert and out the back where the water wheel would of been .
In the main front yard there are some nice old E.R.L lorries and a 30s fiat coupe and a little farm machinery from the Jethro tull days lol any way some piks for ya
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