Blackridings Mill, Oldham

Last updated

Blackridings Mill
Blackridings Mill, Oldham 0011.png
The mill before 1951
Greater Manchester UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Greater Manchester
Cotton
Location Oldham, Greater Manchester, England
Further ownership
Coordinates 53°32′13″N2°08′11″W / 53.536890°N 2.1364442°W / 53.536890; -2.1364442
Construction
Floor count4
References
[1]

Blackridings Mill, Oldham was a cotton waste mill lying off Block Lane in the Werneth area of Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built before 1861 and ceased spinning between 1875 and 1880. It was then used for flock manufacture and processing cotton waste. [2] It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production ended in 1973 and the building was demolished in 1975.

Contents

Location

Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. [3] It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, 5.3 miles (8.5 km) south-southeast of Rochdale, and 6.9 miles (11.1 km) northeast of the city of Manchester. Oldham is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. A rail service was provided by the Oldham Loop Line that was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.

History

Oldham rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the first ever industrialised towns, rapidly becoming "one of the most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England", [4] spinning Oldham counts, the coarser counts of cotton. Oldham's soils were too thin and poor to sustain crop growing, and so for decades prior to industrialisation the area was used for grazing sheep, which provided the raw material for a local woollen weaving trade. [5] It was not until the last quarter of the 18th century that Oldham changed from being a cottage industry township producing woollen garments via domestic manual labour, to a sprawling industrial metropolis of textile factories. [5] The first mill, Lees Hall, was built by William Clegg in about 1778. Within a year, 11 other mills had been constructed, [6] but by 1818 there were only 19 of these privately owned mills. [7]

It was in the second half of the 19th century, that Oldham became the world centre for spinning cotton yarn. [7] This was due in a large part to the formation of limited liability companies known as Oldham Limiteds. In 1851, over 30% of Oldham's population was employed within the textile sector, compared to 5% across Great Britain. [8] At its zenith, it was the most productive cotton spinning mill town in the world. [9] [10] By 1871 Oldham had more spindles than any country in the world except the United States, and in 1909, was spinning more cotton than France and Germany combined. [11] By 1911 there were 16.4 million spindles in Oldham, compared with a total of 58 million in the United Kingdom and 143.5 million in the world; in 1928, with the construction of the UK's largest textile factory Oldham reached its manufacturing zenith. [7] At its peak, there were over 360 mills, operating night and day; [12] [13]

Blackridings Mill predates the joint-stock company boom of 1861, and ceased spinning between 1875 and 1880. [2] It was subsequently used for processing cotton waste.

The industry peaked in 1912 when it produced eight billion yards of cloth. The Great War of 1914–1918 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets. The independent mills were struggling. The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. [14] Blackridings Mill, Oldham was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950. It was demolished in 1975.

Later extensions

1915 and 1918

Owners

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regent Mill, Failsworth</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Regent Mill, Failsworth is a Grade II listed former cotton spinning mill in Failsworth, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It was built by the Regent Mill Co Ltd. in 1905, and purchased by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1930. It was taken over by the Courtaulds Group in 1964. On ceasing textile production it was occupied by Pifco Ltd, and then by Salton Europe Ltd who now occupy this site. It was driven by an 1800 hp twin tandem compound engine by Buckley & Taylor. It became a ring mill with 60,000 spindles in 1915, all provided by Platt Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trent Mill</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Trent Mill was a cotton spinning mill on Duchess Street in Shaw and Crompton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built by F.W. Dixon & Son in 1908. It closed and was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 reopened in 1938 and closed again in 1962, and was demolished in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutland Mill</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Rutland Mill was a cotton spinning mill on Linney Lane, in Shaw and Crompton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built by F. W. Dixon & Son in 1907 for the Rutland Mill Co. Ltd. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1935. By 1964, it was in the Courtaulds Group. In the late 1980s, as Courtaulds moved operations to other parts of the world, the mill was bought by Littlewoods who demolished it and replaced it with a new automated storage warehouse.

Magnet Mill, Chadderton is a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built by the Magnet Mill Ltd. in 1902, but purchased by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1935. It was later taken over by the Courtaulds Group. Ceasing textile production in December 1966, it was demolished soon after. A suburban residential estate now occupies this site. It was driven by a 2200 hp twin tandem compound engine by George Saxon & Co, Openshaw, 1903. It had a 27-foot flywheel with 35 ropes, operating at 64½ rpm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawk Mill, Shaw</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Hawk Mill, Shaw was a cotton spinning mill in Shaw, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1908. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1931 and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. The mill closed in 1967, and was demolished in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Mill, Hollinwood</span>

Ace Mill is a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built as Gorse No. 2 Mill, in 1914 and cotton was first spun in 1919 by the Ace Mill Ltd, who renamed the mill. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production ended in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkwright Mill, Rochdale</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Arkwright Mill, Rochdale is a cotton spinning mill in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1885 by the Arkwright Cotton Spinning Co. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. It was located next to Dale Mill on Roch Street. The ring and doubling frames were made by Howard & Bullough, Accrington. The mill closed in 1980, was demolished in 2007 and the land redeveloped for housing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawn Mill, Shaw</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Dawn Mill, Shaw was a cotton spinning mill in Shaw and Crompton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built on the site of Shaw Mill at the "dawn" of the 20th century. Dawn Mill was equipped with mule weft spindles in 1950. It was powered by Engines named Venus and Mars, 1800 hp twin tandem compound engine by George Saxon of Manchester. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. It was sold again and used by distribution company DTS Logistics for storing and distributing clothing. It was demolished in 2006 to make way for an Asda supermarket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Mill</span>

Fox Mill was a cotton spinning mill in Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent Mill, Chadderton</span> Cotton spinning mill in England

Kent Mill, Chadderton was a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1908 for the Kent Mill Co. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1938 and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production finished in 1991 and it was demolished in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manor Mill, Chadderton</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Manor Mill, Chadderton is an early twentieth century, five storey cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1906. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production finished in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heron Mill, Hollinwood</span> Cotton spinning mill in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England

Heron Mill is a cotton spinning mill in Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was designed by architect P. S. Stott and was constructed in 1905 by the Heron Mill Company Ltd next to Durban Mill. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production ended in 1960, and it was used by Courtaulds for offices, warehousing, and some experimental fabric manufacture. Courtaulds occupation ended in 1994 with the Andrew Design Procurement further holding the site until 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textile Mill, Chadderton</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Textile Mill, Chadderton was a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1882 by Potts, Pickup & Dixon for the Textile Mill Co. Ltd, and closed in 1927. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the late 1940s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964 and used for cotton waste sorting. Half of the building was destroyed by fire on 11 July 1950, but the remaining section continued to be used for cotton waste sorting by W. H. Holt and Son until 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newby Mill, Shaw</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Elm Mill, was a four-storey cotton spinning mill in Shaw and Crompton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1890 for the Elm Spinning Company Ltd., and was called Elm Mill until it closed in 1928. It was revived by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 and called Newby Mill. LCC and all their assets passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production at Newby finished in 1970, and it was used for warehousing. Subsequently, named Shaw No 3 Mill, it became part of Littlewood's Shaw National Distribution Centre. It was demolished to make way for housing in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royd Mill, Oldham</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Royd Mill, Oldham was a cotton spinning mill in Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1907, and extended in 1912 and 1924. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production finished in 1981. The mill was demolished in 2015 to make way for a "DifRent" housing scheme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orme Mill, Waterhead</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Orme Mill, Waterhead is a cotton spinning mill in Waterhead, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1908. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and production finished in 1960. The mill was passed on to Ferranti in 1964, and is now in multiple usage.

Majestic Mill, Waterhead is a cotton spinning mill in Waterhead, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1903. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964, converted to ring spinning in 1971. Production finished in 1982. Still standing in other use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta Mill, Middleton</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Malta Mill, Middleton is a former cotton spinning mill in the Mills Hill area of Chadderton, Greater Manchester. It lies alongside the Rochdale Canal. It was built in 1904 as a new mule mill, by F. W. Dixon The engine stopped in 1963. The building still stands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel Mill, Middleton Junction</span> Former cotton mill in Manchester, England

Laurel Mill was a cotton spinning mill in the Mills Hill/Middleton Junction area of Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junction Mill, Middleton Junction</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Junction Mill, Middleton Junction is a cotton spinning mill at Middleton junction, Chadderton in Greater Manchester alongside the Rochdale Canal.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ LCC 1951
  2. 1 2 Gurr & Hunt 1998 , p. 26
  3. ↑ Greater Manchester Gazetteer, Greater Manchester County Record Office, Places names - O to R, archived from the original on 18 July 2011, retrieved 9 July 2007
  4. ↑ Oldham County Borough Council (1973), Official Handbook of Oldham
  5. 1 2 Butterworth, Edwin (1981), Historical Sketches of Oldham, E.J. Morten, ISBN   978-0-85972-048-9
  6. ↑ Bateson, Hartley (1949), A Centenary History of Oldham, Oldham County Borough Council, ISBN   5-00-095162-X
  7. 1 2 3 . McNeil, R.; Nevell, M. (2000), A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Greater Manchester, Association for Industrial Archaeology, ISBN   0-9528930-3-7
  8. ↑ Foster, John (1974), Class Struggle and the Industrial Revolution - Early industrial capitalism in three English towns, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN   978-0-297-76681-0
  9. ↑ Gurr & Hunt 1998 , pp. 1–5.
  10. ↑ NW Cotton Towns Learning Journey, spinningtheweb.org.uk, archived from the original on 10 September 2007, retrieved 14 September 2007
  11. ↑ Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (2001), Contaminated Land Strategy 2001 (PDF), oldham.gov.uk, p. 16, archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008, retrieved 11 March 2008
  12. ↑ Visit Oldham – The History of Oldham, visitoldham.co.uk, archived from the original on 6 August 2007, retrieved 16 September 2007
  13. ↑ Spinning The Web - Oldham, spinningtheweb.org.uk, archived from the original on 5 December 2012, retrieved 28 June 2006
  14. ↑ Dunkerley 2009

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.