Monton Mill, Eccles

Last updated

Monton Mill
Monton Mill, Eccles 0006.png
The mill before 1951
Greater Manchester UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Greater Manchester
Cotton
Spinning (ring mill)
Location Eccles, Greater Manchester, England
Serving canal Bridgewater Canal
Serving railway Liverpool and Manchester Railway
OwnerMonton Mill Co
Further ownership
Coordinates 53°29′27″N2°21′31″W / 53.4907°N 2.3587°W / 53.4907; -2.3587
Construction
Completed1906
Power
Date1906
Engine maker George Saxon & Co
Engine typeinverted vertical cross compound engine
Valve Gear Corliss valves
Cylinder diameter and throw27"HP, 56"LP had a 4ft stroke
rpm75rpm
Flywheel diameter22ft
Boiler configuration
Running temperature160psi
Equipment
Manufacturer Platt Brothers and Co
References
[1]

Monton Mill was a cotton spinning mill in Eccles, Greater Manchester, England, built in 1906. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. After production ended, it was demolished and replaced with housing; its name is preserved in the street name.

Contents

Location

Eccles (pop. 36,600) is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) west of Salford and 3.7 miles (6.0 km) west of Manchester city centre. [2] Historically a part of Lancashire, Eccles lies on sloping ground between the M602 motorway (to the north), and the Manchester Ship Canal (to the south). The town is served by the Bridgewater Canal and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

Monton Mill was situated on the west bank the Bridgewater Canal, 1.0 mile (1.6 km) north of the railway line.

History

The parish of Eccles contained the townships of Barton-upon-Irwell, Clifton, Pendlebury, Pendleton, and Worsley. [3] Toward the end of the Middle Ages the parish had an estimated population of about 4,000  Communicants. Agriculture remained an important local industry, with little change from the medieval system due to a lack of adequate drainage and fertiliser. [4] Local cottage industries included blacksmiths, butchers, thatching, basket weaving, skinning, and tanning. Weaving was popular, using linen and wool. Merchants traded in corn, and badgers bought and sold local produce. [5]

During the 18th century the predominance of textiles in the region is partly demonstrated in the parish registers of 1807, which show that 46 children were baptised with 34 fathers employed as weavers. [6] During the early 19th century the growth of industry meant the majority of the area's inhabitants were employed in textiles or trade, while a minority worked in agriculture. The factory system was also introduced; in 1835 1,124 people were employed in cotton mills, and two mills used power looms. Local hand-produced specialities included striped cotton ticks, checks, Nankeens, and Camrays. Two cotton mills are visible on the 1845 Ordnance Survey map of the area. The area also became renowned for its production of silk, with two mills at Eccles and one at Patricroft. [7]

The engine of growth in the second half of the 19th century was the joint stock company, whereby capital could be raised for the construction of new mills. The first joint stock boom was in the early 1860s and the final boom, between 1904 and 1910 produced dozen of mills designed by the same firms of Oldham architects. Monton Mill was built in 1906, a typical mill of this period.

The industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The Great War of 1914–18 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. [8] Monton Mill, Eccles was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950.

Architecture

Power

It was driven by a 1400 hp inverted vertical cross compound engine by George Saxon & Co of Openshaw, built in 1906. The cylinders, 27"HP, 56"LP had a 4-foot stroke. It was steamed at 160psi by four Lancashire boilers supplied by Galloways. [9] The 22-foot flywheel ran at 75rpm. [10]

Equipment

The mill was furnished with 91,680 mule spindles, divided into 26,784 twist spindles and 64,896 weft spindles, producing medium counts of average 32's twist and 42's weft. Most of the textile machinery was supplied by Platt Brothers and Co, of Oldham. [9]

Usage

Owners

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eccles, Greater Manchester</span> Town in Greater Manchester, England

Eccles is a town in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Salford and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Manchester, split by the M602 motorway and bordered by the Manchester Ship Canal to the south. The town is famous for the Eccles cake.

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">Welkin Mill, Lower Bredbury</span> Cotton spinning mill in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England

Welkin Mill, Lower Bredbury is a cotton spinning mill in Lower Bredbury/Portwood, Stockport, Greater Manchester. It was built in the early years of the 20th century for ring spinning. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production ended in 1967. The 162,000 sq ft (15,100 m2), four-storey mill occupies a 5.15 acres (2.08 ha) site on Welkin Road.

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

Saxon Mill, Droylsden was a cotton spinning mill in Droylsden, Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in the 1907, taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production finished in 1967, and the mill was demolished in 1995.

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

Stalybridge Mill, Stalybridge is a cotton spinning mill in Stalybridge, Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1868, and the engine reconfigured in around 1925. 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>

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">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.

<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.

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">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">Harp Mill, Castleton</span> Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Harp Mill was a former cotton spinning mill in the Castleton, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. Queensway, Castleton was a hub of cotton mills including the three 't', Th'Arrow, Th'Harp, and Th'Ensor. The 1908 Castleton map includes: Marland Cotton Mill, Castleton Cotton Mill, Globe Works, Arrow Cotton Mill, Harp Cotton Mill, Globe Leather Works, Castleton Size Works and Castleton Iron Works. Th'Harp was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. The site now houses industrial units.

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

Mars Mill was a former cotton spinning mill in Castleton, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. Castleton joined the Borough of Rochdale in 1899. Queensway, Castleton was a hub of cotton mills; Mars, Marland, and Castleton Mill were a group of three. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1935 and passed to Courtaulds in 1964 and demolished in the 1990s; Marland survived until 2004.

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

Kingston Mill, Stockport is a mid nineteenth century cotton spinning mill in Edgeley, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production finished, it was made over to multiple uses.

References

  1. LCC 1951
  2. Greater Manchester Gazetteer, Greater Manchester County Record Office, Places names - D to F, archived from the original on 18 July 2011, retrieved 2 May 2008
  3. Harland 1857 , p. 589.
  4. Johnston 1967 , pp. 56–57.
  5. Johnston 1967 , pp. 59–60.
  6. Johnston 1967 , p. 84.
  7. Johnston 1967 , pp. 84–88.
  8. Dunkerley 2009
  9. 1 2 The Engineer, 23 July 1909, p. 94
  10. Roberts 1921

Bibliography