tarboat's photos with the keyword: rochdale

This 1900 mill with tower is the last development of the extensive mills on this site erected for carpet manufacturers John Bright & Sons. It now forms part of a business park.

Arrow Mill, Castleton, Rochdale was was designed by Sydney Stott for R & T Howarth. It was built very quickly. The contract to build was signed in late 1906, the first brick was laid in January 1907, the engine first ran under steam in February 1908 and the first cotton was spun in this large mill fifteen months after the first brick was laid. It was acquired by Courtaulds Ltd in 1934 and sold by them to Arrow Mill Fabrics Ltd in 1979. This was the last cotton mill to operate in the Rochdale area and did not cease production until the late 1990s. It is now listed Grade II and is in multiple occupation.

This mill was erected in 1833 with an early 20th century extension which was electric powered from new. The original spinning mill was powered by a twin beam engine with one line shaft driving each of 2 rows of spinning throstles on the wide spinning floors.

The geese watch over the remaining stub of the Rochdale Town arm off the Rochdale Canal. The background is formed of the remains of part of the weaving mill of Norwich Street cotton mill. The spinning mill section in the background dates from c1860 and is listed Grade II. In 1891 it was owned by John Pilling, Norwich Street and Wellfield Mills; 40,000 spindles, 1,500 looms, mexicans, twills, printers, shirtings, &c.

On a wet day in Rochdale 60 002 heads the biomass empties from Drax power station back to Liverpool Docks.

The Blue Pits Inn at Castleton is said to have been so-named due to the blue clay that was excavated here when the Rochdale Canal was being built. For a number of years the building was used as the mortuary for Castleton (accessed from the Canal) and the two mortuary slabs are still in situ in the cellar. The current frontage is enlivened by the cream terracotta decoration including the pub name high up above the entrance.

The Tramway Offices on Mellor Street, Rochdale, are dated 1904. The brickwork on the building is all stamped Huncoat Plastic Accrington. The Rochdale Corporation Act of 1900 included proposals for new tramways. Construction started on 15 June 1901, and the first line was inspected on 15 May 1902 and opened one week later. The whole system was closed on 12 November 1932.

Arrow Mill, Castleton, Rochdale, was was designed by Sydney Stott for R & T Howarth. It was built very quickly. The contract to build was signed in late 1906, the first brick was laid in January 1907, the engine first ran under steam in February 1908 and the first cotton was spun in this large mill fifteen months after the first brick was laid. It was acquired by Courtaulds Ltd in 1934 and sold by them to Arrow Mill Fabrics Ltd in 1979. This was the last cotton mill to operate in the Rochdale area and did not cease production until the late 1990s. It is now listed Grade II and is in multiple occupation.

During a walk looking at the lost industries on the moors north of Rochdale we came across this site just below Catstones Quarry. There were plenty of signs of burning and several large fused blocks of stone and carbonaceous material. Old maps give no clue as to what this migt represent. We did consider beehive coke ovens but were are no collieries in the immediate vicinity and why transport coal to this remote spot for burning? Any theories as to what was going on will be very welcome.

Former cotton spinning and weaving mill in Rochdale, c1860. The building is listed Grade II. In 1891 it was owned by John Pilling, Norwich Street and Wellfield Mills; 40,000 spindles, 1,500 looms, mexicans, twills, printers, shirtings, &c.

A wonderful and varied collection of sheds at the Bottom of Rooley Moor above Rochdale.

Today I went walking with a friend in the hills above Hollingworth Lake near Littleborough. Lunchtime found us at a farmstead called Syke where we sat on a colliery spoil tip to eat our sandwiches and take in the view. The hill across the valley is Syke Nab and running down to the left is the flagged access road. The line running across the centre of the image, curving under the track and back off to the right is the feeder channel from the reservoir (Hollingworth Lake) to the summit level of the Rochdale Canal several miles away. The impoverished canal company sold the reservoir to the local water supply undertaking many years ago and the feeder channel is no longer used. The operation of this supply was expensive as the water had to be raised 45ft into the feeder by a beam pumping engine as the reservoir was at a lower level.

Interior of the big nissen type building at Spotland Bridge. They manufacture all sorts of springs in here.

Big Nissen huts turn up in so many corners of industry. This one is lurking behind the brick facade at BPS Springs at, Spotland Bridge in Rochdale.

Butterworth Hall Colliery was one of the largest in Milnrow in the early twentieth century. In 1869 the mine was owned by Richard and William Stott, but it was sold to Platt Brothers of Oldham. It is said to have been a very wet mine and it finally closed in 1928 after the workings became flooded. It was then purchased by Oldham Corporation for use as an underground reservoir, with upwards of a million gallons of water per day being pumped to Piethorne Reservoir, around 2 miles away. The headstocks were demolished in 1950. This building was originally constructed as the power house for generating electricity for use on the colliery. It is now used by a civil engineering company. The name lives on and today the shaft, which is situated a short distance behind this building continues to supply water, although the site is now run by United Utilities.

H.S. Greenwood & Sons Ltd was established in 1948 and operated for many years from this building, Magnetic Works, Princess Street, Rochdale. They manufactured a wide range of permanent magnetic separators for the extraction of ferrous metal contamination. The company continues in business on another site as Greenwood Magnetics Limited.

Arrow Mill, Castleton, Rochdale was was designed by Sydney Stott for R & T Howarth. It was built very quickly. The contract to build was signed in late 1906, the first brick was laid in January 1907, the engine first ran under steam in February 1908 and the first cotton was spun in this large mill fifteen months after the first brick was laid. It was acquired by Courtaulds Ltd in 1934 and sold by them to Arrow Mill Fabrics Ltd in 1979. This was the last cotton mill to operate in the Rochdale area and did not cease production until the late 1990s. It is now listed Grade II and is in multiple occupation.

This cotton-weaving mill was started 1855 by Samuel Turner. He and his three sons, John, Samuel II and Robert traded as Turner Bros and diversified into the manufacture of cotton packings for valves and glands. In 1879 they started spinning and weaving asbestos which by then was being imported from Canada and proved a better material for packings. By 1900 they were making asbestos yarns, cloth, and hair belting as well as packings. In 1920 they formed a new copmany Turner & Newall with the Washington Chemical Co. in County Durham, Newall's Insulation Co. and J. W. Roberts of Leeds. In 1925 they acquired Ferodo of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, manufacturers of brake linings. At one time this was the largest asbestos factory in the world, equipped with modern asbestos carding, spinning and doubling machines and looms, plaiting machines. Subsequent legislation against asbestos due to its disastrous effect on health of workers and anyone coming into contact with its fibres has seen the industry collapse and the lodging of massive compensation claims. Large sections of the mill have been demolished although some parts remain in other industrial use.