Broadstone Mill, Reddish
Encyclopedia
Broadstone Mill was a double cotton spinning mill
on the northern bank of the Stockport Branch Canal
in Reddish
, Stockport
, Greater Manchester
, in England. The mills were started in 1903 and completed in 1907. They closed in 1957, and the southern mill was demolished and engine houses were demolished in 1965. The northern block went into multiple usage. It is now part of the Houldsworth Village development. It is used as a centre for small businesses, and a shopping outlet.
. It is close to Reddish South railway station
on the Stockport to Stalybridge Line
The decline of cotton spinning was accompanied by high farce. In November 1958 the company sold a number of spinning mules as scrap for just over £3,000. By agreement, the machines remained in the mill over the winter. A small number had been broken and removed by April 1959, when the government announced a compensation package for firms that agreed to scrap spinning capacity. As the title in the mules had passed to the scrapman, it was decided that the company was not entitled to compensation amounting to over £60,000, despite the fact that the machinery was still on its premises. Actions in the High Court
and the Court of Appeal
in 1965 were fruitless.
, and its features were described as Byzantine in style.
twin 1500 hp triple expansion vertical steam engines, ith Corliss valves They were powered by steam at 200 psi and ran at 75 rpm. The cylinders has 22in, 35in and 54in bores, and 4 ft stroke.
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
on the northern bank of the Stockport Branch Canal
Stockport Branch Canal
The Stockport Branch Canal was a 5 mile branch of the Ashton Canal from Clayton to Stockport-Route:The canal left the main line of the Ashton Canal at Stockport Junction , between locks 10 and 11 at Clayton, and it terminated at Stockport Basin just beyond the top of Lancashire Hill...
in Reddish
Reddish
Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Stockport and southeast of Manchester...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, in England. The mills were started in 1903 and completed in 1907. They closed in 1957, and the southern mill was demolished and engine houses were demolished in 1965. The northern block went into multiple usage. It is now part of the Houldsworth Village development. It is used as a centre for small businesses, and a shopping outlet.
Location
The double mills were built next to Houldsworth's Reddish Mills, fronting on the Stockport Branch CanalStockport Branch Canal
The Stockport Branch Canal was a 5 mile branch of the Ashton Canal from Clayton to Stockport-Route:The canal left the main line of the Ashton Canal at Stockport Junction , between locks 10 and 11 at Clayton, and it terminated at Stockport Basin just beyond the top of Lancashire Hill...
. It is close to Reddish South railway station
Reddish South railway station
Reddish South is a station in Reddish, Stockport, England, on the Stockport-Stalybridge Line, famous for having only one train a week in one direction. A single track serves a single, bare platform....
on the Stockport to Stalybridge Line
Stockport to Stalybridge Line
The Stockport to Stalybridge Line is a short railway line in Greater Manchester, running from Stockport north east to Stalybridge. Although it once received a frequent service, for the past few years it has been served by a single train run by Northern Rail, once a week in one direction.This...
History
The Broadstone Spinning Co., Ltd., Reddish, was incorporated in 1903, with the intention of erecting a large double mill. No. 1 mill covered 7,658 square yards, and No 2 mill 8,457 square yards. Each mill was six storeys high, 270 feet long by 143 feet. and .Work commenced on No. 1 mill at the end of 1906, and No 2 mill a year later. The mills contained 260,000 mule spindles, and cost £480,000 when fully equipped . They were entitled to draw water for the condensors directly from the canal at no cost. In 1919 the mills were sold to the Broadstone Mills Limited.The decline of cotton spinning was accompanied by high farce. In November 1958 the company sold a number of spinning mules as scrap for just over £3,000. By agreement, the machines remained in the mill over the winter. A small number had been broken and removed by April 1959, when the government announced a compensation package for firms that agreed to scrap spinning capacity. As the title in the mules had passed to the scrapman, it was decided that the company was not entitled to compensation amounting to over £60,000, despite the fact that the machinery was still on its premises. Actions in the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
and the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
in 1965 were fruitless.
Architecture
This was a large six storey double mill with 260,000 spindles. It was built by Stott and SonsStott
The Stotts were a family of architects from Oldham in North West England who specialised in the design of cotton mills. James Stott was the father, Joseph and his elder brother Abraham Stott had rival practices, and in later years didn't communicate...
, and its features were described as Byzantine in style.
Power
It was powered by a George SaxonGeorge Saxon & Co
George Saxon & Co was a company that manufactured stationary steam engines. It was based in the Openshaw district of Manchester in England. The company produced large steam-driven engines for power stations and later for textile mills in Lancashire and elsewhere.-Biography:George Saxon was born...
twin 1500 hp triple expansion vertical steam engines, ith Corliss valves They were powered by steam at 200 psi and ran at 75 rpm. The cylinders has 22in, 35in and 54in bores, and 4 ft stroke.
Usage
Originally they spun best Egyptian cottons, in what was technically termed "combed" and "super carded yarns." The range of counts was 160's to 30's for the home and export trade, and they employed 700 people.Owners
- Broadstone Spinning Company Ltd.
- Broadstone Mills Ltd.
- Multi usage
- Part of the Houldsworth Village- shopping outlet, small business units
See also
- Textile manufacturingTextile manufacturingTextile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based in the conversion of three types of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth...
- Cotton MillCotton millA cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
- Houldsworth Mill, ReddishHouldsworth Mill, ReddishHouldsworth Mill, also known as Reddish Mill, is a former mill in built in 1865 in Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for Henry Houldsworth, a prominent mill owner at the time...