Beehive Mill

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

MANCHESTER

SJ8498 JERSEY STREET, Ancoats 698-1/17/451 (South side) 11/11/88 Beehive Mill

GV II*

Cotton spinning mill, built as a room and power mill. Early 1820's in 3 major building phases, with some later additions. Brick externally, with cast iron and timber internal construction. Earliest buildings on the site comprise L-shaped block of 6 storeys with 13 bay range to Radium Street, and 3 bay wing to Jersey Street. 5-storeyd, 13 bay mill added on Bengal Street c1848. Original building has small cambered headed window in each bay (with 6 in gable returns). Attic lit by 3 windows to N, and by segmental window to S. Timber and cast iron internal construction, with cast iron columns supporting transverse timber beams with heavy floorboards (and no joists). Curved cast iron roof ribs support timber principle rafters in attic storey which was also originally powered. Internal beam engine house towards N of building with cross wall originally containing upright shaft creating segregated area to N. Original circular staircase was also located on this axis, enclosing chimney (now demolished). Taking-in doors on each floor in this end section. Range to Jersey Street dated 1824, and probably built for warehousing. 3 bays, with central segmentally arched entrance to yard, and small windows with cambered heads in each bay. Double taking-in doors on each floor originally (now altered). Internal construction comprises cast iron columns supporting grid of T-section cast iron beams carrying stone flagged floors. Cast iron trusses with wrought iron tiles to roof structure. Adjacent block to Bengal Street was added in 1848, and partly rebuilt following a fire in 1861. 4 storeys, 13 bays. In the rear elevation, the bays are seperated by narrow full-height pilaster-like towers, possibly associated with a heating or ventilation system originally. Warehouse range is important example of early fire-proof construction, an advanced type of constrution for its date, which demonstrates an understanding of the different properties of cast and wrought iron. Original building is also a good example of a once common type of early C19 construction, in which timber floors are constructed without joists a method which provided a strong structure with slow-burning properties. This method enabled heavy weights to be carried on upper floors, and together with the design of roof adopted in this mill, was appropriate in a room and power mill in which diffferent firms would use different floors. Early use of bolting faces for line shafting cast into cast iron beams is also notable. In plan, L-shaped range type with internal engine house forming segregated area. (Williams M: Cotton Mills in Greater Manchester: London: 1992-: 151-153).

Listing NGR: SJ8509698710

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/1094 IOE Records taken by Leo Jacobs; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr Leo Jacobs. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project