Castle Street Mills

Details

STALYBRIDGE CASTLE STREET SJ 99 NE 4/182 Castle Street Mills (also known as Cheetham's Mill and Longland's Mill) II the serial number shall be amended to read 4/10003.

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STALYBRIDGE CASTLE STREET SJ 99 NE 4/182 Castle Street Mills (also known as Cheetham's Mill and Longland's Mill) II

Former cotton spinning mill (for hosiery yarn), now in various uses. Founded by George Cheetham; first factory 1805 with builds of 1820-21, 1827 an later alterations. The site's development is well documented; surviving ranges fit the evidence on stylistic grounds and all the ranges were in place on the 1850 O.S. map. Brick with stone dressings; slate and (in part) corrugated roofing material. Plan: earliest (1805) range aligned N/S fronting Castle Street; this was extended N (towards the river) in 1820 (datestone); at about the same time (C. 1819.21) a parallel range, similar in design was added to the E. These two ranges were connected by cross wings fronting Castle Street and the river to form a courtyard plan overall. Earliest range, 4 storeys; gabled (pedimented) end wall towards Castle Street, slightly irregular fenestration, with Venetian window to gable wall, 4 windows to 3rd. 6 to 1st and 2nd (the three to the right closely spaced; ground floor altered. Long return (to left), 14 window bays, one early vehicle entrance (under depressed brick arch) and C20 sliding door in addition, the latter under a tall round-headed window that rises through 1st and 2nd floors and marks the position of what was originally an integral, internal end-engine house. 10-window range in series under slightly lower roof, dated 1820 (datestone over vehicular entrance with stone quoining). Late Victorian doorway arch of several orders inserted. Windows throughout under stone wedge lintels; windows mostly C20 in original openings. Riverside end wall, regular 2-window range, with blind lunette in gable wall. Parallel range with similar detailing; originally a 3-window gabled range towards Castle Street, with windows inserted on all floors. Long return (right), regular fenestration; towards the N the wall projects and this marks the position of the internal engine house for this section of the mill. Regular 6 window cross wing links the parallel ranges towards Castle Street; a similar 6-window wing connects the earlier ranges on the river-side elevation, but where there is a short three storeyed section of infil in addition. Stalybridge is of more than local interest in the history of the late C18 and early-C19 textile industry. It was famous for its high-quality hosiery goods and many of the initial manufacturing problems were solved by Stalybridge operators. Castle Street Mills is therefore of considerable interest in the development of the hosiery industry before it became established on a factory basis elsewhere in the country (especially in the E. Midlands). See W. Felkin, History of the Machine-Wrought Hosiery and Lace Manufacture (1867). P.120.

Listing NGR: SJ9614098467

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

358719

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Felkin, W, History of the Machine Wrought Hosiery and Lace Manufacture, (1867), 120

End of official list entry

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