List of mills in Shaw and Crompton facts for kids

Crompton was a big mill town, full of large brick cotton mills. This happened after many buildings were built in the 1860s and 1870s.

This is a list of cotton factories that used to be in Shaw and Crompton. This area was once part of Lancashire and is now in Greater Manchester, England.

From the time of the Industrial Revolution until the 1900s, Crompton (as it was mostly known then) was a very important place for making textiles. It was especially known for spinning cotton. During this time, the town had many large, rectangular brick factories. Some of these buildings are still standing today, used as warehouses or storage centers. Forty-eight different textile factories have been built in Shaw and Crompton.

Mills A–E
Mills F–J
Mills K–O
Mills P–U
Mills V–Z
Additional images
See also

Mills A–E

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Ash	Wild & Collins	Jubilee Street 53°34′40″N 2°05′07″W / 53.5778°N 2.0852°W / 53.5778; -2.0852 ("Ash")	1883	1985	102
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: Ash Spinning Co. Ltd started on January 25, 1883. They planned to build a cotton spinning mill with about 80,000 spindles. Ash mill was one of two mills in Shaw that had to be built twice! The first attempt blew down in a strong wind just two months before it was finished. Even so, the mill was still completed on time for £20,000. The mill was made bigger in 1886 and again in 1920. It stopped making cotton in 1984 and was knocked down the next year. Workers from Ash mill moved to Grape mill in nearby Royton. After being empty for 12 years, the land is now part of the Littlewoods Shaw National Distribution Centre.
Beal	UNKNOWN	Beal Lane 53°34′38″N 2°05′28″W / 53.5771°N 2.0910°W / 53.5771; -2.0910 ("Beal")	<1832	c.1875
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This first Beal mill was run by many different companies in its short life. William Taylor and Robinson & Co were there in 1852. Later, William Nutter and Co ran it in 1861. When it closed in 1875, Marsden and Berry were running the mill. Today, Shaw Sheet Metal Co. Ltd uses this site.
Beal	Joseph Stott	George Street 53°34′57″N 2°05′09″W / 53.5824°N 2.0858°W / 53.5824; -2.0858 ("Beal")	1889	1933	44
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: Beal Spinning Co. Ltd built and ran this mill until it was knocked down. Here are some facts about it: It had 5 floors. It cost £32,704 to build. The machines and furniture cost another £41,349. It burned about 70 tons of coal each week. It hired about 150 men and 75 women. It used 130 bales of good American cotton every week. There were 10,000 shareholders in the company, each paying £10 for a share. The land was later used by a company that built roads and buildings. Then, it was knocked down and new houses were built there in the 1990s.
Briar	Philip Sydney Stott	Beal Lane 53°34′34″N 2°05′20″W / 53.5762°N 2.0890°W / 53.5762; -2.0890 ("Briar")	1906	standing	119
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: Briar Mill Ltd built and ran this mill. The company went bankrupt but started again as Briar Mill (1920) Ltd. In the mid-1950s, the Lancashire Cotton Corporation took it over. Then, Courtaulds Ltd. took over in 1964. It stopped all cotton production in 1988. It was then changed into a warehouse for catalogue items by J.D. Williams Ltd. This company also bought Lilac Mill next door. They built a bridge to connect Briar's second floor to Lilac's first floor. Today, Fulfillment Logistics, part of J.D. Williams, still uses the buildings for the same purpose. In the late 1970s, a famous steeplejack named Fred Dibnah was paid £7000 to take down Briar mill's chimney brick by brick. His amazing work was shown in his BBC TV series, 'The Fred Dibnah Story'.
Brook / Crompton Fold	UNKNOWN	Location 53°35′11″N 2°04′43″W / 53.5863°N 2.0786°W / 53.5863; -2.0786 ("Brook / Crompton Fold")	c.1790	c.1852
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: The first records show that James Milne owned this mill. In 1832, Samuel Lord used the mill and added a 14 hp (10 kW) steam engine. In 1852, Taylor and Greeves owned the mill, but it seems they didn't do well, and production stopped soon after. The mill is on a map from 1849. In 1908, James Milne gave the land to the Church of England. They built a church called St. Saviours Crompton Fold there. The church is still there today.
Cape	P.S. Stott	Refuge Street 53°34′24″N 2°05′38″W / 53.5734°N 2.0938°W / 53.5734; -2.0938 ("Cape")	1900	1993	93
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: The chimney of Cape Mill was knocked down by steeplejack Fred Dibnah. This was filmed and shown in his TV series, 'The Fred Dibnah Story'. The land was empty for several years after the mill was demolished. Then, new houses were built there. The mill's original reservoir is still there and is used for fishing. The Cape Bowling Club, with its bowling green, also remains. The reservoir is the only part of Cape mill left. It is next to Duke mill's reservoir and is also used for fishing.
Clough	UNKNOWN	Mark Lane 53°34′35″N 2°05′09″W / 53.5763°N 2.0857°W / 53.5763; -2.0857 ("Clough")	1800	1990	190
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Clough	UNKNOWN	Mark Lane 53°34′35″N 2°05′03″W / 53.5765°N 2.0843°W / 53.5765; -2.0843 ("Clough")	1835	1934	99
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Cocker / Diamond Rope Works	UNKNOWN	Cocker Mill Lane 53°34′11″N 2°06′32″W / 53.5698322°N 2.1088153°W / 53.5698322; -2.1088153 ("Diamond Rope Works")	<1832	1994
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill was also known as Cocker Mill and Irk Mill. It was built before 1832. By 1891, it was used for cutting fustian, a type of cloth. In 1897, Hardman, Ingham & Dawson Ltd took it over to make rope and twine. This stopped after a fire in 1983. In 1975, Sammy-Woodland Ltd used it to make scarves. It finally closed in 1994 and was knocked down in 1995. The steam engine from the mill was saved and is now in Bolton. The border between Shaw and Royton changed after the mill was demolished. So, the houses built there are officially in Royton.
Cowlishaw / Victoria	UNKNOWN	Scowcroft Lane 53°34′21″N 2°06′12″W / 53.5725°N 2.1032°W / 53.5725; -2.1032 ("Cowlishaw / Victoria")	<1789	1940
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Dawn	P.S. Stott	Eastway SD 940,089 53°34′37″N 2°05′31″W / 53.577°N 2.092°W / 53.577; -2.092 ("Dawn Mill, Shaw")	1901	2006	105
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: Dawn mill was built where Shaw Mill used to be, at the 'dawn' of the 20th century. Until 2005, it was used by DTS Logistics to store and deliver clothes. It was knocked down in 2006 to make space for an Asda supermarket. Even though its main gates were on Eastway, the mill was partly on 'Dawn Street'. This street was called 'Newtown' when Shaw Mill was built there.
Dee	P.S. Stott	Cheetham Street 53°34′43″N 2°05′09″W / 53.5785°N 2.0858°W / 53.5785; -2.0858 ("Dee")	1907	1984	77
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This site is now part of the Littlewoods Shaw National Distribution Centre. Littlewoods bought the land in 1984 and knocked down Dee mill and the nearby Ash mill. It wasn't fully demolished until 1996. Its protected engine house stopped further building on the site for over ten years.
Duchess	Wild & Collins	Location 53°35′09″N 2°05′36″W / 53.5859°N 2.0933°W / 53.5859; -2.0933 ("Duchess")	1884	1960	76
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Duke	Joseph Stott	Refuge Street 53°34′29″N 2°05′34″W / 53.5748°N 2.0928°W / 53.5748; -2.0928 ("Duke")	1883	standing	142
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: After making cotton, Duke Mill became home to Osram, a company that makes lightbulbs. Osram used both Duke and Cape mills for many years. Osram has since left the United Kingdom. Now, the mill is used for processing mail orders. Duke Mill is currently the oldest cotton mill still standing in Crompton. Many people think it is also the best kept.
Elm / Newby	Joseph Stott	Linney Lane (Lyonney Lane)53°34′52″N 2°05′09″W / 53.5810°N 2.0858°W / 53.5810; -2.0858 ("Elm / Newby")	1890	2022	132
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill opened as Elm mill in 1890, but its name was later changed to Newby. The mill was part of the Littlewoods Shaw National Distribution Centre. They changed it to store items for their catalogue business. It was connected by a new building to Lily (No.2) mill. It also had a bridge to a new building on the site of Rutland mill. You could still see signs of its cotton history until it was knocked down, including its engine house with the original crane system. Littlewoods called it 'Shaw 3', but workers still fondly called it 'Newby'. Most people, both workers and locals, didn't even know its first name was 'Elm'.

Mills F–J

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Fern	Joseph Stott	Siddall Street 53°34′48″N 2°05′35″W / 53.5801°N 2.0930°W / 53.5801; -2.0930 ("Fern")	1884	1983	99
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: In 1884, a powerful 1200hp engine was made for Fern mill by Buckley and Taylor. This engine was taken away in 1983 to be saved by the Northern Mill Engine Society. In 1891, Fern Cotton Spinning Co Ltd had 87,244 spindles.
Greenfield	UNKNOWN	Greenfield Lane	1776	1945	169
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Hawk	A. Turner	Store Street 53°34′53″N 2°05′32″W / 53.5815°N 2.0923°W / 53.5815; -2.0923 ("Hawk Mill, Shaw")	1908	1991	83
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:

Mills K–O

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Laneside	UNKNOWN	Grains Road	1817	>1875
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Lilac	P.S. Stott	Beal Lane 53°34′34″N 2°05′20″W / 53.5762°N 2.0890°W / 53.5762; -2.0890 ("Lilac")	1918	standing	107
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: Building Lilac mill started in 1914. But a strong gale on September 14 that year blew down the mostly iron structure. The crash was so loud it could be heard for miles! Luckily, no one was working there, so no one was hurt. The mill was finished by 1918. By then, its original plan for cotton was less important because of World War I. It was first used to put together airplane parts. Finally, it started spinning cotton the next year. Fine Spinners and Doublers bought the mill in 1958. Lilac, along with Park Mill, was the last mill in Shaw and Crompton to spin cotton in 1989. Today, it is part of the JD Williams Co Ltd National Distribution Centre. It has been changed into offices and warehouses. In 2000, it was connected on two levels to the company's new automated warehouse. Fulfillment Logistics now runs the building as a warehouse for JD Williams catalogue orders. It is connected to Briar mill by a bridge.
Lily (No.1)	G. Stott	Linney Lane 53°34′47″N 2°05′18″W / 53.5796°N 2.0883°W / 53.5796; -2.0883 ("Lily (No.1)")	1904	2023	119
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill was part of the Littlewoods Shaw National Distribution Centre. They changed and expanded it for offices and storage for their catalogue business. It was connected on four levels to Lily (No.2) mill by a huge bridge. Workers here rarely called this mill Lily or Lily 1. They preferred to call it 'Shaw 1'.
Lily (No.2)	G. Stott	Linney Lane 53°34′47″N 2°05′11″W / 53.5798°N 2.0865°W / 53.5798; -2.0865 ("Lily (No.2)")	1918	2023	105
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill was also part of the Littlewoods' Shaw National Distribution Centre. They changed it for storage for their catalogue business. It was connected on four levels to Lily (No.1) mill by a huge bridge. It was also linked to Newby (Elm) mill by a newer building. Another bridge connected it to the company's sorting center, which was built where Dee, Ash, and Vale mills used to be. Lily 2's engine house was knocked down to make way for this last bridge. As of 2023, the sorting center is still used, even though it is planned to be knocked down. Workers here rarely called this mill Lily or Lily 2. They preferred to call it 'Shaw 2'.
Lyon	UNKNOWN	Location 53°34′31″N 2°05′51″W / 53.5753°N 2.0976°W / 53.5753; -2.0976 ("Lyon")	<1852	1929
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill burned down. In 1891, James Taylor had 41,224 spindles here.
Moorfield	Joseph Stott	Durden Street 53°34′36″N 2°05′43″W / 53.5768°N 2.0954°W / 53.5768; -2.0954 ("Moorfield")	1876	1974	98
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Moss Hey / Ivor	UNKNOWN	Beal Lane 53°34′27″N 2°05′26″W / 53.5743°N 2.0905°W / 53.5743; -2.0905 ("Moss Hey / Ivor")	<1789	1972
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill burned down.
New Mill	UNKNOWN	Rochdale Road 53°34′57″N 2°06′44″W / 53.5826°N 2.1123°W / 53.5826; -2.1123 ("New Mill")	1846	1884	38
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New Mill (rebuilt)	UNKNOWN	Rochdale Road 53°34′57″N 2°06′44″W / 53.5826°N 2.1123°W / 53.5826; -2.1123 ("New Mill (rebuilt)")	1884	1926	42
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill burned down.
Oak / Tom Taylors	UNKNOWN	Moor Street 53°34′24″N 2°06′02″W / 53.5732°N 2.1006°W / 53.5732; -2.1006 ("Oak / Tom Taylors")	1863	1937	74
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: In 1891, Thomas Taylor and Son ran the mill with 60,408 spindles. A building on Moor Street, which was the original lodge for this mill, stood for 75 years after the mill was gone. After many years of not being cared for, it started to fall apart and was completely knocked down in 2012. This building was known as 'Oak Works'. Plans to build apartments there have been approved.
Old Brox	UNKNOWN	Rochdale Road 53°34′56″N 2°06′35″W / 53.5823°N 2.1097°W / 53.5823; -2.1097 ("Old Brox")	1789	1819	30
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill burned down.
Old Brox (Rebuilt)	UNKNOWN	Rochdale Road 53°34′56″N 2°06′35″W / 53.5823°N 2.1097°W / 53.5823; -2.1097 ("Old Brox (Rebuilt)")	1819	1906	87
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Mills P–U

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Park	UNKNOWN	Milnrow Road 53°35′14″N 2°05′13″W / 53.5871°N 2.0869°W / 53.5871; -2.0869 ("Park")	1834	1991	157
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Rutland	F.W. Dixon & Son	Linney Lane 53°34′51″N 2°05′15″W / 53.5809°N 2.0875°W / 53.5809; -2.0875 ("Rutland Mill, Shaw")	1907	1993	86
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: Rutland Mill Ltd built and ran this mill. Then, like many other mills in Crompton, it became part of the Courtaulds Group in 1964. In the late 1980s, Courtaulds moved its work to other parts of the world. So, Littlewoods bought the mill. Littlewoods used it as a warehouse for a short time. Then, it was knocked down and replaced by a new automated storage warehouse. A part of the north-west wall is still there. It is white brick and supports the entrance road.
Sandy Lane	UNKNOWN	Rochdale Road 53°34′45″N 2°05′48″W / 53.5793°N 2.0968°W / 53.5793; -2.0968 ("Sandy Lane")	>1863	1975
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:
Sandy Lane (No.2)	UNKNOWN	Rochdale Road 53°34′45″N 2°05′48″W / 53.5793°N 2.0968°W / 53.5793; -2.0968 ("Sandy Lane (No.2)")	>1878	1975
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Shaw Edge	UNKNOWN	Location	>1818	<1845
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:
Shaw Lane	UNKNOWN	High Street	>1844	1900
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Shaw Mill	UNKNOWN	Newtown SD 940,089 53°34′37″N 2°05′31″W / 53.577°N 2.092°W / 53.577; -2.092 ("Shaw Mill")	1820	>1890
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:
Shaw Spinning	J. Wild	Salts Street 53°34′53″N 2°05′32″W / 53.5815°N 2.0923°W / 53.5815; -2.0923 ("Shaw Spinning")	1875	1972	97
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Shaw Side / Irk	UNKNOWN	Oldham Road 53°34′16″N 2°05′52″W / 53.5710°N 2.0978°W / 53.5710; -2.0978 ("Shaw Side / Irk")	<1832	>1980
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: In 1891, Richard Fitton had 74,000 spindles and 118 looms here.
Smallbrook	J. Wild	Nolan Street 53°35′06″N 2°05′30″W / 53.5851°N 2.0918°W / 53.5851; -2.0918 ("Smallbrook")	1875	1964	89
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:
Springhill	UNKNOWN	Thornham Road 53°34′52″N 2°06′44″W / 53.5812°N 2.1122°W / 53.5812; -2.1122 ("Springhill")	1846	1938	92
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:
Trent	F.W. Dixon & Son	Duchess Street 53°35′09″N 2°05′48″W / 53.5858°N 2.0966°W / 53.5858; -2.0966 ("Trent Mill, Shaw")	1908	1967–1969
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:

Mills V–Z

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Vale / Crompton Spinning Co.	UNKNOWN	Beal Lane 53°34′40″N 2°05′20″W / 53.5777°N 2.0888°W / 53.5777; -2.0888 ("Vale / Crompton Spinning Co.")	1861	1934	73
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: In 1891, Crompton Spinning Co, Limited had 63,666 spindles.
Woodend	UNKNOWN	Milnrow Road 53°35′15″N 2°05′21″W / 53.5875°N 2.0891°W / 53.5875; -2.0891 ("Woodend")	1859	1968	109
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill was also called Goats mill. It was built as an addition to Park Mill, across Milnrow Road. It was run by A. and A. Crompton and Co. In 1883, a powerful 2000 hp steam engine was put in. Production stopped in 1964.
Wye	A. Turner & Son	Napier Street 53°35′07″N 2°05′52″W / 53.5852°N 2.0979°W / 53.5852; -2.0979 ("Wye")	1914	1974	60
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes:
Wye (No.2)	A. Turner & Son	Napier Street 53°35′07″N 2°05′57″W / 53.5852°N 2.0993°W / 53.5852; -2.0993 ("Wye (No.2)")	1925	1974	49
[[\|frameless\|upright=0.8]]	Notes: This mill had a 2,500hp engine from Shaw, Buckley and Taylor. Electric motors replaced it in 1965.

Additional images

The 105-year-old Dawn mill was knocked down between July and September 2006. A new ASDA supermarket was built on the land.
Duke Mill and its original reservoir, seen from the east side. The reservoir is now owned separately and used for fishing.
Briar Mill: The Manchester Metrolink tram line was extended to Shaw and Crompton in December 2012. The tram stop is right in front of the mill.