Trencherfield Mill facts for kids
Trencherfield mill before 1951
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 Location in Greater Manchester
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| Cotton | |
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| Spinning (ring mill) | |
| Location | Wigan Pier, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England |
| Serving canal | Leeds and Liverpool Canal |
| Further ownership |
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| Coordinates | 53°32′28″N 2°38′16″W / 53.5411°N 2.6378°W |
| Construction | |
| Completed | 1907 |
| Power | |
| Date | 1907 |
| Engine maker | J & E Wood |
| Decommissioned | Still in steam |
| Engine type | triple-expansion four-cylinder engine |
| Valve Gear | Corliss valves |
| Cylinder diameter and throw | 25"HP, 40"IP, two 44"LP X 5ft |
| rpm | 68 |
| Installed horse power (ihp) | 2500 |
| Flywheel diameter | 26ft |
| Transmission type | ropes |
| No. of ropes | 54 |
Trencherfield Mill is a large cotton spinning mill located next to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1907. This mill was once a busy place where cotton was spun into thread.
The mill was powered by a huge 2,500 horsepower steam engine. This engine was built in 1907 by a company called J & E Wood from Bolton. The engine had two main parts, which were given the names Rina and Helen! These parts worked together to turn a giant 26-foot wheel using 54 strong ropes. The engine ran at 68 rotations per minute. It finally stopped working in 1968.
Today, Trencherfield Mill is part of the Wigan Pier area, which has been redeveloped. The mill building is now used for different things, like homes and businesses.
Contents
Where is Trencherfield Mill?
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It sits by the River Douglas. This river was made into a canal way back in the 1740s. Wigan is about 15 miles (24 km) south of Preston. It is also about 16.5 miles (26.5 km) west-northwest of Manchester and 17.5 miles (28 km) east-northeast of Liverpool.
Wigan is the biggest town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. It is also the main office center for the area. The town is connected by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and several railway lines. Trencherfield Mill is right by Wigan Pier. This is a famous wharf (a place where boats load and unload) on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. A famous writer named George Orwell wrote about Wigan Pier in his book, The Road to Wigan Pier. He wrote about the tough lives of people in Wigan during the 1930s.
A Look Back: History of the Mill
Historically, Wigan was part of Lancashire. During the Industrial Revolution, Wigan grew very quickly. More people moved there, and many new jobs appeared. At first, Wigan was known for making porcelain and clocks. But soon, it became famous for its mills and coal mining.
The first coal mine in Wigan opened in 1450. At its busiest time, there were 1,000 coal mine shafts within 5 miles (8 km) of the town center! Mining was so common that one town leader said, "a coal mine in the backyard was not uncommon in Wigan." Coal mining stopped in the late 1900s. In 1974, Wigan became part of Greater Manchester.
Because Wigan had a lot of coal, engineering, and textile factories in the 1700s, the Douglas Navigation was built. This was a canal system on the River Douglas in the 1740s. Later, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal was changed in the 1790s. Mill owners wanted this so they could easily move coal from the mines to their mills. The canals were also used to transport local goods.
As a mill town, Wigan was a very important place for making textiles during the Industrial Revolution. However, cotton factories did not really spread into the town until the 1800s. This was because there were not many fast-flowing rivers nearby to power the early mills. But by 1818, there were eight cotton mills in the Wallgate area of Wigan. In that same year, William Woods brought the first power looms to Wigan's cotton mills.
Trencherfield Mill was built next to the canal in 1907. It was built for a company called William Woods & Sons Ltd.
The cotton industry was at its peak in 1912. It produced 8 billion yards of cloth that year! But the Great War (1914–1918) stopped the supply of raw cotton. The British government then encouraged its colonies to build their own mills. After the war, Lancashire (where Wigan is) never got back its old markets. Many independent mills struggled. So, the Bank of England created the Lancashire Cotton Corporation (LCC) in 1929. They hoped to organize and save the industry. Trencherfield Mill was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC. It was also one of 53 mills that kept working until 1950.
The mill finally closed in 1968. This meant 350 people lost their jobs. Wigan Council took over the mill's amazing steam engine in 1984. They fixed it up as part of the Wigan Pier redevelopment. Queen Elizabeth II even visited the engine in March 1986. This was part of the official opening of the "Way We Were" heritage center at Wigan Pier.
Between 2005 and 2007, the old mill building was renovated. It had been partly falling apart, but it is a Grade II listed building, which means it is important and protected. This renovation was a big part of the Wigan Pier regeneration project. Money for this came from different funds, including the European Regional Development Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project helped restore many sites in the Pier Quarter. Trencherfield Mill itself became a place with shops, offices, fun spaces, and 52 apartments.
The mill's powerful 2,500 horsepower steam engine was saved and restored. As of 2022, you can still see it working on certain dates throughout the year!
Trencherfield Mill was also home to The Mill at the Pier, an arts and performance space. It opened around 1983 and hosted the Wigan International Jazz Festival in 1986. It closed around 2005 but later reopened as part of ALRA. The famous British drama school ALRA North (the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts) was in the mill from 2012 until it closed in 2022. The mill is also used as a call center for companies like EE and BT.
Mill Design and Architecture
The first Trencherfield Mill was built in 1822–23 by William Woods. This site was special because it had the first power looms in Wigan. A second mill was added to the site in 1851–52.
The building you see today is the third mill on this site. It was built in 1907. At that time, it was the largest mill ever built in Wigan. It was also the last mill in Wigan to be built with direct access to the canal. The mill has four floors and a basement. It is 31 bays long and 6 bays wide. The chimney is round. The design of the mill's tower was inspired by St Mark's Campanile in Venice, Italy. This famous tower has inspired many similar towers around the world.
How the Mill Was Powered
The mill was powered by a massive 2,500 horsepower steam engine. It was a "triple-expansion four-cylinder" engine. This means it used steam three times to get the most power. It was built by J & E Wood of Bolton in 1907.
The two main parts of the engine are named Rina and Helen. They turn a huge 26-foot (about 8-meter) flywheel. This flywheel then used 54 ropes to power the machinery in the mill. It spun at 68 rotations per minute. The engine used high-pressure steam at 200 pounds per square inch (psi). It had special Corliss valves on all its cylinders.
This amazing steam engine has been fully restored. It is now a popular visitor attraction. Engineers give tours and show how the engine works on certain days throughout the year.
Who Owned Trencherfield Mill?
- Lancashire Cotton Corporation (from the 1930s to 1964)
- Courtaulds (from 1964 to 1968)
See Also
- Listed buildings in Wigan
- Textile manufacturing
