Atlas Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne
Encyclopedia
Atlas Mill was a cotton spinning mill in the Waterloo district of Ashton-under-Lyne
, Greater Manchester
, in England. It was built between 1898 and 1900 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham
. It was last mill in Ashton cease spinning. It was spinning artificial fibres in 1987, and was demolished in 1994; the site is now a housing estate.
which had been built site of the former Wilshaw Mill, on the junction of Oldham Road and Wilshaw Lane. This had been an unusual site for a mill as it was not close to railways or canals. The water needed to supply the steam engine at Wilshaw Mill came from a reservoir formed by damming the Smallshaw Brook. The reservoir was enlarged when Rock Mill was built.
at Whitelands. The directors were Messrs Barlow, Marland, Coop, Newton, Pollitt and Pownall; they were later referred to as the Ashton syndicate. In 1891, they built they built Rock Mill. Then 1898, the syndicate registered the Atlas Mill Co. Ltd, with a capital of £70,000 (£ as of ) to build the Atlas Mill. This was their third mill. The syndicate went on to build Curzon Mill
, Tudor Mill
, Cedar Mill and finally the Texas Mill
.
The cotton industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The great war of 1914–1918 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonys to build mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets.
On the 7 January 1921 all the syndicate's mills went into voluntary liquidation and were passed to the Atlas Mills Ltd group. Atlas Mill was their headquarters. They were struggling. The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation
in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. Atlas Mills Limited was taken over by the LCC in 1929. Thus, Atlas Mill was one of 104 mills brought into LCC ownership, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950, where it produced 60 to 100 count mule twist. It closed in 1994 and the site is now a housing estate. The roads bear the names Watermill Court and Cedar Mews which gives some indication of their antecedents.
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, 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. It was built between 1898 and 1900 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham
Sir Philip Stott, 1st Baronet
Sir Philip Sidney Stott, 1st Baronet , usually known as Sidney Stott until 1920, was an English architect, civil engineer and surveyor....
. It was last mill in Ashton cease spinning. It was spinning artificial fibres in 1987, and was demolished in 1994; the site is now a housing estate.
Location
Atlas mill was built next to Rock MillRock Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne
Rock Mill was cotton spinning mill in the Waterloo district of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in England. It was built between 1891 and 1893 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham. Rock Mill was built on the site of Wilshaw Mill retaining and using the octagonal chimney...
which had been built site of the former Wilshaw Mill, on the junction of Oldham Road and Wilshaw Lane. This had been an unusual site for a mill as it was not close to railways or canals. The water needed to supply the steam engine at Wilshaw Mill came from a reservoir formed by damming the Smallshaw Brook. The reservoir was enlarged when Rock Mill was built.
History
The Minerva Spinning Company Limited was registered in 1891 to build the Minerva MillMinerva Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne
Minerva Mill was a cotton spinning mill in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England. It was built between 1891 and 1892 for the Minerva Spinning Company which was later known as the Ashton Syndicate. Minerva Mill was next to the later Texas mill, at Whitelands. It ceased spinning cotton in...
at Whitelands. The directors were Messrs Barlow, Marland, Coop, Newton, Pollitt and Pownall; they were later referred to as the Ashton syndicate. In 1891, they built they built Rock Mill. Then 1898, the syndicate registered the Atlas Mill Co. Ltd, with a capital of £70,000 (£ as of ) to build the Atlas Mill. This was their third mill. The syndicate went on to build Curzon Mill
Curzon Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne
Curzon Mill , later known as Alger Mill was a cotton spinning mill in the Hurst district of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in England. It was built between 1899 and 1902 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham. It was a sister mill to the Atlas Mill. It was sold to the Alger...
, Tudor Mill
Tudor Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne
Tudor Mill was cotton spinning mill in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in the United Kingdom. It was built between 1901 and 1903 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham. Tudor Mill was next to the Ashton Canal Warehouse at Portland Basin...
, Cedar Mill and finally the Texas Mill
Texas Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne
Texas Mill was a cotton spinning mill in the Whitelands district of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in England. It was built between 1905 and 1907 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham. It was destroyed in a massive fire on 22–23 October 1971...
.
The cotton industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The great war of 1914–1918 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonys to build mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets.
On the 7 January 1921 all the syndicate's mills went into voluntary liquidation and were passed to the Atlas Mills Ltd group. Atlas Mill was their headquarters. They were struggling. The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation
Lancashire Cotton Corporation
The Lancashire Cotton Corporation was a company set up by the Bank of England in 1929, to rescue the Lancashire spinning industry by means of horizontal rationalisation. In merged 105 companies, ending up in 1950 with 53 operating mills. It was bought up by Courtaulds in August 1964.-Formation:By...
in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. Atlas Mills Limited was taken over by the LCC in 1929. Thus, Atlas Mill was one of 104 mills brought into LCC ownership, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950, where it produced 60 to 100 count mule twist. It closed in 1994 and the site is now a housing estate. The roads bear the names Watermill Court and Cedar Mews which gives some indication of their antecedents.
Architecture
This was a Sydney Stott building. It was four storeys high built on a basement from engineering brick. The large windows were in groups of three, and there was yellow brick decoration. It had a Hotel-de-Ville style water tower. The six bay engine house, boiler house and chimney were to the north.Usage
Atlas Mill was used for spinning fine counts of twists and weft from Egyptian cotton. In 1951 it was spinning Egyptian yarns of counts 60 to 100, using both ring and twist spindles. In 1987 it was spinning artificial fibres.Owners
- The Ashton sydicate
- Atlas Mills
- Lancashire Cotton Corporation
- Courtauld's Northern Textiles