Houldsworth Mill, Reddish
Encyclopedia
Houldsworth Mill, also known as Reddish Mill, is a former mill in built in 1865 in Reddish
, Stockport
, Greater Manchester
, England
. Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for Henry Houldsworth
, a prominent mill owner at the time. It is currently a Grade II* listed building.
for William Houldsworth
, it opened in 1865, it covers 64 acres (258,999 m²), and employed 454 workers. In 1898 it amalgamated with the Fine Cotton Spinners Association. The mill had 136,692 spindles and at one time spun counts of 700 and 800, but normally 80s to 250s.
This mill was converted by Stephenson Bell architects. It provides 70 shared ownership apartments for social housing provider Northern Counties Housing Association, start-up units for emerging high-technology and arts based businesses with commercial and leisure uses at the lower floors to provide active frontages.
Reddish
Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Stockport and southeast of Manchester...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for Henry Houldsworth
William Houldsworth
Sir William Henry Houldsworth, 1st Baronet was a mill-owner in Reddish, Stockport. He was Conservative MP for Manchester North West from 1883 to 1906, and sometime chairman of the Fine Cotton Spinners' Association...
, a prominent mill owner at the time. It is currently a Grade II* listed building.
History
Reddish mill was built by Stott and SonsStott
The Stotts were a family of architects from Oldham in North West England who specialised in the design of cotton mills. James Stott was the father, Joseph and his elder brother Abraham Stott had rival practices, and in later years didn't communicate...
for William Houldsworth
William Houldsworth
Sir William Henry Houldsworth, 1st Baronet was a mill-owner in Reddish, Stockport. He was Conservative MP for Manchester North West from 1883 to 1906, and sometime chairman of the Fine Cotton Spinners' Association...
, it opened in 1865, it covers 64 acres (258,999 m²), and employed 454 workers. In 1898 it amalgamated with the Fine Cotton Spinners Association. The mill had 136,692 spindles and at one time spun counts of 700 and 800, but normally 80s to 250s.
After cotton
Cotton production at Houldsworth Mill ceased in the 1950s. The mill was sold to a mail-order catalogue company, John Myers, and was used principally as a warehouse. In the late 1960s the building was expanded with a five-storey extension to the rear of the north end of the mill. This was built of glass and concrete in the style of the period. Mail-order trading ceased in the 1970s, and the mill was sold. It was divided into separate business units, but most of building remained vacant and it fell into a state of disrepair.Architecture
The 1865 mill consists of two five storeyed blocks of 18 bays, with a narrower 9 bay central block for warehousing and offices. The central block has two italianate stair towers and carries a central clock. The floors have become wider to accommodate the larger mules of the period. All floors are fireproof, with transverse vaults. The detached engine house used horizontal shafts that connected to vertical shafts in each spinning block. The chimney was octagonal, on a plinth with a highly embellished oversailer. In the early 20th century this was replaces with separate inverted compound engines for each block with external rope races for rope drives.Restoration
The pilot study for restoration was part funded by English Heritage. The refurbishment was funded by:- The mill's owners (Heaton and Houldsworth Property Company)
- Northern Counties Housing Association (and Housing Corporation)
- English Partnerships
- European Regional Development Fund
- Stockport Council
- Various anchor tenants, (including Ridge Danyers College and Kingfisher Pools)
This mill was converted by Stephenson Bell architects. It provides 70 shared ownership apartments for social housing provider Northern Counties Housing Association, start-up units for emerging high-technology and arts based businesses with commercial and leisure uses at the lower floors to provide active frontages.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- List of mills in Stockport
- Broadstone Mill, ReddishBroadstone Mill, ReddishBroadstone Mill was a double cotton spinning mill on the northern bank of the Stockport Branch Canal in Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, in England. The mills were started in 1903 and completed in 1907. They closed in 1957, and the southern mill was demolished and engine houses were...