| Summary : Holmes Mill is a textile mill established by John Taylor in the 1820s. It originally comprised a multi-storey spinning block and size house. A second spinning block, known as New Mill, was erected in about 1830 by Edmund, John & James Mercer & David Murray, who purchased the site and incorporated the two spinning blocks into a single manufacturing complex. A weaving shed was added to the north of the New Mill in 1853, by which time the mill complex housed 16,000 mule spindles and 707 looms and was powered by at least two beam engines. Clitheroe Manufacturing Company Limited took over production in 1884. In 1905 New Mill and its associated buildings was sold to Henry Parkinson and new boiler and engine houses were erected in 1910-11. At this time the beam engine was replaced with a Clayton, Goodfellow & Company cross-compound horizontal engine which remains in situ. Part of the complex remains in use as a weaving mill.The mill is sub-rectangular in plan with a yard along the east side of the complex, to which most of the buildings lie to the west. A single-storey gatehouse is to the east of the yard. The mill is built predominantly of random limestone rubble with sandstone dressings beneath pitched slate roofs. |
More information : Listed as HOLMES MILL, CLITHEROE (List Entry No. 1413649). For the designation record of this site please see The National Heritage List for England. (1-2)
Originally three independent buildings occupied this site before becoming a combined enterprise, also known as Greenacre Mill. The first spinning mill and size house was erected in circa 1823 by John Taylor of Shawbridge; this mill is marked on the Ordnance Survey first edition 1:10,560 map as Holmes Mill. It was a three-storey mill of random limestone with sandstone architectural details, 15 bays long with a latrine turret on the western gable end and a taller, four-storey bay at the eastern end. This housed offices, a lapping room and warehouse with three central loading slots on the exterior and a hoist beam at the apex. The integral beam engine provided power from the rear of the mill. A second three-storey loading bay had a large round-headed door in the north wall. Before 1848 a circular brick chimney on a circular dressed stone base was erected to the rear of the mill. A single-storey shed later contained the reduced remains. However, the mill was advertised for let in 1831, and the machinery, described as 'entirely new' was for sale. This included six mules of 304 spindles, ten carding engines, a dyer's frame, drawing frame, and fly frame. The machinery had been the property of Cutherbert Heatley, occupant of Holmes Mill and formerly of Samlesbury, who had evidently died. This mill was stripped in 1884, and was later used as Clitheroe Technical School up until 1916.
Constructed at a similar time was the small foundry. Mercers and Murray bought this from James Alston in 1836, when the site was amalgamated. This building was later used as a shoddy store but was demolished. New Mill, the second spinning mill dates to circa 1830 when Edmund, John & James Mercer & David Murray built it and bought the original mill with its mules and 130 looms. In 1836 a joiner and builder, William Anderson, bought Murray’s share in the partnership. By 1855 he had left the company and Edmund had died. Two years later James retired and the company became John Mercer the elder and John Mercer the younger. After this a relation through marriage, Edward Hodgson, became the principal partner until 1884. New Mill was a three-storey block with attic that was 14 bays in length. It was initially used for mule spinning then yarn preparation. The loading doors and house were in the eastern gable end. To the north a weaving shed was added in 1853 with northern roof light. At least two beam engines powered the 16,000 mule spindles and 707 looms requiring about 400 staff. A newly formed co-operative, Clitheroe Manufacturing Company Limited, took over production in 1884. By 1887, to 1897, 577 looms, weaving printers and shirtings were in operation powered by a beam engine aided by a 24†x 3’ stroke horizontal engine. In 1905 New Mill and associated buildings was sold to Henry Parkinson, a builder and lime maker, who furnished it with 496 looms and subsequently leased it to James Thornber of Burnley in 1906. New boiler and engine houses were erected during 1910/11 as was a weaving shed with a single beam engine house with a hipped roof and narrow round headed window. At this time the beam engine was replaced with a Clayton, Goodfellow & Company cross compound horizontal engine, the works numbers of which was 544/545 and incorporated a nine groove flywheel to drive a fly pulley producing circa 250 ihp with the 15†and circa 32†cylinders. 560 looms manufactured twills, sateens, jeans, lenos, shirtings and fancies. Post-World War II the looms were respaced as automatics were introduced. In 1966 the weaving shed housed 314 looms making fancies in terylene, rayon and cotton. The steam provided by the 1905 Yates & Thom Lancashire boiler ceased use in 1968 although the engine stayed on site. In 1990 New Mill was the only weaving company still in operation in Clitheroe. The first mill was reopened, after its time as a school, in 1939 by Norman Roberts of Farnworth for yarn doubling. The company later became named Castle Doubling Company Limited and SH Shore became the principal partner and managing director following the death of Roberts. 2000 spindles and 50 operatives doubled cotton, rayon and woollen yarns. Shore closed these works in 1977 and from then leased it to F W Bramwell Limited, yarn agents and merchants, for ten years when they moved to Altham. James Thornber Limited acquired the buildings and continued textile production with 80 Northrops with jacquard and dobby attachments and 30 high-speed Rapier looms. The current planning application (3/01/0564) involves the demolition of the warehouse on Greenacre Lane, along with the engine and boiler houses and chimney. (3) |