| Summary : Cow Lane Cotton Factory on Hammerton Street was built between 1827 and 1844 as a cotton-spinning mill and later formed part of Proctor's Ironworks, one of Burnley's most important foundries. The engine house and chimney were added between 1844 and 1851, and late nineteenth-century additions were made to the front and south end, including offices and a large cross-wing which was formerly a roller skating rink with a provision store in the basement. The mill was also known as Rawlinson's Mill or Hammerton Street Mill (owing to its location). Named as a cotton factory on the Ordnance Survey first edition 1:10,560 map.The building was taken over by James Proctor in 1882 to manufacture Proctor's Mechanical Stokers, which he had patented in 1875. The building became redundant as a foundry in 1987.The mill is built from coursed squared sandstone, with slate roofs. The principal element is a rectangular spinning block built on the west bank of the River Calder with a rectangular engine house a short distance from the north end (now linked to it by infilling) and a chimney very close to the west side of this. Exterior: the spinning block is a four-storey eight-window range, with the west front mostly covered by later additions built in the former yard, and the rear (overlooking the river) has vertical rectangular windows which have raised sills and plain lintels, and a tall round-headed window close to the north end, and all these windows have now been blocked with brick. It has gable copings with kneelers. A full-height one-window link of random rubble joins the spinning block to the four-storey, two-window boiler house, which has similar windows in the rear wall but at the front has remains of one semi-circular arch at ground floor level, and three loading doorways above this. The chimney, approximately 0.5m from the front of the boiler house, is circular with 20 metal straps and a massive square plinth. |
More information : Cow Lane Cotton Factory on Hammerton Street was built between 1827 and 1844 as a cotton-spinning mill and later formed part of Proctor's Ironworks, one of Burnley's most important foundries. The engine house and chimney were added between 1844 and 1851, and late nineteenth-century additions were made to the front and south end, including offices and a large cross-wing which was formerly a roller skating rink with a provision store in the basement. The mill was also known as Rawlinson's Mill or Hammerton Street Mill (owing to its location). Named as a cotton factory on the Ordnance Survey first edition 1:10,560 map. In 1848 the mill was occupied by Samuel Smallpage when it was called Hammerton Street Mill, and in 1868 by Baldwin and Broxup and Alexander Baldwin in 1879. The building was taken over by James Proctor in 1882 to manufacture Proctor's Mechanical Stokers, which he had patented in 1875. When Proctor died in 1903, it was estimated that over 10,000 of his mechanical stokers were in use world-wide. The building became redundant as a foundry in 1987. Little or no maintenance has been carried out for a very considerable period of time. The structural condition is poor and considerable work is needed to consolidate the structure.
The mill is built from coursed squared sandstone, with slate roofs. The principal element is a rectangular spinning block built on the west bank of the River Calder with a rectangular engine house a short distance from the north end (now linked to it by infilling) and a chimney very close to the west side of this. Exterior: the spinning block is a four-storey eight-window range, with the west front mostly covered by later additions built in the former yard, and the rear (overlooking the river) has vertical rectangular windows which have raised sills and plain lintels, and a tall round-headed window close to the north end, and all these windows have now been blocked with brick. It has gable copings with kneelers. A full-height one-window link of random rubble joins the spinning block to the four-storey, two-window boiler house, which has similar windows in the rear wall but at the front has remains of one semi-circular arch at ground floor level, and three loading doorways above this. The chimney, approximately 0.5m from the front of the boiler house, is circular with 20 metal straps and a massive square plinth. Interior: The spinning block has wooden floors carried on wooden beams supported by a single row of cast-iron columns in the centre of each floor, the engine house has been remodelled, with iron beams to the floors, and the former skating rink incorporates a spectators' gallery round a well. (1)
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