| Summary : This purpose-built cotton-spinning mill was erected in 1787 by John Parker and John Parker, who also owned Low Moor Mill in Clitheroe. Primrose Mill was four storeys high, and measured 70ft x 31ft (21.34 x 9.45m), together with 11 cottages, a stable, shippon and gardens to create Clitheroe's second industrial settlement. The mill contained 14 spinning frames with 856 spindles, powered by a 26' diameter waterwheel. Spinning continued until 1810/11 when Thomson, Chippendale & Burton, later to be James Thomson, Brother & Company, began calico printing. This firm began in a small way, although a machine room, bleach croft, three dye houses and two engine houses enlarged the business by 1827. In 1854 the new owner, Richard Fort of Read Hall, separated the units so both cotton spinning and paper making took place on the premises. J & J Mercer of Holmes Mill converted the New Print shop to Primrose Spinning Mill in 1860. The building was constructed from random limestone with sandstone details. It was 11 x 8 bays, with a double-hipped roof and the wooden floors were supported on cast-iron columns. A sprinkler tower and latrine turret were located against the north-east corner. The south-east wall accommodated a central turret; the recently erected engine and boiler houses were on the south-west corner. A two-storey, seven bay long winding room with northern light roof was behind the main building.The mill closed in 1884, it remained empty until 1904 when the bobbin makers Richard & John Holden took over. Primrose Ring Mill Limited was formed in 1905, which re-equipped the building for ring spinning and destroyed the existing chimney. The final use for the textile industry was by Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1930. By 1942 the building was used for storage by the Ministry of Pensions. Although the Upper and Lower Works were used for paper making after the units were divided, initially Lower Works were employed in calico printing. |
| More information : This purpose-built cotton-spinning mill was erected in 1787 by John Parker and John Parker, who also owned Low Moor Mill in Clitheroe. Primrose Mill was four storeys high, and measured 70ft x 31ft (21.34 x 9.45m), together with 11 cottages, a stable, shippon and gardens to create Clitheroe's second industrial settlement. The mill contained 14 spinning frames with 856 spindles, powered by a 26’ diameter waterwheel. Joseph King of Liverpool took over the mill in 1797 when Parker became bankrupt. Spinning continued until 1810/11 when Thomson, Chippendale & Burton, later to be James Thomson, Brother & Company, began calico printing. This firm began in a small way, although a machine room, bleach croft, three dye houses and two engine houses enlarged the business by 1827. In 1846, the firm was described as having 'long been the leading concern in the printing trade'. At that date, the mill contained eight printing machines, 204 short tables, 112 long tables, two steam engines, and employed 300 men. In 1854 the company failed following the death of J Thomson. The new owner, Richard Fort of Read Hall, separated the units so both cotton spinning and paper making took place on the premises. J & J Mercer of Holmes Mill converted the New Print shop to Primrose Spinning Mill in 1860. The building was constructed from random limestone with sandstone details. It was 11 x 8 bays, with a double-hipped roof and the wooden floors were supported on cast-iron columns. A sprinkler tower and latrine turret were located against the north-east corner. The south-east wall accommodated a central turret; the recently erected engine and boiler houses were on the south-west corner. A two-storey, seven bay long winding room with northern light roof was behind the main building. The yarn from here was presumed to be woven at Holmes Mill. After the conversion 18,000 mule spindles were in use and powered by a pair of Rothwell & Company of Bolton horizontal engines. They were nominally rated at 80hp with 28 3/4†cylinders x 4’6†stroke. By the mid 1860s a new partner had joined the company to form Mercer & Hodgson. Around 1870 Hodgson appeared to have been the principal partner and closed the mill in 1884. It remained empty until 1904 when the bobbin makers Richard & John Holden took over. Primrose Ring Mill Limited was formed in 1905, which re-equipped the building for ring spinning and destroyed the existing chimney. This included an inverted compound engine (18†+ 38†x 3’6†stroke producing 600ihp), a 21 groove pulley in a glazed rope race by Benjamin Goodfellow & Company, two Yates & Thom boilers, 26,000 ring spindles and a dynamo attached to a vertical Tangye engine to provide electric lighting. Structural additions were a winding shed, blow house, sprinkler tower and chimney. The final use for the textile industry was by Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1930. By 1942 the building was used for storage by the Ministry of Pensions. Although the Upper and Lower Works were used for paper making after the units were divided, initially Lower Works were employed in calico printing with five machines. Between 1857-65 R C & J Mercer & Joseph Haydock & Joseph Bentley ran this. Mitchell & Bleakley converted the site for paper making after this and were later taken over by Carlisle Son & Company of Darwen before closing in 1904. John Mitchell & James Bleakley of Bury owned the Upper Works from 1859. The main building, print shop, was three-storey and twenty bays in length. On the gable end to the second floor was a five-light window with a round-headed central opening. Above this was a circular opening in the apex. Off the top yard was a two-story office with hipped roof and fine fan lights to the keystone arched door surrounds. During 1860 the bleach croft and dye houses were converted to allow production to commence. Following a court case pertaining to pollution in the river Ribble work ceased in 1887. Upper and Lower Works were amalgamated during 1904/5 to form Primrose Bleach Works. Henry Sharp demolished many of the Lower Works buildings to divert a road through the site and began building a bleach and dye works. This was a large single-storey building with large areas of northern light roof along with an engine house with a triple window and other structures of random limestone with sandstone details. Within a year this project was abandoned. In 1913 Gilletts of Chorley completed the work and began piece bleaching. It operated as Ashworth & Smith Limited with Reginald Gillett as the managing director Ashworth & Smith Ltd was established in 1893. Bleaching and finishing continued on this site until 1963 employing 100 staff. Two years later the Stalwart Dyeing Company moved in and dyed broadloom carpets. (1) |