Cobden Mill

SD 70 NW, 797-0/9/10016

FARNWORTH, GOWER STREET (South side), Cobden Mill

II

Cotton spinning mill. C1890. Brick with flat roof and cast-iron, concrete and steel internal structure. Site comprises brick spinning mill of five storeys, with separate, lower taking-in and preparation block to the north, built alongside engine house; chimney, boiler house and ancillary buildings including former canteen. EXTERIOR: the spinning block has two phases, of which the first comprises a building of 18x5 bays, extended" early C20 by the addition of a further four bays. Wide windows separated by narrow brick pilasters, a single window in each bay. Stair, hoist and water tower at NE angle. INTERIOR: cast-iron columns carry steel beams and concrete floors. Warehouse/preparation block forms extension to mill at N end: 3 storeys; 8x3 bays, with 2 sets of taking-in doors (that to right original, with cast-iron re-inforcement to doorway) . Offices incorporated to east, with doorway (now blocked) in eastern elevation. Engine house projects from NW of spinning block, alongside warehouse range. The rope drive was formerly housed in a tower projecting from the centre of the north elevation of the spinning mill. Large boiler house and octagonal chimney surviving "to its full height to west of main mill building, and various ancillary buildings including former canteen (an early C20 addition) in the yard to the west and the mill lodge (reservoir) survives to the east of the site.

A relatively complete site, and a good example of concrete and steel construction applied to a large open storeyed mill. Lacking in architectural embellishment, but in that representative of the 'modernism' of mill design which characterised building at the end of the C19 before the introduction of 'Baroque' style.

Listing NGR: SD7313206281