Cavendish Mill

Cavendish Mill is a cotton spinning mill constructed between 1884 and 1885 for the Cavendish Spinning Co Ltd. The architects were Potts, Pickup and Dixon of Oldham, with Storrs, Son and Co Ltd as the main contractors. Located on an awkward site, the mill features an unusual L-shaped plan. The main block rises six storeys towards the Ashton Canal to the south and five storeys towards Bank Street to the north. A short extension to the northeast incorporates the engine house, which occupies the lower two floors. An octagonal stair turret, wrapped around a stack, is attached to the southeastern face of the mill. A two-storey office block extends further to the southeast, together with a boiler house, forming three sides of a small entrance courtyard facing Cavendish Street. Carding sheds are located to the north, enclosed by a perimeter wall. The main mill block has 14 bays in length and 9 bays in width, with large nine-pane windows beneath blue brick lintel bands which conceal iron or steel girder pads and continuous projecting sill bands. The ground floor windows are set within elliptical arches, and there is one loading bay towards the canal. The building has simple parapets, with the end bays projecting slightly. The engine house is distinguished by tall round-headed windows, some with simple tracery. The polygonal stair turret has large windows to each facet, with the seventh stage marked by paired round-headed windows set under a parapet featuring a Lombardic frieze; the topmost courses of the stack have been removed. The office block has windows with curious stone lintels. The northern elevation is irregular. The entrance features stone-capped piers and massive iron vehicle guards. The interior was not inspected, but it contains circular section iron columns with shaped brackets that support steel girders. The construction method used – concrete floors on steel girders and lintel plates – was pioneered by Edward Potts and represents one of the earliest examples of its type in Greater Manchester, and likely globally.