Abbey Mill

Abbey Mill is an integrated cotton spinning and weaving mill established by 1840, with 19th- and 20th-century alterations. It is built of sandstone with brick additions and slate part-glazed roofs.

The complex comprises a four-storey spinning block with attic containing an internal engine house, small fire-proof preparation block and stair tower; a single-storey weaving shed to the west; two reservoirs to the south of the spinning block; and gatehouse, office block and cottages on the north side of the yard.

Spinning Block

The twelve-bay north elevation is the principal elevation, in sandstone rubble with four storeys of windows plus the blank attic wall above and parapet. The left-hand bay is wider and projects, housing a stone stair, and has a widened ground-floor doorway. To the left of this and set back is the front wall of the warehouse. The spinning block entrance is flanked externally by a pair of stone lions, one retaining its wrought-iron lamp post at the rear; elements of three further lamp-posts survive along the north wall. Bay 2 has a hoist tower rising above the parapet with a castellated top and a roof-level Second World War fire-watch hut. Bay 9 has loading doors converted from windows, bay 10 a cast-iron fire escape, and bays 11 and 12 a five-storey brick privy tower to parapet level. Windows in the stone walling have flush sandstone wedge lintels and slightly projecting sandstone sills, and are a mixture of timber and PVC casements.

The east wall has three raised gables, the central being narrower and lower than the outer ones, with an infill parapet almost to its ridge. Only two windows are visible externally, in the north bay of the attic and third floors, with others blocked, or concealed by an asbestos-clad dust tower and the stone warehouse at lower level. Three bearing boxes are at third-floor level, and former ground-and-first-floor windows in the northern two bays are visible from within the narrow passage between the spinning block and the warehouse.

The south elevation returns to the left, with windows similar to those of the north elevation, but two windows in the eastern bay at third-floor level, above a round-headed three-storey window marking the original engine-house position, and blocked in three phases. In the centre of the elevation substantial external brackets, an angular roof scar and a bearing at wall head level to the right indicate former hoisting provision. A small tower projecting from the western end of the south elevation is the original privy tower and has quoined returns, and narrow brick-blocked windows to each floor. The west elevation retains the original arrangement of windows (some blocked) above the weaving shed to the west, and the same gables as the east but with no parapet between them.

The ground floor is largely open with exposed timber ceiling beams with four rows of six-inch diameter hollow circular cast-iron columns with flared capitals and crush-boxes concealing joints between the beams. There are numerous power-transmission features including cut-outs for hangers, bearing boxes, and brackets for line-shafting. Additional columns and beams have been inserted in the eastern bay, which is enclosed by a substantial cross-wall. At the north end of the eastern bay is the stone winder stair with wrought-iron handrails and remains of a sprinkler system. To the south of the stair is a room with a concrete floor, set above the level of the main mill, and brick-vaulted ceiling, with a small hoist.

The upper floors are similar, but subdivided, with various different column brackets for line-shafting. Timber floors survive at upper levels, with cast-iron beams, and a stone flag floor in the room to the south of the stair. The entablature beam for the original vertical engine survives, with one cast-iron beam to the engine house. The attic has ornate multi-section, cast-iron, open-web trusses, timber purlins and a narrow ridge board. The upper section of each roof has continuous glazing bands to both pitches, with large rectangular panes between galvanised steel transoms. Five-and-a-half inch diameter columns carry the trusses and valley gutters. The southwest privy tower is sealed but is thought to contain some original fixtures, while the northwest tower retains its plan form and internal fittings, comprising white-glazed internal brick walls, timber stall partitions, porcelain toilets, urinals, Belfast sinks, and cast-iron water cisterns and pull-chains.

Weaving Shed

To the west of the spinning block and integral with its build, the weaving shed is of 11 bays in sandstone rubble with rusticated quoins. It has a five-bay north-light roof with timber trusses. It has an extension of similar size to the west, with roof bays of half the span (assumed to be carried on cross-beams) giving more light and fewer columns. Interior access was not possible at the time of survey but it is thought to contain original columns and power-transmission features.

Warehouse

Of sandstone rubble with quoined returns and abutting the spinning block, this is now of two storeys. Its north elevation incorporates at the right the partial front wall of the former boiler house, with a large semi-circular arched opening, probably one of an original pair. At the left is a roller shutter inserted in an opening with quoined jambs. Its east elevation is abutted by a 20th-century brick boiler house, and its south elevation is abutted by a single-storey stone workshop and electrical substation. The south elevation of these has quoined returns and jambs, and above them the four first-floor warehouse windows are visible, with replacement units.

The interior has an inserted steel frame and few historic features. The substation retains the fuse array and signage of the Lancashire Electric Power Company.

Gatehouse Block

Situated in the northeast corner of the yard, this is of three storeys in sandstone rubble with quoined returns and a slate roof, three bays wide and a single bay deep. The east wall is the principal elevation, facing out of the site, and has a quoined doorway with deep lintel, whose left jamb also forms the right hand gatepost with wrought-iron gate attached. To the right of this the windows are evenly arranged two per floor, with a right-of-centre, single-pot stone chimney stack, and cast-iron rainwater pipe to the right; beyond this is the later office block described below.

Returning to the left, the south elevation has a central doorway with one window per floor above, the first floor having a four-light timber sliding sash. At the left an external stone staircase rises away to the north, to a first-floor door into a flat-roofed outshut. The west elevation has a window at each floor in the main body and also one per floor in the outshut, with a ground-floor door below the first-floor landing of the external stair. The north elevation is abutted by the later office block. The interior was not inspected but is thought to retain historic office fittings.

Office Block

Attached to the northwest corner of the gatehouse, this is two-storeyed, with six first-floor windows in the south wall. At ground floor the outer four bays have the same windows, but bay 3 (from the left) has a depressed-arch cart opening, and bay 4 is blank. The left return has a coped gable with a quoined central first-floor window and one to the left of this. Beyond this is a second gable of similar width. The north wall was not visible. The east wall abuts the gatehouse with a parapet to gatehouse eaves-level and has an added three-storey brick hoist tower, with single storey brick extensions to the front. The interior was not inspected but is thought to retain historic fittings.

Cottages

To the west of the office block, this is a single-storey two-cell structure of sandstone rubble with quoined returns and a slate roof. There are two large skylights in the south pitch with two doorways and a window below, narrow windows in each gable and a blocked doorway in the east wall. The interior was not inspected.

Reservoir

To the south of the mill is a stone-lined reservoir for the power-plant.