The Powell Seat Company Limited Former Warping Mill

The Powell Seat Company Limited, formerly a warping mill, is a building dating from around 1830 that has been altered in the 20th century. It was originally constructed for Thomas Bridgett, a silk manufacturer. The structure is made of red brick and features a hipped slate roof with chamfered brick eaves and an ashlar plinth. It stands four storeys tall, with the north front displaying five windows. The ground floor includes a segmental arched cart entrance to the left, which is now obscured by a single-storey garage addition, and four windows to the right. Each of the upper three floors has five windows, all featuring ashlar lintels and 20th-century timber casements. The south and west fronts are blank, while the east front, facing the street, has been painted and includes a single doorway to the left with a panel door and overlight, and a plain sash window to the right, both with ashlar lintels. Above these openings is a plain ashlar sill band and a small window above with an ashlar lintel and a 20th-century casement.

Inside, the narrow mill building showcases fireproof construction. The brick floors are supported by transverse brick arches, which in turn are held up by inverted Y-section cast iron beams. This design represents an early and original example of fireproof construction, integral to Rykneld Mill.