Cross Street Mills

Cross Street Mills is a silk mill, now used as offices, built around 1850-1860 and with later additions around 1900. The building is constructed of brick with slate roofs, featuring blue brick and stone dressings. It consists of three distinct blocks, all designed in a similar Free Classical style with Venetian polychromatic detail, reflecting different phases of expansion on the site.

The central block is three storeys high with a six-window range, showcasing stilted arched lower windows and round-arched upper windows. To the right is an advanced three-storey, three-window range that has a balustraded parapet and a steep Welsh slate roof at the rear. This section is likely the earliest building on the site, dating from around 1850-1860.

The left-hand block, located at the corner with Well Street, is probably the most recent addition, built around 1900. It is two storeys tall with a seven-window range facing Cross Street and a curved angle towards Well Street. The corner bay is emphasized by giant pilasters and features a triple window on the ground floor, with a pedimented Venetian window above, flanked by coupled pilasters and inscribed with 'Brough Nicholson and Hall est. 1815'. The seven-window range has stilted arches for the lower windows, with the central window possibly having been a doorway, and round-arched windows on the first floor. There is a cill band below the upper windows and a cornice band above. The bays are defined by brick pilasters with rusticated stone architraves, and the parapet has a stepped profile. Decorative bands of blue brick and chequerwork brick add visual interest.

There is a ten-window return range to Well Street, with doorways located in bays three and seven. The corner features similar giant angle pilasters and comparable openings, albeit with some minor alterations.

Inside, the building is partially fireproofed, featuring cast-iron columns and timber beams. Cross Street Mills is all that remains of the silk mills operated by Brough Nicholson and Hall, a prominent local manufacturing firm.