History
Cottages
Mills to 1877
Mills after 1877

 

GREAT HARWOOD

Cotton Mills
(After the railway)

The arrival of the loop line from Blackburn to Brierfield heralded another round of mill building.

St. Hubert's Mill, Cambridge Street.
Erected in 1880 close to the railway station by the Great Harwood Commercial Company. It had 540 looms in 1881 increasing to 756. 420 people were working there in the early 20th century. Closed in 1930 the mill was used for storage. Between 1967 and 1974 part of the site was used by footwear manufacturers then, after major reconstruction in 1973, reverted to warehousing.

Advertisement for Harwood Prospect Mill Co. Ltd., 1951

 

 

 

Prospect Mill, Curate Street.
Built in the centre of town in 1880-81 by J & D Kemp, then lessees of Wellington Mill, with 760 looms. Closed during 1914 - 18 it was reopened with less than 400 looms and cotton manufacture ceased under Government re-organisation of the industry in 1959-60. The mill was then used for the manufacture of plastics (including Beatles' wigs) and vinyl footwear components. Fire destroyed the factory in 1964 manufacturing moving to Albert Mill. Bought by Great Harwood U.D.C. the site is now a car park.

 

Albert Mill, St. Hubert's Street 1888.
Constructed by the Albert Mill Building Company Ltd. and leased to the Great Harwood Commercial Company operating 760 looms with about 200 employees. Closed in 1932, reopened 1935 and weaving ceased in 1959. Bought in 1963 by the owners of Prospect Mill and turned over to plastics production.

York Mill or Union Mill, Balfour Street.
The town's largest weaving shed built in 1891-92 by the Great Harwood Union Mill Building Co Ltd. Originally to house 760 looms it was extended to 1,050. Limited operation after 1930 and closed in 1934 to be demolished soon after.

 

 

Deveron Mill, Meadow Street.
A weaving shed built by the Devron Mill Building Co. in 1899 next to the railway line and leased to James Boardman and J W Baron, partners of the Wellington Mill Co. Holding 798 looms the mill suffered prolonged closures during the 1930s but in 1956 there were still 684 looms running and 300 employees. Production continued into the 1980s with approximately 240 looms.

 

 
Advertisement for Devron Mill, 1951
Original office buildings of Palatine Mill
Original office buildings of Palatine Mill
Palatine Mill, Meadow Street.
Boardman and Baron's second mill constructed in 1903 on similar lines to Devron Mill. 798 looms and 300 employees in 1910. Operations were run down during the 1960s and turned to garment manufacture after 1966. Closed in 1976 the factory was then used for warehousing.
Advertisement for Boardman & Baron, 1951 Advertisement for Boardman & Baron, 1951
Premier Mill #3 and Waverledge Mill
Waverledge Road. Waverledge Mill right, Premier Mill #3 left.
Waverledge Mill, Waverledge Street.
Boardman and Baron's third weaving shed built in 1905 housing 1026 looms. Spasmodic production during the 1930s the mill was used by the British Aircraft CO during 1939 - 45. Re-opened after the war a dye works was added but the mill was closed 1959-60. After a spell being used for storage it was sold in 1964 and became a crisp factory it now houses retail outlets.
Premier Mill No. One, Arthur Street was established in 1907 by the Mutual Mill Building Co. and complete in 1908. Leased to the Premier Mill Co. who ran 816 looms. Closed in 1933 but reopened in 1937 cotton manufacture came to an end in 1960 and the premises were bought by OXO who already owned the adjacent ...........................
Premier Mills #1 & #2 joined by OXO bridge
Faded but still visible.
No. 1 is left No. 2 right
Premier Mill No. Two, Hartley Street (east side). Again built by the Mutual Mill Building Co. and run by the Premier Mill Co. and housing 812 looms. Weaving continued until 1938 after which the building was taken over by OXO.
OXO advertisement "Our Town", 1951


Ridges of Northern Lights Premier Mill #2
Northern Lights of No. 2. Each ridge tops a row of north facing windows.

After failing to win approval for its plans to develop another site in the town OXO relocated and both mills were closed by the end of 1992.

November 2007 and the bridge has gone

and to the west so has Premier Mill No1

Premier Mill No. Three, West Street.
Built in 1914-15 by the Premier Mill Co. it had 953 looms. A second weaving shed was added in 1961 and production continued into the 1980s with 444 looms and 338 employees.
Waverledge Mill and Premier Mill #3 from Harwood Moor

The white roofs are Premier Mill No. Three and its extension.
The grey area to the left is the roof of Waverledge Mill.
W & T Thompson, Premier Mills advertisement, 1951
 W & T Thompson, Premier Mills advertisement, 1951

Record Mill, Empire Street.
The last textile mill built in Gt. Harwood. Construction was begun in 1914 by the Lower Darwen Investment Co. but completion was delayed by the 1914 - 18 war and weaving began on 600 looms in November 1919. Closed in 1931 the mill gained the "dubious distinction of having the shortest cotton manufacturing history in the area". It was reopened in 1937 but as an artificial silk factory. Production ended in 1959 after which the mill was occupied by several companies. OXO bought the mill in 1976 with the intention of developing the site however planning permission could not be obtained leading to the company moving production out of Gt. Harwood completely.

Map of mills and cottages


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Last updated 11th June 2004
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