List of mills in Wigan

This is a list of the cotton and other textile mills which existed in the area now known as the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, England, previous to it's creation by the Local Government Act, 1972. The area around Wigan was notable for two industries, cotton and coal. Wigan (fabric) was a stout cloth made from coarse cotton. There were early cotton mills, which continued to use 'jennies' later than other towns. For three decades Wigan was home to the largest ring spinning mill. It continued to operate spinning and weaving after other towns had ceased.

The mills

Name	Architect	Location	Built	Demolished	Served (Years)
Actons Mill		Wigan,  SD 584 051 53°32′28″N 2°37′44″W
Atherton Mill		Atherton,  SD 686 022 53°30′58″N 2°28′30″W
Atherton Mills		Atherton,  SD 680 033 53°31′30″N 2°29′02″W
Barnfield Mills		Tyldesley,  SD 689 022 53°30′58″N 2°28′12″W
Bedford New Mills		Leigh,  SD 667 001 53°29′49″N 2°30′11″W
Bradley Mills		Standish,  SD 572 112 53°35′46″N 2°38′53″W
Britannia Mill		Wigan,  SD 576 053 53°32′35″N 2°38′28″W
Brook Mill		Leigh,  SD 663 002 53°29′49″N 2°30′32″W
Brooklands Mill		Leigh,  SJ 664 996 54°23′28″N 2°31′08″W
Brookside Mill		Leigh,  SD 661 003 52°35′56″N 2°30′07″W
Butts Mill		Leigh,  SJ 667 994 53°29′24″N 2°30′11″W
Charles Street Mill		Leigh,  SD 660 003 53°29′53″N 2°30′50″W
Crescent Mill		Ince,  SD 597 055 53°32′42″N 2°36′36″W
Dan Lane Mills		Atherton,  SD 676 030 53°31′23″N 2°29′24″W
Dicconson Mills		Wigan,  SD 630 073 53°33′40″N 2°33′36″W
Douglas Mill		Wigan,  SD 572 112 53°35′46″N 2°38′53″W
Eckersley Mills see also Western Mill No.1, No2, No.3 Swan Meadow		Wigan SD 576 050 53°32′24″N 2°38′28″W
	Notes: Eckersley ran six spinning mills and two weaving sheds in Wigan. The mills were Swan Meadow Old, Swan Meadow large, Water Heyes, No.1, No.2 and No.3 Western Mills. In them they had 236,572 ring spindles and 14,554 mule spindles and 1687 looms.
Empress Mill		Ince,  SD 592 053 53°32′35″N 2°37′01″W
Ena Mill		Atherton,  SD 673 035 53°31′37″N 2°29′42″W
Enfield Mill		Pemberton,  SD 553 043 53°31′59″N 2°40′34″W
Etherstone Mill		Leigh,  SJ 651 998 53°29′38″N 2°31′41″W
Gidlow Works		Wigan,  SD 579 065 53°33′11″N 2°38′13″W
Haigh Works		Haigh,  SD 582 082 53°34′08″N 2°37′59″W
Hall Lane Mill		Leigh,  SJ 663 996 53°29′31″N 2°30′32″W
Hindley Green Mills		Hindley,  SD 635 034 53°31′34″N 2°33′07″W
Howe Bridge Mills		Atherton,  SD 673 033 53°31′30″N 2°29′42″W
Kirkhall Lane Mills		Leigh,  SD 657 012 53°30′22″N 2°31′08″W
Leigh Manufacturing Co.		Leigh,  SJ 668 996 53°29′31″N 2°30′07″W
Leigh Spinners Mills		Leigh,  SJ 674 997 53°29′35″N 2°29′35″W
Makerfield Mill		Ashton in Makerfield,  SJ 580 987 53°28′59″N 2°38′02″W
Mather Lane Mills		Leigh,  SJ 663 997 53°29′35″N 2°30′32″W
Mather Lane Mills (part)		Leigh,  SJ 664 996 53°29′31″N 2°30′29″W
Parkside Mills		Wigan,  SJ 605 976 53°28′26″N 2°35′49″W
Pendle Mill		Wigan,  SJ 669 995 53°29′28″N 2°30′00″W
Pennyhurst Mill		Wigan,  SD 576 053 53°32′35″N 2°38′28″W
Princess Street Mill		Wigan,  SD 582 051 53°32′28″N 2°37′55″W
Prospect Mill		Hindley,  SD 618 042 53°31′59″N 2°34′41″W
Resolution Mill		Tyldesley,  SD 689 022 53°30′58″N 2°28′12″W
Rylands Mill, aka Pagefield Mill aka Gidlow Works	George Woodhouse	Wigan SD 579 065 53°33′11″N 2°38′13″W	1865		159
	Notes: Owned by John_Rylands it replaced an earlier mill. Noted for its decorative brickwork in whirs and Staffordshire blue brick. In the original 1865-ish layout there were two 460HP twin cylinder J. Musgrave engines. They had 40in cylinders and a 6ft stroke running at 42rpm on steam at 80psi. The 19ft flywheel drove geared drives. This was converted in 1900 by Sharples to 140 psi triple expansion engine. It is thought that this was done when the mules were replaced by ring frames.
Sandbrook Mill		Orrell,  SD 526 041 53°31′52″N 2°43′01″W
Signal Mill		Wigan,  SD 526 041 53°31′52″N 2°43′01″W
Standish Works		Standish,  SD 579 101 53°35′10″N 2°38′13″W
Stanley Mill		Leigh,  SJ 665 997 53°29′35″N 2°30′22″W
Swan Meadow Mills Eckersley Mills		Wigan,  SD 577 050 53°32′24″N 2°38′24″W
Swan Meadow Mills (part) Eckersley Mills		Wigan,  SD 576 050 53°32′24″N 2°38′28″W
Trencherfield Mill		Wigan SD 578 051 53°32′28″N 2°38′17″W
	Notes: See also; Lancashire Cotton Corporation mills
Upper Mills		Wigan,  SJ 600 979 53°28′34″N 2°36′14″W
Victoria Mills		Wigan,  SD 576 053 53°32′35″N 2°38′28″W
Victoria Mills		Wigan,  SD 653 009 53°30′14″N 2°31′30″W
Welch Mill		Leigh,  SJ 653 999 53°29′42″N 2°31′30″W
Welch Hill Mill		Leigh,  SJ 653 999 53°29′42″N 2°31′30″W
Western Mill No.1 Eckersley Mills	Stott and Sons	Wigan,  SD 576 050 53°32′24″N 2°38′28″W	1883	Standing	141
Western Mill No.2 Eckersley Mills	Stott and Sons	Wigan,  SD 576 050 53°32′24″N 2°38′28″W	1888	Standing	136
Western Mill No.3 Eckersley Mills	Stott and Sons	Wigan,  SD 576 050 53°32′24″N 2°38′28″W	1899	Standing	125
Wharfe Mill		Wigan,  SD 582 051 53°32′28″N 2°37′55″W
Whittaker's Mill		Wigan,  SD 579 065 53°33′11″N 2°38′13″W
Williams Street Works		Wigan,  SD 664 001 53°29′49″N 2°30′29″W
Wood Street Mill		Wigan,  SD 584 051 53°32′28″N 2°37′44″W
Williams & Farnie 1992, p. 198

See also

• Wigan Man: details of the mill owning families.

Bibliography

• Ashmore, Owen (1982). The industrial archaeology of North-west England. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719008204. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
• Williams, Mike (1992). Cotton Mills in Greater Manchester. Carnegie Publishing. ISBN 0948789891. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• Wigan Industrial History Forums- mill photographs now and 1980s