Vernon Mill, Stockport

Vernon

Vernon Mill in 2011
Location within Greater Manchester
Cotton
Spinning
Location	Portwood
Further ownership	Lancashire Cotton Corporation (1930s) Courtaulds (1964)
Construction
Floor count	6
Design team
Architecture Firm	Joseph Stott and Son
References
Helen Clapcott

Vernon Mill, Stockport is a former cotton spinning mill in Portwood, Stockport, Greater Manchester. Built in the late 19th century, it was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and later sold on. Although still in business use, it is now a grade II listed building.

Location

Stockport is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Tame, 6.1 miles (9.8 km) southeast of the city of Manchester. The town of Stockport is the largest settlement within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.

Historically a part of Cheshire, Stockport in the 16th century was a small town entirely on the south bank of the Mersey, and known for the cultivation of hemp and the manufacture of rope. In the 18th century, the town had one of the first mechanised silk factories in the United Kingdom. However, Stockport's predominant industries of the 19th century were the cotton and allied industries. The Stockport Branch of the Ashton Canal terminated at the top of Lancashire Hill, in Heaton Norris, but Stockport was rich in railway connections. The Cheshire Lines Committee ran the Stockport, Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway which serviced Portwood and Stockport Tiviot Dale railway station.

Portwood to the east of the town centre, alongside the River Goyt, was the location of many of Stockports Mills, and Vernon Mill was adjacent to the Palmer Mills. Interestingly, Vernon Mill was on Mersey St reflecting the view at the time that the River Mersey started upstream at the confluence of the Goyt and the River Etherow.

History

The mill was designed by architects Joseph Stott and Son. The foundation stone was laid on 31 October 1881, it was the first limited liability cotton mill to open in Stockport.

The industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The First World War (1914–18) halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build mills to spin and weave cotton by themselves. Once the war was over, Lancashire never regained its markets and the independent mills were struggling. The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. Vernon Mill, Stockport was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950. It is still standing, occupied by multiple businesses including a gym, a boxing gym, and various art studios.

Owners

• Lancashire Cotton Corporation (1930s–1964)
• Courtaulds (1964–

Tenants

• Vernon Mill Artists A artist led group with 43 active members working from studios.
• Honcho SFX Ltd
• Dyson Masters (Vacuum Cleaner repairs)
• Stockport Machinery Repairs

See also

• Textile manufacturing
• Cotton Mill

Bibliography

• Dunkerley, Philip (2009). "Dunkerley-Tuson Family Website, The Regent Cotton Mill, Failsworth". Retrieved 9 January 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• LCC (1951). The mills and organisation of the Lancashire Cotton Corporation Limited. Blackfriars House, Manchester: Lancashire Cotton Corporation Limited.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Roberts, A S (1921), "Arthur Robert's Engine List", Arthur Roberts Black Book., One guy from Barlick-Book Transcription, retrieved 11 January 2009{{citation}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

External links

• Cotton Town
• Spinning the Web