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© Mr Peter Sargeant

IoE Number: 213535
Location: LEIGH MILL, PARK LANE
  LEIGH, WIGAN, GREATER MANCHESTER
Photographer: Mr Peter Sargeant
Date Photographed: 29 April 2001
Date listed: 25 April 1990
Date of last amendment: 25 April 1990
Grade II*

In the entry for: LEIGH PARK LANE SJ 69 NE 6/59 Leigh Mill II the building shall be upgraded to Grade II* and the third last sentence in the list description shall be amended to read as follows: "Spinning machinery by Platt and Oldham (now removed); one steam engine survives intact and in working order (to the west, 1923, block) and is one of the largest produced by Yates and Thom." ----------------------------------------- The following building shall be added: LEIGH PARK LANE SJ 69 NE 6/59 Leigh Mill II Large double cotton spinning mill. Built for the Horrocks Company; E Block, boiler house and chimney stack, 1913; W Block to the same design, 1923, both by Bradshaw, Gass & Hope, architects of Bolton. Red brick with buff brick banding and dressings, presumably cladding a reinforced steel frame. Roof material not visible. Both blocks, 6 storeys, 10 x 7 bays with corner water tower to SE and SW corner angle of E and W block respectively. One, the SE tower (to the 1913 block) rises to its full height with 2 stages above roof level, the lower stage with central roundel, the upper with deeply recessed round-headed niche, to all faces, surmounted by a slate cupola. The SW tower appears never to have had a cupola (1929 photograph shows it without one). Upper floor of main block treated as an attic storey with dentilled sill cornice. Windows all of 5 lights under flat heads. 5 elevations of both blocks with offices of 2 and 3 storeys, each block with engine house and rope race tower, the blank faces with round- headed niches. Low boiler house with much renewed S elevation; various entrances enlarged or blocked. Rear (N) elevations with stair and privy blocks, symmetrically placed. Tall stack with cap. Leigh Mill is one of the most monumental and complete mills surviving in Greater Manchester from the last generation of cotton mill building. It was designed as a double mill, although (as was often the case) the second block was not built until business proved the investment worthwhile. At peak production, the mill contained over 200,000 mule spindles and 4,800 ring spindles. Spinning machinery by Platt & Oldham (now removed); one steam engine survives intact and in working order (to the E, 1913, block) and is one of the largest produced by Yates & Thom. The pair were known as the 'Mayor' and 'Mayoress'. The boiler house contained 7 Lancashire boilers.