The Padiham Heritage Appraisal - Burnley Borough Council

Victoria Mill, Ightenhill Street.3.3.3 In 1855 the Mannex Commercial Directory recorded Henryand James Helm as cotton spinners, manufacturers and sizers atSmithygate Mill, Victoria Mill and Old Mill. Henry and James Helmhad built Victoria Mill as a mule-spinning factory in 1852-3. Itoriginally contained 7,400 mule spindles and 126 looms driven by a25-horse power beam engine. The mill closed in 1863 and remainedso until 1873 when the Padiham Spinning Company bought thebuilding and shortly after extended the western block to double thesize of the original building. Evidence of this is found in the quoinededge of the older building in the Ightenhill Street elevation. By the1880s the mill contained 30,000 mule spindles and employed aworkforce of around 75. The mill, known locally as the Co-op, ranuntil about 1927 (Rothwell, 2005, p.11). After that time, VictoriaMill became known as Guy Works and produced cast iron schoolfurniture (Bond et al, 1998). By 1930, Eddleston and Companypurchased the mill and transferred their business to the site along with Blezard and Sons,who manufactured greenhouse boilers. Eddleston sold the firm by 1989 and moved all theirbusiness into Industry Mill. James Blezard and Sons remained in the mill and operated as aplumber’s merchants before closure in the early 1990s (Rothwell, 2005, p.11). In 1995 planningpermission was granted for the conversion of the mill into 25 apartments and cottages. Todaythis mill is a good example of a sensitive conversion (Plan F).3.3.4 To the rear of 10-18 Guy Street is the site of a formersmithy thought to have been in existence since the 17th century(Plan B). Part of the site is now used as a vehicle repair garage,the rest has been converted into cottages. The Guy Street frontageis not the original smithy wall, which is set well back inside andcontains a set of mullioned windows dating from the 16th/17thcentury (Bond et al, 1998). Number 10 Guy Street has beenconverted from two cottages into one. Evidence of a former doorcase exists around the ground floor window to the far left and withinthe arrangements of the windows on the first floor. The size of thestone lintel above the door case should also be noted.10 Guy Street3.4. Commercial Buildings And Shops3.4.1 The island block or wedge shaped area to the south east of St. Leonard’s Churchbounded by Church Street, Mill Street and Burnley Road is thought to have been the historiccore of the town (Plan B). The layout of the later town suggests that an open triangular area tothe south east of the church formed the early market place (Mitchell et al, 2004, p.1). Over timethe area between Burnley Road and Mill Street evolved into an area of permanently situatedcommercial premises. In the late 18th and early 19thcentury the market in Padiham appears to havebeen situated in the street in front of St. Leonard’sChurch. The market was poorly and unsuitablylocated and by the mid 19th century had ceased tofunction (Mitchell et al, 2004, p.26). It was revivedin the 1870s when a rag market was held in thearea around Church Street and the top of Mill Streeton Friday nights (Haines and Jones, 2006, pers.comm.).This artist’s drawing, c.1850 illustrates the early market area located infront of St. Leonard’s Church sometime after the late 18th century. Thedrawing depicts the old church with its 16th century tower and chancel and18th century nave. The Old Black Bull (Cellar Restaurant) is to the left.The chimney to the right may be that of Claybank Mill (Lancashire Libraryimage).16 heritage appraisal