# Royd Mill, Oldham, 04/2013



## bungle666 (Apr 6, 2013)

*Royd Mill, Holinwood, Oldham*







Royd mill was built 1907 mill and was designed by A.J.Howcroft, and has all the features common in an Edwardian era Mill. It is five storeys high on a cellar where the cotton would be conditioned. An external engine shed, behind the chimney. And a prominent water tower, there are other stair towers but the main one is in the water tower. All this is placed next to the mill lodge, a reservoir used to provide cooling water for the engines and condenser. HOWEVER the lodge has been recently filled in pending demolition and site clearance.






Royd Mill was built in 1907 for Messrs Murgatroyd of Sunnybank House, but taken over shortly after by Royd Mill Ltd, and extended in 1912. The industry peaked that year when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The Great War of 1914–18 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build their own mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets. The independent mills were struggling, but Royd mill expanded again in 1924. 






The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. Royd Mill, Oldham was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950, and continued spinning under Courtaulds Ltd until 1981.






In 1915, Royd mill had 80,000 mule spindles by local textile firm Asa Lees of Greenacres, Oldham, and Howard & Bullough of Accrington, Lancashire.






Its more recent history is hard to pin down, although it seems a company involved in garment processing called Raygrade Ltd owned the mill from the early 80s till VERY recently. the fate of Raygrade is difficult to pin down. there are traces of other companies using the mill, although I suspect they were Raygrade by different names! The mill is STILL advertised as being "to let or for Sale" but the end is VERY VERY near, I have it on good authority that the high reach moves on the mill next week, and will start munching it down almost immediately..
















NO report is complete without a toilet shot 





Every floor had a MASSIVE air filtration system on it, this is part of it.





Canteen!





Cant get enough of the window sunshine shots  










The 2 doors contained the massive air filters















this wall was COVERED in beer mats from the 70s and 80s!















The next part of the mill we entered contains (for me) the BEST bit.. the mill engine house.. 

The steam engine was built by J & E Wood of Bolton and developed 900 hp. The cylinders, of 18.5, 28.5, and 43in bore by 3 ft 6in stroke, were all fitted with Corliss-valves, which in contrast to the maker's usual practice were fitted at the opposite sides of the cylinders. It ran at 94rpm, driving by 20 ropes from a 14 ft flywheel. The three Tetlow "Lancashire" boilers supplied steam at 180psi to drive the engine. In 1961 electric drives were installed, and the engine was sadly scrapped, Although the boilers were retained, at least one of them being used to heat the building till the early 80s.

The engine house tiles are DIVINE! 





Flywheel pit, Roperace and tiles.. 





Where one of the original Lancashire boilers would have been stood!





burner controls on the current gas boiler.





chimney base vent





i found this while searching for info, its the ORIGINAL boilers at Royd 





Thanks for looking...

B..​


----------



## UEP-Wales (Apr 6, 2013)

Great report! Cheers for sharing this with us


----------



## HughieD (Apr 7, 2013)

Fantastic report+great pix=many thanks!


----------



## UE-OMJ (Apr 7, 2013)

What a great place. Great lighting too. Looks like that building was built with pride not just for function.
The beer mat wall is interesting.


----------



## Silent Hill (Apr 7, 2013)

Lovely mate. Really enjoyed that. I love Oldham Mills, they have a character all of their own, and sadly another one soon to bite the dust. Oldham will never be the same again when these iconic mills are reduced to rubble heaps, and for what eh? Castle Mill has already had It's fate sealed and gone  It was a favourite of mine.

And those tiles are simply gorgeous


----------



## sonyes (Apr 7, 2013)

Great report and pics. I too love these old, Oldham mills, such a shame to see it's about to be dropped!!! I particularly enjoyed Hartford mill, if you haven't already had a look, I suggest you do before that too bites the dust!


----------



## bungle666 (Apr 7, 2013)

sonyes said:


> Great report and pics. I too love these old, Oldham mills, such a shame to see it's about to be dropped!!! I particularly enjoyed Hartford mill, if you haven't already had a look, I suggest you do before that too bites the dust!



Ive over 400 images of Hartford from about a dozen trips! LOL. used to be good taking noobs in there 

B..


----------



## sonyes (Apr 7, 2013)

bungle666 said:


> Ive over 400 images of Hartford from about a dozen trips! LOL. used to be good taking noobs in there
> 
> B..



Haha....yea it's a nice easy mooch.


----------



## Black Shuck (Apr 7, 2013)

Ha, welcome back Bnugle!!!, that's a hell of a place, good shots too.


----------



## demon-pap (Apr 8, 2013)

nice report, thanks for sharing


----------

