Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 24th February, 2024)

Is this going to be apartments Dennis?

It is nice to see the mill being repurposed instead of being demolished. Lets hope the building is still with us for years to come

i suppose we do need more homes now we are closing out the hotels for boat people

My Auntie worked there, forced to walk from Ince by her evil husband who refused her the bus fare. She used to bring home "banding", (a kind of tubular string), from that mill for us children to make whips for our games of top-and-whip and she had cotton stuck to her hair and clothes;I can still smell that cotton....it had an oily but not unpleasant smell. She told me how the mill-girls used to set each other's hair using sugar-and-water! I wonder what she and the other spinners, doffers and weavers would make of the apartments that are taking the place of their looms? They would probably be horrified at the prices people will pay to live in the place where they worked so hard just to make ends meet. But it looks a good solid building and I hope it is a success.

Believe in Wigan can't believe our council are smashing up this lovely st will btraditional mill, just think of all the lads and lasses who worked in there.
Their ghosts will be hovering all along wallgate

Apparently there is something called ‘Feast At The Mill’ planned with indoor and outdoor eating and live music and entertainment planned.
We will see how that works out!

I too agree it's good that it's being repurposed and given a new lease of life, a pity Ryland's mill at the back of Mesnes park is being left to rot.
I initially didn't recognise from where the photo was taken Dennis, and then realised it was from on Pottery Road.

Tom, the council are not demolishing it.

I think most of us know someone who worked there. I know my mam did. She worked at the Empress in Ince as well. Covered in fluff when she came home. I couldn’t have stuck a job in the mill. I admire one and all. Same with the hardy breed of pit men - how they did their job God knows.
I suppose ‘‘needs must when the devil drives’’…..

Like PeterP says its good to see a building being reused rather than demolished, mills are the iconic structures of the North. My Auntie Annie Foster worked at Eckersleys & my Dad did a spell there when he left Scot Lane School....so long may it stand.

Cyril, I went into Mesnes Park this morning and took pictures of Ryland’s Mill, it is in a shocking state and a blot on the landscape.
A few years back I visited The Ardhowan Theatre, Enniskillen in a similar location overlooking a lake. I had the fanciful notion that Ryland’s Mill could be turned into something similar with an open aspect onto Mesnes Park with a glass fronted gallery look out onto what would be a wonderful view.
Can but dream.

Wasn’t there a furniture factory somewhere here ? I’m guessing Swan Meadow Road is on the opposite side

I worked there for a couple of years in bobbin winding and made some good money and then I left to go into office work..my mam was a spinner for a while until she went to Euxton. munitions.

It's a dump, and when it's finished it will still look like a dump, and folk who live there will say that they "live in a dump" and folk who work there will say that they "they work in a dump" and folk who drive past it will say "I have just driven past a dump"
Postman will say "I have just delivered letters to a dump" if someone rings for a taxi from that dump, afterwards the taxi driver will say "I have just done a run from a dump"

The building saw a busy industrial past. We wiganers should be proud.

Colin, it was initially said by the buyer that it was to be converted into apartments, like as the mills in Manchester and other towns were at the time, but it's just been left to deteriorate and the constant vandalism and fires will have taken their toll, I remember some very nice brickwork being on the building, though it will be around twenty years it'll have been stood empty. The owners are probably hoping it will fall down, as it'll be prime building land with like you've said with the view of the park.
The lodge may have to stay though, as the college wanted to infill it for a car park, but the fire brigade objected as it was an emergency water supply.

Mark, you are right in mentioning there being a furniture outlet. In the 70s it was partially occupied by Foster Len, who were a local firm making a standard range of chairs, mainly supplying to hospitals, schools and various other government departments. In the late 70s they were bought out by Silentnight, who closed the facility down after a relatively short period of ownership.

Middlebrook is free for parking. There’s so many stores and cafes plus Belle Vue I doubt folk would go if they had to pay. You can be inside the cinema 2 hours at least. I agree 3 hours is enough just to shop for food etc but most people
( women) like to browse and go for a coffee or the cinema and meet-up with friends. At least that’s what I do if I’m with a friend or my granddaughter. There’s nowhere else these days…not much in Wigan or Bolton. I haven’t been to Robin Park for years so I don’t know what it’s like. I don’t think people should have to pay if there’s places to browse in. I doubt there is though at Robin Park at least it’s not as good as Middlebrook. 3 hours is nothing when women get together! Wigan Council are nothing but money grabbing vultures.

Oops! Sorry I’ve posted the last comment on the wrong day. Should have been yesterday’s!
Ps I very often get my days mixed up it’s age I’m afraid!

Are Slaters, the school uniform people still trading from Eckersley Mill ?

I remember when Slaters had a shop in Gerard Street in Ashton in Makerfield, and they also had a shop in Makinson Arcade in Wigan, but both of those shops are long gone, and now they are or have been trading out of a dump :(

The reason you have 3 hours (which is ample time) other people want to shop too.
And don't forget Bolton supporters would abuse the car park. 3 hours is long enough for anyone to shop, even if they want a coffee too.

Middlebrook car park at Horwich is free, but the maximum stay is 6 hours. Get your facts right Malc.

So that's where they went to Derek, I remember Foster Len when they had the units at the rear of Eleanor Street, I thought they had closed altogether when it became empty and vandalised. It was started by two local men, though I can't remember the who or why, I was then working at Wigan Co-op in the 1960s and a new OAP home on Millers Lane at Platt Bridge, Millervale I think it was, they ordered a lot of fireside chairs and the van driver and I would go to Foster Len at Eleanor Street to pick up the chairs, and then delivered them to Millervale.

Yes you’re right Garry I should have mentioned the 6 hours. That is ample time. Who wants to dive round in a hurry and then forget stuff. It’s nice to amble round the place. It’s getting even more popular these days with all the shops and cafes.

I worked in number 3 mill, many moons ago, as a lap-carrier. Damned hard work, but some good people to work with.