Building record MDR5566 - Draycott Mills, Draycott

SK 442332 Cotton Mills consisting of a two-storey, 15 bay frontage with a pediment over the central 3 bays and considerable development at the rear. The downpipes are dated 1860. (1) Market Street Factory. Cotton factory. 1842 with minor alterations. Grade II. (2) Draycott Mills. A complex of two storey brick buildings constructed in successive stages in 1800, 1814, 1842 and 1850. The latter factory fronts on to Market Street and has a central pediment, an ornate gritstone coping and cast iron windows. Immediately behind are the earlier buildings: the 1800 building is a two-storey brick-built cotton doubling mill with cast iron windows built for Benjamin Towle. At the rear of the complex are some typical early 20th century single storey north light lace factory buildings. The earlier sections have some interesting features including fire-resistant construction and cast iron lighting brackets. In 1857 the mills were occupied by John Towle & Co., cotton and lace manufacturers, and part of them at least was occupied by Fairbank Wood Rim Co., manufacturers of wooden rims for bicycles in 1895 and the Simpsons Lever Chain and Cycle Co. Ltd. At a similar date. (3) This mill was built originally as a cotton mill, rebuilt in 1814 and enlarged four years later when steam power was added. By the 1840s thread suitable for lace making was being produced and in 1842 the owner, Towle, constructed a factory for 40 Levers machines employing about 200 hands. Towle gave up lace making in 1887 and his machines were sold, through Ernest Terah Hooley, to H W Cooper. Draycott Mill was then let out to various tenants, a number not in the lace trade. In 1922 Willatt was the only lace maker listed, and when by 1928 no lace firms were listed, lace making in this mill would appear to have finished. However a number of firms continued to work machines in this mill into the 1960s. (4) The 1850 factory fronting Market Street has now been converted to dwelling units. Buildings to the rear are now in multiple industrial occupation. (5)