Crimble Mill and Crimble Hall, near Heywood, Greater Manchester.

The Crimble Spinning Mill on Crimble Lane, between Bamford and Heywood, near Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, is sadly today in a ruinous state of delapidation. It was originally built way back in 1780 as a Woollen fulling mill, but, by about 1825-6 the mill had been re-developed by its new owners, the Stott family, for the manufacture of Cotton and had a water-wheel built. In the 1860s it was rebuilt as a spinning mill, and in the 1880s it manufactured woollen products once again and remained as such for much of the rest of its industrial life, at least until the 1920s. A warehouse was added in the 1880s. The Mill finally ceased manufacturing sometime after 1971 when parts of the mill began to fall into disuse, although a dyeing company moved into the building, but that ended in 2005. The mill's engine house was demolished sometime back, and dereliction has recently set in. But, it would be a sacrilege if this once great industrial building had to be demolished, although some might say that 'that is progress' and its now 'time to move on'.

The huge industrial complex that is Crimble Mill stands beside the River Roch at (O.S. Grid Reference: SD 8652 8116) with Queens Park to the west, and the town of Hey-wood about half a mile to the southwest. It is roughly halfway between the Bury And Rochdale Old Road (B6222) and Rochdale Road East (A58). There are plans afoot, sadly, to demolish this Grade II listed mill and build flats and commercial spaces at some point.

The history of Crimble near Heywood goes back to 1810 when John Fenton the wealthy industrialist (1791-1863) built Crimble Hall. John became the first Liberal Party member of Parliament for Rochdale in 1832; the Fenton family were also mill owners in the Heywood area, and they were a family of bankers. Sometime after 1913 a Colonel Hartley lived at the Hall; he later restored the building to what it originally looked like. In the late 1950s or early 1960s the Gartside family (Colonel Gartside) took over Crimble Hall. After that it became a restaurant but that closed in 2019. However, there are now plans to re-develop the hall into new homes. The former hall is located on Crimble Lane, Captain Fold, at OS Grid Reference SD 8647 1199. There is a small park just to the south of the hall.

The place-name Crimble means "small piece of land" or a hamlet. Crimble mill, beside the River Roch, was originally built in 1780 as a wool fulling mill. In 1825 it was re-developed and enlarged into a cotton spinning mill. Its decline began in the early 1970s when a dyeing company took it over, but by 2005 the mill had become abandoned and derelict. Recently, there have been plans to demolish Crimble mill and build flats on the site. The hamlet or settlement of Crimble [itself) probably goes further back in history to the 17th-18th centuries, or earlier.

Sources/References:-

First photo (above) of Crimble Mill, Heywood, is by Dr. Neil Clifton (2013) and is © Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crimble_Mill,_Heywood.jpg

Second photo down is: Crimble Mill, Heywood, by Chris Allen (2006) and is © Copyright Chris Allen and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2191927

https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101187124-crimble-mill-spinning-mill-attached-engine-house-and-fire-proof-warehouse-and-attached-warehouse-north-heywood-ward#.ZDCltznMLIU

http://www42.heywoodhistory.com/

https://aboutmanchester.co.uk/the-fentons-and-crimble-hall-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-rochdale-dynasty/

https://www.facebook.com/RochdaleLocalHistory/posts/on-the-9th-june-1880-crimble-hall-the-residence-of-lieutenant-colonel-fenton-sol/799380260219471/

https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/hope-for-stricken-rochdale-mill-as-resi-plans-emerge/

Copyright © RayS57, 2023.