I posted a photograph of Hyde Mill back on August 2006 and, a year later, a close-up of the tower.
Hyde Mill, designed by the architect Sidney Scott, was completed in 1906. The site had been acquired by The Hyde Spinning Co Ltd from the trustees of CJ Ashton at a rent of £10 per annum, with free water rights. The Mill was four storeys in height and 47 bays in length and was faced with bright red brick with an Italianate water tower at its south western corner. When the mill was fully furnished with all the machinery it contained 116,532 mule spindles.
Hyde Mill closed in 1958 with 250 jobs being lost. It was sold to J. A. Pattrieouoex, manufacturers of Senior Service cigarettes. The Gallagher group purchased the mill for £110,000 in 1959 from the Hyde Spinning Company. The Mill continued to be used as a cigarette factory for over 40 years with considerable extensions being carried out. In 1999 the factory was closed by Gallaghers as production was transferred to Northern Ireland.
The current owners are the Findell Education group of companies. They have built new offices which can seen in the background of the photograph. The old mill is now likely to be demolished in due course.
8 comments:
oh, gosh, that's a sad story...
Cezar
Hi Gerald
Great posting here, with very goog information. I have grown up with in site of this mill all my life. As a child I could look out of my bedroon window on the Cheetham Fold estate and see this mill lit up at night. On the very top of the mill the words Senior Service in bright blue fluorescent lights. As you know I now live a short distance away from here. I have heard of the plans to pull this mill down and build over 300 houses. I am on two minds about that.
I used to live fairly close to the old Senior Service mill myself many moons ago. A mate worked there and he reckoned that they paid really well and he used to get a cigarette ration as well! I seem to recall that there was a waiting list to get to work there. The smell of tobacco was prevalent in the area and the blue neon Senior Service sign could be seen for miles around. With Senior Service and Smiths boneyard, Hyde was an aromatic place in those days! Having said that, Hyde Mill is an excellent example of Victorian architecture and I reckon it would be a shame if they pulled it down.
Suppose strictly speaking it would be Edwardian era rather than Victorian?? Excellent post Gerald, many thanks.
As someone who worked at Findel Education, I can confirm that the mill will be demolished, most of the work in the warehouse was transferd to their Nottingham site last year.
Senior Service I used to smoke those when I was a lot smaller than I am now. Rent of £10 sounds cheap but was a long time ago XXX Don
Shame its coming down
We always knew it as Pattrieouoex
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