IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Crescent Road, BOLTON, BL3 2GB

The left hand tower, of the original 1895 mill, formerly supported a pyramidal roof. The designation "No.1" has been added in terracotta at the time of construction of No.2 mill in 1902. The introduction of a small amount of terracotta decoration is unusual, but it is clear that the intention was for the new mill to match the old one in general style.

This blocked-up doorway would have been the original main entrance to the mill, probably with offices adjacent. With expansion of the mill, a separate office building was built further along Crescent Road http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3106351

The further mill is the original (No.1) mill of 1895, the nearer is No.2 mill of 1902. The architectural styles are similar but not identical.

The lefthand tower is No. 1 Mill of 1895. The balustrade off to the right carries the date 1902 and states that it is Bee Hive No. 2. The bricked archway probably marks the original entrance to the mills.

Service 501 is one of the main local services in Bolton providing a frequent service between Farnworth to the south-east and Doffcocker (Moss Bank Way) to the north-west. Seen here passing Bee Hive Mills.

When built these were claimed to be the largest cotton spinning mills in the world. No. 1 mill was built in 1895 and the first tower marks its far extent. No. 2 mill of 1902 extends beyond to the second tower. In the second half of 2019 the site was cleared for a new housing development. The buildings had originally been listed but that did not prevent their ultimate loss. I am glad that I did take some photographs before it was too late.

Two large cotton spinning mills. No. 1 on the right was built in 1895 and retains its engine house while No. 2 on the left was built in 1902 and retains a severely truncated chimney with a modern stack up its centre. In their day these were the largest spinning mills in the world. This view largely shows No. 1 mill with part of No. 2 and its chimney on the left. The No. 1 engine house has featured on urban exploration websites and contains a very large water tank to supply the firefighting system that includes diesel driven pumps in part of the engine house. The engine was a Hick, Hargreaves of Bolton horizontal twin tandem triple expansion engine of about 2000 horsepower. The mill closed and the engine was stopped in about 1956. The No. 2 mill ran until 1970 but I do not know when the engine stopped. The No. 2 mill engine house had been demolished when I took this photograph. Bee Hive Mills were demolished in the second half of 2019 and new houses are being built on the site. This photograph was taken from a United Utilities car park that has also been demolished and that site also cleared.

The view from the west with the 'new' office building in the foreground. This was built some time around 1920, and gives an idea of how relatively few administrative staff would have been needed even for a mill of this size. See also http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3105639

Etched glass windows in the former office block http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3106351 display the firm's monogram and bee hive symbol.

This is one end of a pair of large cotton spinning mills that were then operated as a distribution centre by Home Delivery Network. This is the 1895 built No. 1 mill with the office block/entrance lodge on the right. There was an excellent view of the site across the railway from a United Utilities site and the security guard there let me in one August Saturday. When I had finished he suggested I go back and do it again from the top of the multistorey car park. I was very grateful. I could not repeat that again because both Bee Hive Mills and the United Utilites site have been demolished.