IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Shaddongate, CARLISLE, CA2 5TZ

https://trigpointing.uk/trig/10522 An amazing chimney which has had its threats of being pulled down. Thank goodness it is still there. I know it as Dixon's chimney. Dixon's Chimney and Shaddon Mill were built in Shaddongate, Carlisle, Cumbria, UK by Peter Dixon in 1836. The architect Richard Tattersall was from Manchester, UK. Shaddon Mill was a cotton factory, the chimney of which became very famous due to it rather large size. The chimney was built to be tall enough to stop the large amounts smoke, coming from the factory, from bothering the rest of the city. In its day it was the largest cotton mill in England and had the 8th largest chimney in the world. Shaddon Mill became listed in 1949 and the chimney was listed in 1972. Peter Dixon and Sons Ltd. provided work for 8000 people in their four mills in the area. In 1883 Peter Dixon and Sons Ltd. went into liquidation and the mill was taken over by Robert Todd and Sons Ltd., who then used the mill for wool production rather than cotton. Dixon's Chimney, being such a popular and historic structure in Carlisle, was restored by Carlisle City Council in 1999. Originally it was 305 ft tall, but in 1950 it was shortened to 290 ft. The internal diameter of the chimney remains 17 ft 6 in and 10 ft walls at the base. In 2005 part of the mill was converted into apartments by Story Homes and the other part is used by the University of Cumbria.

The height of the building steps down, from the seven storey main block to the engine house (with long windows), to the two storey boiler house. There is a single storey detached gatehouse on the right. When opened by Peter Dixon and Sons in 1836, this was the largest cotton mill in England. Power to drive the machinery was transmitted from two 80hp condensing beam engines, fed with steam produced by four 8 ton boilers (details from Carlisle Encyclopaedia http://www.carlisleshistory.co.uk/page42.htm ). In the mid-2000s the mill was redeveloped by Story Homes. It was converted into apartments and non-residential space, whilst preserving the historic fabric of the building.

Reputed to be the tallest building in Europe when it was built in 1836 to serve Shaddon Mill, Dixon’s Chimney was named after its builder and was originally 93m (305 feet) tall. It was shortened to 88m (290 feet) in 1950. The chimney is an Ordnance Survey Intersected Station trig point.

The mill was built for Peter Dixon, at one time employing 8000 people. It was designed by Robert Tattersall of Manchester, with the interior cast iron framing and machinery designed by Sir William Fairbairn. At the time of its completion in 1836, the Shaddon Mill, was the largest cotton mill in England. It stands to seven storeys, is 225ft long by 60ft wide, and reaches 83ft high, with Dixon's Chimney towering above it, originally to a height of 305ft.

Built 1835-6 for Peter Dixon and Sons' cotton spinning mill at Shaddongate, originally standing at 300ft (91.4m) from ground level to top. The chimney then had a projecting cornice about 8ft below the rim, giving the appearance of a top hat. It was shortened for safety reasons a couple of times in the 20th century, the current height is 270ft. As well as dispersing smoke, the tall chimney was essential to provide a draught of air through the fires in the mill's boiler house http://www.geograph.org.uk/gallery/textile_mill_engines_9920/2 . The draught was put to further use when Carlisle became one of the first places in the country to use tall chimneys to aid in sewer ventilation. Dixon's chimney was one of about thirty in the city connected to the sewer system, which was constructed in 1855. This information, and more, found in the book 'Tall Chimney Construction' by RM and FJ Bancroft, publ. 1885 (archived online http://ia902705.us.archive.org/12/items/tallchimneyconst00banciala/tallchimneyconst00banciala.pdf ). It is sometimes claimed that Dixon's Chimney (completed Oct. 25th 1836) was the tallest in the country, but the Bancroft's book has another contender for that title. The chimney at Adams's Soap Works in Smethwick measured 312ft from ground to top, it was finished "in Sept. or Oct. 1836".

For information, see Image . The chimney is octagonal, constructed of brick with sandstone quoins. The outside diameter is 17ft 4in (5.28m) at ground level, originally tapering to 9ft (2.74m) at the top, before it was shortened. Below ground, four flues fed into the shaft from the boiler house, the end of which is seen on the right. Maintenance became a problem in the late 20th century, and the disused chimney was threatened with demolition. A series of metal restraining bands was put around the stack during this period, it must have been after 1986 as they do not appear in this photo : Image . Carlisle City Council bought Dixon's Chimney in the 1990s, and obtained external funding for the repair and preservation of this fondly regarded landmark - see Image .

Recording the restoration of the landmark chimney, completed in 1999. Its location can be seen in this photo taken from Junction StreetImage . The plaque was unveiled by Trudy Whalley, a long-serving city councillor and former Mayor of Carlisle, who was a prime mover in saving Dixon's Chimney from demolition.

The chimney is an Ordnance Survey intersected station trig point, see http://trigpointing.uk/trig/10522 for details

Built circa 1823 and known as "Story's Vaults" until 1895, when it was purchased by Carlisle New Brewery and re-named "Duke of York", this pub was acquired by the State in August 1916 and sold to Greenall Whitley on 21 May 1973. Closed in 2000, it has been unused since - its survival seemingly dependent upon continued occupancy of the top floor.