IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Penmore Close, OLDHAM, OL2 8HW

Shaw's legacy as a cotton town has not quite vanished. This is what was once the Dee Mill.

Many pubs around here have closed, but some real gems remain, such as the 'Morning Star' on Grains Road, still serving an excellent pint of 'John Willie', (brewed locally at Middleton Junction by J W Lees).

On the right is the only surviving bit of Dee Mill containing a thoroughly wrecked engine. All now gone and a huge warehouse is more or less where the photographer is standing.

Once a full size cotton spinning mill stood here, built 1907. It was sadly demolished and this "Scheduled Ancient Monument" was to follow.

The two Lily Mills, Shaw. Photographed from outside the Dee Mill engine house on a steaming day. The lodge is being used for condenser cooling water and Dee Mill is in the deep shadows to the right. Lily Mills have been converted into a large distribution centre and Dee Mill has been demolished and part of the same distribution centre (Littlewoods) is now on the site.

This cotton spinning mill was one of many in Shaw and was opened in 1907 with power provided by this horizontal twin tandem compound steam engine by Scott & Hodgson of Guide Bridge. The cylinders were 18" & 42" x 5' (x2) and turned a 26' diameter flywheel driving by cotton ropes. The engine ran at 60 revolutions per minute and generated 1500 horsepower. It stopped running commercially in 1967 but was then preserved with the assistance of the Northern Mill Engine Society and was run on occasions until 1982 when the mill closed and was sold. Although the engine was made a Scheduled Ancient Monument it became very badly vandalised and was finally scrapped in 1994. This was a lovely engine and typical of so many in Lancashire. There are now only three large spinning mill engines surviving in situ.

The Northern Mill Engine Society had an arrangement with Courtaulds to allow this engine to be run for the public on a quarterly basis. This lasted for about 6 years until the mill was closed and demolished. The engine and its house were scheduled but were also eventually demolished. The picture includes several leading lights of the NMES but some have now passed on.

This was when it was still owned by Courtaulds and the Northern Mill Engine Society were steaming the engine 4x/year. A stunning site and a tragedy that it was lost. Other pictures shows its degradation.

This was preserved and scheduled but as a result of constructive neglect reached this state, where the only sensible option was demolition. I have some monochrome photographs of it in pristine condition.