IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Sandersons Croft, LEIGH, WN7 2BB

Bedford Brook, looking towards Image], part of which can be glimpsed through the trees and shrubs.

This is a double mill and No. 2 is out of sight to the left with the boiler house and chimney in the middle. The large windows on the left are the engine house that became a loading bay after the engine was scrapped. The tall blind arcades mark the position of the rope race. There were noisy raptors nesting at the top of the staircase tower. On the right is Bedford Brook. The mill lodge for supplying and cooling the condensing water is behind the photographer.

Seen from the Bridgewater Canal at Bedford

An end on view of the valve gear on the high pressure cylinder of the 1800 horsepower cross compound mill engine. This was built in 1925 by Yates & Thom of Blackburn. The main steam stop valve is in the green cylinder at the top and operated through mitres gears by the handwheel at about waist height. The shiny conical casings at the top hold the valve spindles for the Corliss steam (inlet) valves. These semi-circular rocking valves are under the control of the governor seen beyond. The shiny conical casings at the bottom hold the valve spindles for the exhaust Corliss valves. The cylinders originally had blued steel cladding over asbestos lagging but the blued steel was removed so the asbestos could be safely removed. The bare castings have been painted green. The cylinders are named Mayor (high pressure) and Mayoress (low pressure).

A close up of the Yates & Thom cross compound mill engine that was built in 1925 and generated 1800 horsepower. This is a view over the top of the high pressure trunk crosshead guide and shows the governor that maintains a near constant speed by adjusting the cut-off of the steam flowing into the cylinders. It is to Yates & Thom's own design being a centre loaded crossed arm governor. It is fitted with a Lumb's regulator for close speed keeping and also has underspeed and overspeed trips to stop the engine. The vertical handle in the centre is used to reset the linkage following an underspeed or overspeed trip. The large flywheel is seen behind the governor and drove the mill via cotton driving ropes. The wooden boarding covers the spokes and prevents them creating a wind in the engine house. The boards are in no way structural.

Three volunteers are hard at work cleaning the 1800 horsepower horizontal cross compound mill engine that was built in 1925 by Yates & Thom of Blackburn.

This is the gauge board for the large Yates & Thom cross compound engine built in 1925. The top gauge of three is the steam main pressure and shows the pressure of steam available to the engine. Bottom right is the receiver pressure between the high and low pressure cylinders. Bottom left is the vacuum in the condenser. The first two gauges are in pounds per square inch and the last one is in inches of mercury. On the left is the electric stop motion indicator that sounds a bell and gives a visual indication of which button has been pushed to stop the engine. The Leigh Spinners engine house is very complete and open on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to about 14:00.

Inverted vertical duplex barring engine that engages with the flywheel rim of the 1800 horsepower Yates & Thom cross compound engine at this mill. Barring engines could be used to put the engine in the starting position, turn it slowly for warming or turn it for maintenance tasks. The replaced muscle power and were essential for engines of this size.

Yates & Thom horizontal cross compound built in 1925 and rated at 1800 horsepower. The Leigh Building Preservation Trust now has a 25 year lease on the engine house and is restoring the engine to its former glory. This is the high pressure side of the engine with the smaller diameter high-pressure cylinder. My first visit in nearly 28 years.

The largest cross compound mill engine surviving in England. Built by Yates & Thom of Blackburn. It is currently being restored following a long period out of use and out of the public view. The cylinders have had their asbestos lagging removed and are currently missing the blued steel cladding. They do look better for a coat of green paint. One of the projects for the near future is to restore the staircase in the rope race so that the engine can be seen from above. Basement lighting is also needed so that the condensing plant can be viewed. This is one engine that is better on a dull day as large patches of sunlight can be seen on the floor and on the engine.