HIGHERFORD MILL, BARROWFORD

[Stanley]

HIGHERFORD MILL, BARROWFORD, NELSON.

PRELIMINARY SURVEY DONE BY SCG ON 10/05/1984

OS reference: SD862401

Formerly called Grimshaw’s Mill, it started its life in the late 18th century as a water powered spinning mill.

WATER POWER PHASE.

The mill has an excellent water power resource in Pendle Water. This free-flowing stream has a wide catchment area and carries little sediment. It is therefore a reliable and easily managed power source.

The weir that serves the mill is situated 625 yards north of Higherford Mill at SD861406. It was severely damaged in the flood of 8th of August 1967 and some major timbers and stones from it can still be distinguished up to 200 yards downstream. The flood was caused by a cloudburst on the west side of Whitemoor and Coldweather. There was a lot of damage from Admergill down to Nelson, the road at Rough Lee was completely washed out and needed major repairs.

At the weir is a cast iron clow and headgear which is in good condition. From the clow and underground goit carries the water SSE through parcel no. SD8640/0645 for approximately 100 yards. This watercourse is of stone arch construction and, from the lack of settlement in the field, is in good condition.

The goit proceeds at ground level to a large balance pond one acre in extent (SD861403). The main goit proceeds past the pond but there are connections between the two which allow water to be admitted to the pond from the goit and vice versa. There is a spillway 50 yards long from the NE corner of the pond to Pendle Water which is in excellent condition. The goit is silted and almost dried out but the balance pond contains a body of water and its walls and embankments are in good condition.

From the balance pond there is a separate watercourse running parallel to the main goit. During the last two years the portions of these goits lying within the bounds of parcel no. SD8640/1314 have been obliterated by landscaping.

The goits reappear at the rear of the mill where there are two cast iron clows with headgearing, watercourse and cast iron penstock all in good condition.

It has not been possible to investigate the mill interior for the purposes of this report but there will be considerable evidence of the wheelchamber and associated constructions remaining. The tailrace emerges from the mill in the bed of Pendle Water immediately above the west abutment of Higherford Bridge.

The total fall available from this resource is estimated as approximately 20 feet. Unconfirmed reports state that the wheel was 24ft in diameter and 8ft across the face. It was high breast fed. These same sources state that the wheel was in use until 1914 when it was taken out and replaced by a turbine driving a DC generator. This was later converted to a DC stand-by unit.

In 1832 a detached chimney was built 50 yards to the west of the end of the mill and an engine installed to run in tandem with the wheel. The whole mill existed in its present form from 1891. The chimney and flue are in good condition.


CONSTRUCTION OF THE MILL.

The mill is constructed of local stone and the weaving sheds have north light roofs. The area of the whole of the premises is approximately 24,000 square feet.

The chronology of the building of the mill seems to have been:
West end of central multi storey section built c.1800.
East end of same built c.1830.
Weaving sheds added c.1840 to 1891.
Chimney 1832.

The whole complex is a typical early water powered textile mill of the area. It displays well the transition from water powered spinning through steam weaving to electric individual drives. The watercourses, though damaged by landscaping, are an excellent example of the management of such a resource.

Even though the mill was built over a long period of time its architectural style is homogeneous and pleasingly reflects the features of some of the much older buildings near it, Notably the round headed mullions of the Fold. (SD862400)

The mill is the earliest example of the combined textile mill in Barrowford or Nelson. Apart from minimal alterations it has maintained its external characteristics even though its internal use has changed to light industry. It would be difficult to find a better example of its type. On a smaller scale, it is directly comparable in use and development with Quarry Bank Mill at Styal in that it is the urban equivalent of Greg’s mill. A listing would protect the mill from radical change and this would, in turn, have an effect on the immediate area as the mill is the keystone of the important Higherford Preservation Area.

SCG/10/05/1984

This report was done to support an application for Listing for the mill. Since then I believe that Pendle Heritage has taken the mill over. I had a report the other day that when they took over they found a horse’s skeleton in the cellar! (21/11/00)