View source for Ace Mill, Hollinwood

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox Mill building
| name                  = Ace Mill, Hollinwood
| image                 = Ace Mill, Hollinwood 0000.png
| caption               = The mill before 1951
| textile_type          = [[Cotton]]
| building_type         = [[Cotton-spinning machinery|Spinning (mule mill)]]
| architectural_style   = 
| structural_system     = 
| cost                  = 
| employees             = 
<!-- For titles and maps-- geo info-->
| location              = [[Chadderton, Greater Manchester]], England
| altitude              = 
| map_type              = Greater Manchester
| map_caption           = Location in [[Greater Manchester]]
| coordinates           = {{coord|53.5312|-2.1565|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| serving_canal         = [[Rochdale Canal]], [[Hollinwood Branch Canal]]
| serving_railway       = [[Oldham Loop Line]]
| serving_river         = 
| owner                 = Ace Mill Ltd
| owner_2               = [[Lancashire Cotton Corporation]]
| acquisition_date_2    = 1930s
| owner_3               = [[Courtaulds]]
| acquisition_date_3    = 1964
| owner_4               = 
| acquisition_date_4    = 
| current_tenants       = 
| current_owner         = 
| start_date            = 
| completion_date       = 1914
| renovation_date       = 1946
| re-equiptment_date_2  = 
| re-equiptment_date_3  = 
| demolition_date       = 
| destruction_date      = 
<!-- Dimensions-->
| height                = 
| other_dimensions      = 
| floor_count           = 5
| floor_area            = 
| floor_height          = 
| floor_usage           = 
| floor_construction    = 
<!-- The building team -->
| main_contractor       = 
| architect             = [[Sir Philip Stott, 1st Baronet|P.S.Stott]]
| architecture_firm     = 
| structural_engineer   = 
| other_designers       = 
| awards                = 
| ren_architect         = 
| ren_firm              = 
| ren_oth_designers     = 
| ren_qty_surveyor      = 
| ren_awards            = 
<!-- Steam powered-->
| engine_date           = 
| engine_decommissioned = 
| engine_maker          = [[Urmson & Thompson]]
| engine_type           = Cross compound
| engine_valve          = 
| engine_throw          = 
| engine_rpm            = 64
| engine_kWatt          = 
| engine_ihp            = 2500
| engine_fly_diameter   = {{cvt|26|ft}}
| transmission_type     = Rope
| no_of_ropes           = 42
| boilers               = 
| boiler_temperature    = 
| psi                   = 
<!-- Equipment-->
| equipment_maker       = Platts
| date_of_equipping     = 1919
| no_of_looms           = 
| cotton_count          = 1's to 20ś
| scutchers             = 
| carding_engines       = 
| doublers              = 
| kiers                 = 
| other_equipment       = 
| mule_frames           = 118,032 spindles
| ring_frames           = 
<!-- References-->
| references            = <ref>{{Harvnb|LCC|1951}}</ref>
}}

<!-- Lede -->
'''Ace Mill''' is a [[cotton mill|cotton spinning mill]] in [[Chadderton]] in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Oldham]], [[Greater Manchester]]. It was built as Gorse No. 2 Mill, in 1914 and cotton was first spun in 1919 by the Ace Mill Ltd, who renamed the mill. It was taken over by the [[Lancashire Cotton Corporation]] in the 1930s and passed to [[Courtaulds]] in 1964. Production ended in 1967.

Although known as Ace Mill, Hollinwood (due to Hollinwood being the closest serving railway station), the mill is located in the [[Whitegate, Greater Manchester|Whitegate]] area of south Chadderton around a mile away from Hollinwood.

The five-storey mill has a floor area of {{cvt|38500|sqft}}. It is now used as a warehouse. It was powered by a 2500&nbsp;hp cross compound engine (Mary and Elizabeth) by [[Urmson & Thompson|Urmson and Thompson]] built in 1920. It had a {{cvt|26|ft}} flywheel with 42 ropes that ran at 64rpm. <!-- 31"HP, 65"LP X 5ft stroke.  180psi, 64rpm.  26ft flywheel, 42 ropes.  [[Corliss steam engine#Corliss valves|Corliss valves]]]] on both cylinders.  Air pumps driven from LP tail rod which has large double support guides.  Single support to HP rod.  Trip gear in valve rods.-->

==Location==
Oldham is a large town in [[Greater Manchester]], England.<ref name="GM Gazetteer">{{citation|url=http://www.gmcro.co.uk/Guides/Gazeteer/gazzo2r.htm|title=Greater Manchester Gazetteer|publisher=Greater Manchester County Record Office|access-date=9 July 2007|at=Places names – O to R|archive-date=18 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718144358/http://www.gmcro.co.uk/Guides/Gazeteer/gazzo2r.htm}}</ref> It lies amongst the [[Pennines]] on elevated ground between the rivers [[River Irk|Irk]] and [[River Medlock|Medlock]], {{convert|5.3|mi|km|1}} south-southeast of [[Rochdale]], and {{convert|6.9|mi|km|1}} northeast of the city of [[Manchester]]. Oldham is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the [[Metropolitan Borough of Oldham]]; [[Chadderton]] and [[Hollinwood, Greater Manchester|Hollinwood]] are such settlements. Chadderton and Hollinwood are served by the [[Rochdale Canal]] and the [[Hollinwood Branch Canal]]. A rail service was provided by the [[Oldham Loop Line]] that was built by the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]].

===History===
Oldham rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of [[Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution|textile manufacture]]. It was a [[boomtown]] of the [[Industrial Revolution]], and amongst the first ever [[Industrialisation|industrialised]] towns, rapidly becoming "one of the most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England",<ref>{{citation|title=Official Handbook of Oldham|author=Oldham County Borough Council|author-link=County Borough of Oldham|year=1973}}</ref> spinning [[Cotton count|Oldham counts]], the coarser counts of cotton. Oldham's soils were too thin and poor to sustain [[crop]] growing, and so for decades prior to [[industrialisation]] the area was used for grazing [[sheep]], which provided the raw material for a local [[wool]]len weaving trade.<ref name="Oldham Sketches"/> It was not until the last quarter of the 18th century that Oldham changed from being a [[cottage industry]] township producing woollen garments via domestic [[manual labour]], to a sprawling industrial metropolis of textile factories.<ref name="Oldham Sketches">{{citation|title=Historical Sketches of Oldham|publisher=E.J. Morten|year=1981|last=Butterworth|first=Edwin|isbn=978-0-85972-048-9}}</ref> The first mill, Lees Hall, was built by William Clegg in about 1778. Within a year, 11 other mills had been constructed,<ref name="Oldham 100">{{citation|title=A Centenary History of Oldham|year=1949|publisher=[[County Borough of Oldham|Oldham County Borough Council]]|first=Hartley|last=Bateson|isbn=5-00-095162-X}}</ref> but by 1818 there were only 19 of these privately owned mills.<ref name="GM Arch"/>

It was in the second half of the 19th century, that Oldham became the world centre for spinning cotton yarn.<ref name="GM Arch">. {{citation|last1=McNeil|first1=R.|last2=Nevell|first2= M.|title=A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Greater Manchester|publisher=Association for Industrial Archaeology|year=2000|isbn=0-9528930-3-7}}</ref> This was due in a large part to the formation of [[Limited company|limited liability companies]] known as [[Oldham Limiteds]]. In 1851, over 30% of Oldham's population was employed within the textile sector, compared to 5% across Great Britain.<ref name="Foster">{{citation|last=Foster|first=John|title=Class Struggle and the Industrial Revolution – Early industrial capitalism in three English towns|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=1974|isbn=978-0-297-76681-0}}</ref> At its zenith, it was the most productive [[Spinning (textiles)|cotton spinning]] [[mill town]] in the world.<ref name="Cotton Mills">{{Harvnb|Gurr|Hunt|1998|pp=1–5}}.</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/journey.php?Title=NW+Cotton+towns+learning+journey&step=2&theme=places|title=NW Cotton Towns Learning Journey|publisher=spinningtheweb.org.uk|access-date=14 September 2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070910164358/http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/journey.php?Title=NW+Cotton+towns+learning+journey&step=2&theme=places|archive-date=10 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 1871 Oldham had more [[Cotton-spinning machinery|spindles]] than any country in the world except the United States, and in 1909, was spinning more cotton than France and Germany combined.<ref name="Contaminated">{{citation|url=http://www.oldham.gov.uk/contaminatedlandstrategy.pdf |title=Contaminated Land Strategy 2001 |page=16 |year=2001 |access-date=11 March 2008 |author=Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council |publisher=oldham.gov.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314010500/http://www.oldham.gov.uk/contaminatedlandstrategy.pdf |archive-date=14 March 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 1911 there were 16.4&nbsp;million spindles in Oldham, compared with a total of 58&nbsp;million in the United Kingdom and 143.5&nbsp;million in the world; in 1928, with the construction of the UK's largest textile factory Oldham reached its manufacturing zenith.<ref name="GM Arch"/> At its peak, there were over 360 mills, operating night and day;<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.visitoldham.co.uk/heritage/history.htm |title=Visit Oldham – The History of Oldham |publisher=visitoldham.co.uk |access-date=16 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806150248/http://www.visitoldham.co.uk/heritage/history.htm |archive-date=6 August 2007 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref name="Oldham Spinning Web">{{citation|url=http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/m_display.php?irn=52&sub=nwcotton&theme=places&crumb=Oldham|title=Spinning The Web – Oldham|publisher=spinningtheweb.org.uk|access-date=28 June 2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205054748/http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/m_display.php?irn=52&sub=nwcotton&theme=places&crumb=Oldham|archive-date=5 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Gorse No.2 Mill, was planned in 1911 and was built by [[Sir Philip Stott, 1st Baronet|P.S.Stott]] completed in 1914. It was used for aircraft manufacture during the 1914–18 War. It started spinning cotton in 1919 for the Ace Mill Ltd, who renamed it, the Ace Mill.<ref name=gh20>{{Harvnb|Gurr|Hunt|1998|p=20}}</ref>

The cotton industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The great war halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets. The independent mills were struggling. The [[Bank of England]] set up the [[Lancashire Cotton Corporation]] in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dunkerley|2009}}</ref> Ace Mill, Hollinwood was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950. The mill was closed by Courtaulds in 1967.<ref>The Times, 7 July 1967</ref>

== Architecture ==
The 5 storey mill, has a floor area of {{convert|38500|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}. It was designed by [[Sir Philip Stott, 1st Baronet|P.S.Stott]].<ref name=gh20/>

=== Power ===
It was powered by a 2500&nbsp;hp cross compound engine (Mary and Elizabeth) by [[Urmson & Thompson|Urmson and Thompson]] built in 1920. It had a {{convert|26|ft|m|abbr=on}} flywheel with 42 ropes that ran at 64rpm.<ref>{{harvnb|Roberts|1921}}</ref>

=== Equipment ===
This was a mule mill with 118,032 spindles in 1919.<ref name=gh20/>

==Usage==
It is now used as a warehouse.

===Owners===
*Ace Mill Company (1919)
*Lancashire Cotton Corporation (1930s–1964)
*Courtaulds (1964–1967)
*Nettle Accessories (latter known as Delta MEM), manufacturers of electrical accessories (1970s–2004)

== See also ==
{{Portal|Greater Manchester}}
*[[Textile manufacturing]]
*[[Cotton Mill]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite web|url=http://dunkerley-tuson.co.uk/regentmill.aspx |title=Dunkerley-Tuson Family Website, The Regent Cotton Mill, Failsworth |last=Dunkerley |first=Philip |year=2009 |access-date=9 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212123450/http://dunkerley-tuson.co.uk/regentmill.aspx |archive-date=12 February 2009 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite book|last= LCC|title= The mills and organisation of the Lancashire Cotton Corporation Limited|publisher=Lancashire Cotton Corporation Limited|location=Blackfriars House, Manchester|year=1951 }}
*{{citation |last1=Gurr |first1=Duncan |last2=Hunt |first2=Julian |year=1998 |title=The Cotton Mills of Oldham |publisher=Oldham Education & Leisure |isbn=0-902809-46-6 |url=http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/a_results.php?x=5&y=7&QueryName=KeyWord&KeyWords=The+Cotton+Mills+of+Oldham%2C+brief+history+and+gazetteer |access-date=1 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718134931/http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/a_results.php?x=5&y=7&QueryName=KeyWord&KeyWords=The+Cotton+Mills+of+Oldham,+brief+history+and+gazetteer |archive-date=18 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}
*{{citation|url=http://oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk/forum_topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7926&FORUM_ID=99&CAT_ID=3&Forum_Title=Rare+Text+(Book+Transcriptions)&Topic_Title=ARTHUR+ROBERTS+ENGINE+LIST&whichpage=1&tmp=1#pid81483 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723183726/http://oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk/forum_topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7926&FORUM_ID=99&CAT_ID=3&Forum_Title=Rare+Text+(Book+Transcriptions)&Topic_Title=ARTHUR+ROBERTS+ENGINE+LIST&whichpage=1&tmp=1#pid81483 |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 July 2011 |title=Arthur Robert's Engine List |publisher=One guy from Barlick-Book Transcription |last=Roberts |first=A S |year=1921 |work=Arthur Roberts Black Book. |access-date=11 January 2009 }}

== External links==
* [http://www.cottontown.org/ www.cottontown.org]
* [https://archive.today/20120912104232/http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/ www.spinningtheweb.org.uk]

{{Lancashire Cotton}}
{{Lancashire Cotton Corporation}}
{{Buildings and structures in Oldham}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ace Mill, Hollinwood}}
[[Category:Textile mills in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chadderton]]
[[Category:Former textile mills in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Textile mills owned by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation]]