Greater Manchester Mill Survey Archive

Date range: 1985–2000

Medium: Archive

A survey to identify and record all surviving textile mills within Greater Manchester was undertaken by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit in 1985-86, at a time when the stock of surviving cotton mills was being rapidly depleted through demolition or conversion to other uses. The results of the survey were published in 1992.

Already the survey and the associated archive are of considerable historical interest as subsequently many of the mills have disappeared altogether or been extensively modified.

The archive contains the research materials compiled in the course of the project. These comprise:

• correspondence concerning the establishment and funding of the project, the progress of the survey, and the final publication
• general research materials such as notes and photocopies of articles and monographs on the history of the textile industry, cotton mills and industrial archaeology
• photocopies of aerial photographs of mills
• ground-level photographs (black and white prints) of mills
• survey data sheets for individual sites
• case files for particular mills.

Further information:

• Catalogue available online via ELGAR
• Mike Williams and D.A. Farnie, Cotton Mills in Greater Manchester (Preston, 1992).

Location:

• The University of Manchester Main Library, Oxford Rd  [Map]
• Find out how to use the reading room in the Main Library