Houldsworth Mill, Reddish

Two buildings. The smaller, older one, used recently as warehousing, has a large upper storey which still reveals evidence of the Reddish Spinning Company's activities. The main building, much of which is now occupied by Messrs. Friedland's, is 4 storeyed. At one time it housed 132,200 spindles and employed 400 people. Its 2 sections are linked by the bridging portion (over the entrance to the yard) which includes the water tower. In spinning mills of this kind the bales of cotton were opened and the cotton cleaned by the blowing machinery on the ground floor. At the next stage carding engines either on the ground or first floor were used to separate the fibres and further clean the cotton. The cotton came from the carding engines in the form of a rope and was drawn out and given some twist by the drawing and roving frames. The final stage of spinning the yarn was carried out on mules which would be on the upper floors.