Building record 2887/52 - Thomas Street Mill (formerly Jubilee Mill)

<1> Calladine A & Fricker J, 1993, East Cheshire Textile Mills, p. 162 (Book). SCH1093.

Listed in the Gazetteer of East Cheshire mills.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

Depicted on the OS 1st ed. 25" and 6"maps (see also source 3)

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1881-2, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 6 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH2474.

<4> Aeon Archaeology, 2017, Land off Thomas Street, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 1QY: Archaeological Assessment, R4448 (Client Report). SCH8910.

An archaeological assessment was undertaken in 2017 in support of proposed re-development of a site immediately to the east of Thomas Street. The development area includes the site of Thomas Street Mill, depicted on the the OS first edition map as an L-shaped building fronting onto Thomas Street and labelled as ‘Silk Mill’ with what appears to be formal gardens to the rear and separating it from the terraced housing on Hatter Street. This mill was formerly known as Jubilee Mill and was built sometime after the production of the Astbury tithe map of 1845 and before the Trade Directory of 1850, which lists the mill as being occupied by Brown and Kennerley. The slightly earlier Slater’s Trade Directory of 1848 does not list the mill or Brown and Kennerley and as such it is likely that it was built between 1848 and 1850. Kelley’s Trade Directory of 1892 does not list individual businesses but does list private residents of which Brown and Kennerley are shown and labelled as ‘silk throwsters and trimming manufacturers of Thomas Street Mill’.

The western limit of the mill is shown on the Congleton Town Plan of 1895 and is labelled ‘Silk Mill’. The mill is again depicted in detail on the second edition 25” county series Ordnance Survey map of 1899 and is again shown as being L-shaped in plan with several outbuildings to the rear. The apparent formal gardens separating the rear of the mill with the terraced housing fronting on to Hatter Street appears to have been replaced with a road or yard.

From 1900 onwards the address of the Jubilee Mill changes from Thomas Street to Brown Street and it can be surmised that the frontage and access into the mill was changed to the south. The earliest record of a mill on Brown Street is seen in the Trade Directory of 1902 but is listed as occupied by W. Knowles suggesting that the mill had changed ownership by this point in time. Murgatroyd mentions that the W. Knowles company also owned premises in Victoria Street and manufactured shirts at the Brown Street Mill until 1923, however the third edition 25” county series Ordnance Survey map of 1909 labels the mill as ‘Silk Mill (disused)’ suggesting that the building had gone out of use between 1902 and 1909. Either way, it appears that the mill was reoccupied by William Albanus Lowe in 1921 following a dispute with the Lowe family over financial interests. He originally only rented one room at the Brown Street Mill employing nine people making artificial silk for ladies’ underwear, but by 1924 his business occupied the whole of the mill and employed over three hundred workers. The business was registered as a limited company in the same year and called Conlowe Ltd (CON from the first three letters of Congleton; and LOWE after the family name).

By 1927 Conlowe Ltd had grown substantially and as such had extended the mill building eastward, replacing all of the terraced housing and now fronting on to Cooper Street and Hatter Street, as well as Thomas Street and Brown Street. The business employed in excess of 450 staff.

An aerial photograph from 1929 shows the mill as an L-shaped three-storey brick building with a double-pitched roof, fronting primarily on to Thomas Street and Brown Street but also extended eastward to form a square building around an open central courtyard.

The Congleton Chronicle of 1932 describes the Brown Street Mill as such:- 'Brown Street Mill compared with a dozen years ago remains the same in name only, the former structure being but a small piece and severely modernised at that, of the immense building now fronting also Cooper Street, Thomas Street and Hatter Street. Built to satisfy modern industrial requirements the mill affords the maximum of light and air and of convenience in dealing with the various processes of making up the garments, in addition to providing ample room for general offices, managerial and directors offices which the latter are situated on the Cooper Street side, where also is the main entrance.'

The Brown Street Mill is again depicted on the 10.5” county series Ordnance Survey map of 1938 but the detail is poor and no additional features to the mill can be discerned.

The mill is also shown on a second aerial photograph from 1951 where it is again shown as a three-storey brick building with a central courtyard and fronting on to Thomas Street, Brown Street, Cooper Street, and Hatter Street. Later that same year on 17th November 1951 the mill caught fire and the eastern extension was burnt to the ground in less than 90 minutes. The mill was rebuilt but caught fire again on 2nd January 1960 and again burnt to the ground. Local residents opposed the rebuilding of the factory but it went ahead regardless and the building that now occupies the western part of the site was constructed by 1963 and is shown on the 25” county series Ordnance Survey maps of 1963 and 1970.

Conlowe Ltd ceased trading in the late 1970’s and the building was purchased and occupied by Berisfords Ltd who still operate the mill building as their site offices to the adjacent Empire Mill/Gloucester Works(see below). The existing building is a three-storey red-brick building with flat roof and like the original building, constructed around an open central courtyard which in recent years had been glazed over.