Dane Bridge Mill

History

Dane Bridge Mill Location Congleton.

History of Occupancy

1822 J. Pattison (silk throwster)* 1822 Charles Hackney (silk throwster)*

1830 Thomas Robinson (silk throwster)*

1890 Walter Jackson (fustian cutter) 1890 Henry Barlow (fustian cutter)

1902 Walter Jackson (fustian cutter)

1906 H. Barlow & W. Hopkins (fustian cutters)

1910 Henry Barlow (fustian cutter) 1910 William Hopkins (fustian cutter) 1910 William Moores (fustian cutter)

1914 J. N. and G. Phillips (shirt makers)

1932 Condura ( child's dress maker)**

1934 William Hopkins (fustian cutter)

1941 Conforma ( child's dress maker)**

1958 Conforma Ltd (child's dress maker)

1960s Universal Shirts (shirt mfr.)

1973 English Calico Co. Ltd.

1975 Maxpress (bingo card printers)

2001 Maxpress (bingo card printers)

2003 Mill currently vacant

Interesting facts:- Two mills have been built on this site. In 1788 Nathaniel Maxey Pattison built the first mill that was said to be on the site now occupied by the current Dane Bridge Mill on the southwest corner of the road bridge over the River Dane.

Dane Bridge Mill as it was then known was a five-storey mill. It occupied 1,272 square yards. Machinery in the mill was driven by an 8-horse power steam engine. The total frontage in Mill Street was recorded as 53'2" with a depth of 23'3"

The Pattison family owned the mill until the death of James Pattison. There were also four two-storey dwellings or houses with cellars adjoining the mill. . The mill was put up for auction on Wednesday, 30th March, 1831, at the Bull's Head Hotel Congleton (Macclesfield Courier and Herald 1831).

According to trade directories, the first mill was a silk mill up to 1830. There then appears to be a large gap in information. According to the East Cheshire Textile Mill survey (1980s), Dennis and Jacob Bradwell occupied the mill in 1860 and possibly through to 1875..

From 1890, however, the mill was a fustian cutting mill, and remained so up to 1934. The mill, however, was also occupied by Condura, a subsidiary company of Conlowe Ltd. Condura was registered as a limited liability company in 1930 (Congleton Chronicle 1932). The company occupied part of the mill, and initially employed around thirty people. Within two years, the business was employing over 100 people.

During the war years, most of Congleton's mills were often used by the Ministry of Defence to manufacture materials required by the forces, or in many cases, they were commandeered to billet soldiers stationed in Congleton. Dane Bridge Mill, must have been one of the few mills working during the war years. In 1941, however, the name had changed to Conforma.

By 1958, Conlowe companies were subsidiaries of the English Sewing Cotton Company, and by 1973, the company was known as English Calico Ltd. Universal Shirts moved their manufacturing plant to Dane Bridge Mill in the early 1960s when Conforma Ltd., occupied the mill. Soon after 1973, Conforma Ltd., moved to Dane Mill, and the printing company Maxpress purchased Dane Bridge Mill. They occupied the mill in 1975 when Mr A.C. Bradley surveyed the mill for Congleton History Society and also in the 1980s when the East Cheshire Textile Mill Survey was carried out.

Currently the mill is unoccupied and attempts are being made to convert the mill into accommodation.

Explore

Visited May 2010

Couldn’t get into the building itself it’s secured up tight and there is new flats overlooking the mill, took a peek through one of the boarded up windows and it’s just a burnt out shell.