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Devon Mill, Oldham
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Cotton spinning mill from the early part of the 20th century. Very typical of the area, where around 30 similar mills survive, although none of them are uxsed for spinning. Most are now let out as smaller insustrial and warehousing units.
The prominent feature of mills was the tower, which was usually the only element that gave the architect a chance to create some distinctive features. The basic reason for the tower was to hold a water tank providing a basic fire-fighting resource. Many towers would originally have had a ptramidal roof, but these have virtually disappeared. The tower was also almost invariably used to display the name of the mill prominently. The choice of names doesn't seem to fit a particular pattern. Here is a selection from the area: Ace, Nile, Devon, Dee, Durban, Royd, Elm, Earl, Lion, Lily, Briar, Anchor, Manor, Raven Rugby, Ram.
I am convinced that the most important factor in the choice of name was the number of letters - most of the names (and all the ones I have listed) have only 6 letters or less. If the name was too long, it would have to be written in small letters and the impact would have been lost!
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