Brazil Mill, Knott Mill, Manchester- Watching Brief

In response to a request from Castlefield Estates, Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) undertook an archaeological watching brief during development work at the site of the former Brazil Mill in the Castlefield area of Manchester (centred at NGR SJ 383381 397472). The earth-moving works associated with the development were restricted to a small part of the site, enabling the watching brief to be carried out in a single day in January 2007.
A desk-based assessment of the site carried out in 2005 identified a potential for some buried remains of archaeological interest to survive on the site (OA North 2005). Whilst the study area lies within an area of known Roman activity, the greatest potential for archaeological remains was considered to be associated with an 18th-century water-powered corn mill. In particular, it was envisaged that the site may contain the buried remains of the mill’s water-power system, such as a waterwheel pit and associated water-management features. Moreover, the mill had been converted to a steam-powered cotton factory by the mid-19th century, offering some potential for the surviving remains of an early steam-powered system. The cotton mill appeared from cartographic evidence to have been rebuilt completely during the mid-20th century, although the extent to which this had destroyed the historic fabric of the building was unknown.