Victory Works, Heywood, Greater Manchester- Watching Brief and Building Investigation

In response to a request from Scott Wilson Ltd, acting on behalf of Countryside Properties (Northern) Ltd, Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) undertook a programme of archaeological work at a former textile mill known as Victory Works, situated in Heywood, Greater Manchester (centred at NGR SD 84645 10660). In the first instance, this comprised a watching brief that monitored earth-moving works in the area of the former boiler house, situated immediately to the west of the main spinning block, and was carried out in June 2008. During the course of the watching brief, some additional measured survey of the spinning block was carried out to inform the results obtained from the watching brief. The second phase of archaeological work was carried out in November 2009, following the final demolition of the spinning block and clearance of the site, and comprised a ‘strip and record’ exercise. This was targeted on the western side of the spinning block, which had incorporated an internal engine house.
The watching brief revealed the well-preserved remains of two boiler beds, comprising three developmental phases of the steam-raising plant. The initial phase, representing the earliest use of the mill in the 1850s, utilised a Cornish-type boiler to generate the steam required by the engine situated in the main spinning block. Surviving features in the fabric of the building, coupled with the results obtained from the ‘strip and record’, demonstrated that the mill had been powered originally by a beam engine, which had almost certainly been compounded. The engine flywheel was placed centrally, and the power was transmitted via a pinion wheel to the primary drive shaft that was situated along the northern edge of the engine room. This shaft powered the weaving shed to the north of the engine room, and was translated through 90° into the spinning block at ground floor level via a bevel gear housed in the room to the south of the engine. This room also housed a footstep bearing for the vertical shaft, carrying power to the upper floors of the spinning block, where the line shafting was supported on the southern of the two rows of columns. The primary shaft also appears to have serviced a pump, located in a small structure to the south of the spinning block, which appears to have returned water to the reservoir from a culvert, aligned under the building to the engine room.