Durham Street, Rochdale Archaeological Evaluation and Excavation Report

Oxford Archaeology (OA) North was commissioned by Ecus Limited, on behalf of Countryside Homes, to undertake a programmes of archaeological investigation on land assigned for development to the north of Durham Street, Rochdale (centred on NGR 390133, 412507). The work was informed by an
earlier desk-based assessment indicating that the development area formed the site of a late nineteenth-century cotton spinning mill and accompanying
domestic houses.
The programme of archaeological work originally comprised an archaeological evaluation with five trenches targeting the remains of a former mill and terraced housing depicted on historic mapping of the site. Based on the results
obtained, this was almost immediately followed by two larger, open‐area excavations. This latter phase of works focused on two areas; the eastern end of the former mill complex, targeting the chimney and associated power
structures observed within evaluation Trench 3 and historic mapping, and, the south‐western quarter of the development area, targeting the full footprint of domestic housing observed within evaluation Trenches 4 and 5. As part of this
second excavation area, two cellars were sample excavated in order to ascertain their depth and character.
The combined programme of work recorded significant remains relating to the power systems of the former mill. These seem to highlight the location and character of the steam engine and boilers, within the eastern extent of the northern range of the mill. The octagonal chimney observed on historic
mapping was also uncovered, in part, at the end of a cobbled road surface with additional walls and floor surfaces forming elements of the southern range of mill structures. The full footprint of the targeted domestic housing
was exposed, with some evidence of truncation by subsequent modern development. Individual houses differed in their overall footprint, but highlighted a common theme throughout, with slight adaptations adding a
degree of differentiation.