Albion Mill, Burnley Road East, Newchurch,Lancashire. Archaeological Building Investigation.

The archaeological building investigation was carried out in October and November 2013, and comprised an accurate measured survey of the historic mill complex, coupled with a written description and a detailed photographic record, consistent with English Heritage Level 2/3 standard. A review of the available documentary sources was also carried out. The historic fabric of the mill complex comprised a three-storey spinning block with a contiguous three-storey engine house, a boiler house/warehouse block, a two-storey warehouse, and a single-storey structure that spanned the
Whitewell Brook to the rear of the spinning block and engine house.
Evidence obtained from the archaeological investigation indicated that the original spinning block was six bays long originally, with a beam engine house placed transversely across the southern end to form an additional two bays. The buildings were of non-fireproof construction, and built using local sandstone. The spinning block also contained a basement, and whilst its full extent is unknown as it could not be accessed at the time of the archaeological survey, it evidently extended along the bank of the Whitewell Brook, suggesting it may have been intended as a conditioning
cellar. It is possible that the original boiler house had been placed immediately to the south of the engine house, with a detached square-section chimney in the southern
corner of the site. However, this building may have been replaced with the extant three-storey structure, which had been erected by the early 1890s. The spinning block
had also been extended by the early 1890s, with another four bays added to its northern end, together with the single-storey link block that spanned the Whitewell Brook.