Nixon Street, Castleton,Rochdale, Greater Manchester Archaeological Strip, Map and Record and Watching Brief Report

Oxford Archaeology (OA) North carried out a programme of strip, map and record investigation and archaeological monitoring on land at Nixon Street,Castleton, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in June, July and October 2022. The
fieldwork was commissioned by Lanpro Services Ltd, on behalf of Seddon Construction, as condition 4 of a planning application for a residential development on the site (planning ref.: 20/01429/FUL).

Two areas were subject to strip, map and record investigation, targeted upon the locations of former engine houses and boiler rooms of Marland Mill (Trench
1) and Castleton Moor Mill (Trench 2), both former Industrial Period cotton mills.

Excavation of Trench 1 revealed extensive demolition deposits overlying the natural sand, demonstrating that any surviving mill structures relating to Marland Mill’s engine house/boiler room had been completely removed during
demolition. In Trench 2, the chimney base and remnants of the associated flue system (with possible evidence of an economiser) were encountered in the south-east corner of the area, underlying a sequence of demolition deposits and
hardcore/tarmacadam. Various other structures relating to the boiler house of Castleton Moor Mill were partially exposed; however, areas of asbestos were also uncovered, halting investigations. As a result, the exposed remains could not be fully excavated and recorded. The area was subsequently subject to archaeological monitoring during the removal of the contaminated deposits and mill structures, undertaken under watching brief conditions. This work revealed fragments of probable bases of boilers (likely Lancashire Boilers), a concrete floor layer and remnants of other brick structures, but their layout could not be
fully determined. Fragments of metal piping, wiring and other debris relating to the mill’s power production system were also noted during the works.

In relation to questions posed by the North West Regional Research Framework, the results of the investigation provided limited evidence of power production at Castleton Moor Mill, and little further insight into twentieth-century factory organisation. As such, the results are of limited local significance.